Neil Gaiman: Let children read the books they love
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| Lucas reading R.L. Stine |
When my almost 8-year-old son chose R.L. Stine's Weirdo Halloween at the bookstore the other day, I hesitated for a milisecond but bought it anyway. The cover is freaky but it looked like fun and after all we are right smack in the middle of the Halloween season. Why not? He devoured it in two days. I asked him what he thought of it and he said, "It was a little bit scary but very exciting!" He gave the book a full five stars.
It's interesting that reading this book coincided with Neil Gaiman's brilliant lecture on why our future depends on reading, libraries and daydreaming. At one point, Gaiman said, "I don't think there is such a thing as a bad book for children." Every now and again there was a fashion for saying that Enid Blyton or RL Stine was a bad author or that comics fostered illiteracy. It's tosh. It's snobbery and it's foolishness."
He added: "Well-meaning adults can easily destroy a child's love of reading. Stop them reading what they enjoy or give them worthy-but-dull books that you like – the 21st-century equivalents of Victorian 'improving' literature – you'll wind up with a generation convinced that reading is uncool and, worse, unpleasant." I wholeheartedly agree. Thank you Neil Gaiman for this wonderful speech!
For an edited version of Gaiman's lecture click here.
Hi, Mrs. B! Long time, no see.:) Anyway, I was intrigued by what book your son loved. I've read Gaiman's speech and I am a firm believer of letting kids choose, but I remember that when my son started choosing his own books (and most of them were comics or non-fic stuff), I did hesitate for a while and had an urge to push certain books towards him. But I stopped myself and let him choose. Now, although not all his books are to my taste, he seems to be experimenting with other books more.
ReplyDeleteI just thought it was funny how there's still that urge to want to choose what they read for them, but you have to tell yourself to stop and give them that freedom.:)
I hope you're well, by the way!
Hi Honey, Long time! Like you I haven't been blogging much lately. I agree that we should let kids choose their books. That said, I have a kids book club and so far the books the moms have chosen have been a success.
DeleteLet children read the books they love! I like it. Thx
ReplyDelete