On Saturday, Reading is Fundamental will host Breakfast with Santa at the Selma Convention Center. The breakfast will include Dr. Seuss themed food, with green eggs and ham, with several children’s book characters.

Santa will get a lot of the focus from the children, especially with Christmas only about a week away, but the event has a bigger overall purpose. Like with all RIF events, the point of the program is to get kids excited about reading.

Talk to RIF director Nancy Sewell for five minutes and you’ll know the importance of reading to your child.

“The greatest gift parents can give children for the holidays is the gift of books and the love of reading,” Sewell said.

Each child will leave the event with at least two books, giving them something to read during the holiday break. Studies show that reading at home can have a profound impact on a child’s learning ability.

The National Education Association reports that children who were read to frequently are more likely to count to 20 and write their own names.