My local library is having an adult reading contest. Read a book, put a ticket in the fishbowl. Read NONFICTION and you get to put in two! On April 1st names will be drawn for prizes. I'm going for the Kindle. Last year I won 3 prizes!!!! A library-themed apron, a boxed game of Bunco, and some perfume. I realize the competition is tougher this year. I'm going to have to work harder. My strategy is to focus on nonfiction--"Oh, P-L-E-A-S-E don't throw me into that briar patch!!!" (I lurve nonfiction.) I'm going to have to forego some sleep to work in more reading. But I'm off and running! First stop, a delightful book about spending a week at Heathrow written by a quipy Scot. Speaking of the airport's owner who commissioned Mr. de Botton to be Heathrow's "artist-in-residence" for a week, the author writes: "I felt myself to be benefiting from a tradition wherein the wealthy merchant enters into a relationship with an artist fully expecting him to behave like an outlaw; he does not expect good manners, he knows and is half delighted by the idea that the favoured baboon will smash his crockery." And I, kind reader, fully intend to "smash the crockery" of this contest, as well.
4 comments:
I would so love to take you on. Course, I have these kids that seriously hinder my reading some days, but you have a job to go to, so fair's fair. Good luck!
Sean got me a Nook (the B&N version of a Kindle) for Christmas. I have to admit that I am loving it, although I was skeptical at first. Helps that there are lots of free books for it and our library system has a great e-lending system.
At the risk of boring you: A study I read some time ago attributed rises in kids' reading grades merely by observing their parents reading. Parents didn't even have to be actually reading. Just having a book open and the head down in reading stance brought up the grades. So I'm just saying...
Do the books have to be checked out of our library or can we read books we have at home?
Eugene is an avid reader and because our kids saw him read all the time, 3 of them LOVE reading. A fourth has done much more reading since leaving high school.
I have seen a few of those studies, and I've seen it in action with my students as well. Reading households produce readers. I'd say we're in pretty good shape over here, since my kids see me read more far more often than they see me, say, clean the bathrooms. And so far I am definitely raising up some little readers--here's hoping it sticks through the school years.
Post a Comment