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Eileen Cardet

Eileen Cardet is anchor of Noticias 23 “Al Amanecer” (morning news show) at Univision WLTV 23 – Miami. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, of Cuban parents, and has specialized in education issues.  In keeping with her passion for education, Cardet heads “Club de Libros 23,” a joint effort of Univision 23, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and book publisher Santillana USA. This initiative highlights the importance of reading in education and the positive messages that can be found in books.

Which book are you reading now?
I am currently reading The 72 names of God, by Yehuda Berg, which deals with the kabbalah, the mystic knowledge of Jewish origin that supposedly attempts to explain the essence of God and its creation. This is the third book dealing with esoteric knowledge that I have read, and I believe them to be very interesting. Despite being raised in a catholic family, I have never been content with what I know about life, God, and the human existence. Consequently I find myself in a perennial existential search that goes beyond religions and dogmas.

Which book has had the biggest impact on you in your lifetime?
I can’t choose one book over another. Reading is one of my passions, and there are many books that have had an impact on my life or that their reading has been extremely enjoyable. Some of my favorites are One hundred years of solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez; Perfume, by Patrick Suskind; The Alchemist, of Paulo Coelho; Man´s search for meaning, by Viktor Frankl; The Anatomist, by Federico Andahazi and Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, to mention a few.

Who is your favorite author and why?
One of my favorite authors is Gabriel García Márquez, whom I consider a truly literary genius for its descriptive ability and for creating a whole universe within his novels. The reader has no choice but to cease to exist and to become a part of his stories. However again, it’s almost impossible to have a single favorite writer.

What advice would you give parents and educators about encouraging young people to read in Spanish?
To parents I recommend that they read to their children everyday from a very early age. My daughter is barely two years old and already asks me to read for her before she takes a nap or goes to bed at night. It’s a fun way to spend time together with them and at the same time to instill to them the habit of reading. Children emulate their parents, thus if parents have a reading habit it will influence their behavior immensely. Put aside so much television and allow reading to arouse the imagination, knowledge and cultural richness of your kids. To educators I ask that they demand an interesting curriculum of readings in the classroom. Not all books inspire or teach the reader, and some can even be tedious, which can have a negative effect on students. But if every book they read is fascinating students will fall in love with reading and will make of this a daily habit.