Growing up in Arlington, Washington, every Wednesday night at the Larsen household was library night.

We would pile into a Chevy Impala station wagon, made when cars didn't have seatbelts, and my Dad would drive us to the library. We would bring our stack of books we read in the last week, turn them in, and then check out more books for the next week. Libraries are very important to education and very important to my family.

The Larsen household library night built up my love for reading which continues for me today. Fast forward a few decades, and today is National Read Across America Day. This annual holiday takes place on the birthday of author Dr. Seuss and promotes reading and education all across the country — and brings back those fond memories of crowding into that Chevy, eager to find our next great read.

Over the years, I have enjoyed working to share my love of reading with children across Northwest Washington. Early last month, I had the chance to hand-deliver children and young adult books to Mariner Library from the Library of Congress' Surplus Books Program. I had a great time reading "I Feel Purple" by Margaret Salter at the Marnier Library last month, and I hope you and your family use this holiday to grab a book and read together.

It is an honor to represent the 2nd District. Our shared values – working hard, caring for each other, and serving the community – guide my work in Congress to serve the people of Northwest Washington. Those Northwest Washington values also mean making sure our kids have the resources they need so that they can focus on learning, exploring their interests, and achieving their goals in the classroom and beyond.

More soon,

Rick

P.S. Need a book recommendation? I recently finished reading Tana French's "The Hunter," which is the sequel to "The Searcher." But I am looking forward to reading Francis Spufford's "Cahokia Jazz," which is a noir novel of sorts set in the past but somewhere in a different world.