Reading for the sheer pleasure of a good story, the beauty of the written word or the wonders of imaginary worlds seems to be threatened at every front these days.

We all know how hard it is to get some older children to pick up a book for enjoyment and to stretch their minds.

But can it be true that one truly cherished childhood tradition, the bedtime story, is under assault? Are fewer parents reading to their very young children? Are they missing out on this precious time to bond, to share, to jointly explore fairy tale worlds and to build wondrous memories?

It would appear so, according to a recently released study, "Reading Across the Nation." Less than half of all parents said they or other family members read every day to their children under 5.

Time is precious to all of us and more and more it seems there is less of it.

But this important time with our young children builds family cohesion, furthers creative development and improves academic achievement.

Besides, we're not talking about a chore here.

What could be more fun, more precious than sharing these fleeting moments with young ones just before they drift off to dreamland?

We've lost that magic as adults; don't let it happen to our young children, too. Please.

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