For The L♥ve of Reading discussion

I had a conversation with my Literature Professor who has it in mind that it is really hard to find a group of people who purely love reading. She had many different articles and printed pages of how reading is going down and illiteracy is increasing by an alarming rate.

From that point, I took my love of reading with the knowledge that this website holds a love for reading and decided to put my grade in the hands of everyone on goodreads. I hope that we can prove to my Professor that people of all ages, genders, readers of all genres, and backgrounds around the world can gather in one group to discuss books, authors, and any situation that revolves around books.

Once you have joined please invite others to join in this project, have fun, and just be as active as possible.

I need everyone that joins to at least post a few times and I also need close to 250 people. However, the more the better. I would like to blow her away with the results from this group. If for nothing more then to raise her hopes for the future of reading. (I wont deny that would like to get an A.)

I forgot to mention... My Professor will NOT be poking around in this group. My results will be in the form of response papers and I'll have to present the website during the last week in May for apart 20 minutes of fame in front of the class.

Please feel free to be yourselves and just have fun talking about the books you read and want to read.

My professor was trying to make a point that the illiteracy rate is increasing. Once people are done with HS they just don't ever pick up a book again. Newspapers are written at a 5th grade reading level so many can not, should not, use that as proof of them being literate. Her so called articles were for many different minority groups as well as for countries and age groups.

Let blow my professor away!!! And prove that there are still tons of people all over that love to read... and read for FUN!

ok im in

I feel that people have to read so many books that are, well dull starting in elementary school and through high school. Therefore no one wants to read anymore, it's like a chore. I however never gave up on books and love and will continue to read all my life!

I agree with Kate. The books we are assigned to read are mind-numbingly boring, so people don't care for reading. (I read books before I started going to school, so I escaped!!! Muahahaha!)

Haha, I acutally just always loved to read. Ever since Kindergarten I would take about one shelf home to read a week.

Yeah, exactly, same :)

I do wish they would pick more interesting books so we don't give up on nooks at a young age.

Seriously. We had to read a book called Touching Spirit Bear in 7th grade...it was the absolute worst book ever. (Read the description...but don't dare read the book!)
Then in 8th grade, we read Stuck in Neutral. Another awful book.

Well I'm a sophmore and we read a book called Grendel it was about this monster that eats people, swears a lot, and is very graphic about everything. And I go to a Catholic private high school! I hated it so much, the worst book I've ever read. I wish I could get my hours of wasted time reading it, discussing it, and then writing a paper on it back.

I remember Grendel from Code Orange! It sounded horrible.

Wow, those books to sound awful. I'll add a topic for books from school so we can talk about it some more. Under random for right now.

I love the reason this group was created...when I have kids I plan to have bookshelves they can access when they feel like it..I know that's how i got my interst as a kid in books because they were made available to me and it was a way to escape but of course I was a child before the internet and the Wii etc...I think it is so unfortunate that technology and whatever other reasons are keeping kids from reading and that whole countries are becoming illiterate! Sad....

The problem is that the books required do not interest the current generation. I remember reading books such as Henry Jame's Portrait of a Lady and Charles Dicken's Great Expectation in school. I did not like either book because I could not identify with either time period. I worked in a bookstore and had to help kids find books for summer reading. I looked at their lists and they had more interesting selections. We have to be able to connect with the book as you would a tv or movie.

Welcome aboard. I remember have bookshelf full of different books. Luckily the bookmobile stopped two blocks from my house as well. When I moved the library was within walking distances. I have plenty of shelves for my boys and every month they ask for books from those school book orders.

♥ Rachel♥ wrote: "Seriously. We had to read a book called Touching Spirit Bear in 7th grade...it was the absolute worst book ever. (Read the description...but don't dare read the book!)
Then in 8th gra..."

Rachel, I loved Stuck in Neutral. Of course I read it more recently and I am sure I am much older than you. I think often books are relative. I did not read much in highschool or college. Now I can't seem to read enough to make up for lost time. I think the more you read the more you can weed out those that are truly good or great or hit subjects that are important and important to you personally.

My kids are ages 7 and 4, and I think that literacy and the love of reading can really be nurtured at home initially. Our shelves are packed full of books for my children, and I'm always excited to introduce ones they will love. I was a very early reader, and it's been a *little* hard for me to see my son not always love reading and being read to the way I did. However, he is a strong reader, it's just getting him interested. The Magic Treehouse series is FABULOUS for young minds. I love how they draw from history as well as historical fiction characters to people the stories.

Schools are pushing kids harder now - my son was a good reader at the end of Kindergarten, and my daughter is already doing a lot of literacy work in her pre-school. As long as they keep it interesting, fun and don't make the children overwhelmed and stressed about school while they are young, I think it's great.

QUESTION - What do you all think about the electronic reading? (i.e. Kindles, Nooks, and now the iPad?) I love technology, but I'm not clamoring for the Kindle or Nooks (the iPad DOES look fun though...) Is this the death of the library?

E-Readers do look like they could be useful, If I got one I'd prefer to use them for the newspaper/magainzines/short stories. I still enjoy just having a good hardcover book to just sit and read with it.

My job & other enjoyments require a monitor, reading has been a good thing that doesn't require me to look at a computer monitor again.

My parents had always read to me when I was younger but didn't really take off for me until about sixth grade. We had a reading competition between the class & grades with who would read the most. I ended up getting around 100 books read that semester or school year. After that I just kept reading for my own enjoyment mainly fiction some more technical books.

"Classics" can be nice when used as a common reference for people but some are very unenjoyable to read today. The references/language/context are outdated and does require much more thought to get through.

Perhaps thats one thing your professor may be looking into the quality & level people are at to see if a Classic book is an easy or more difficult read. Some of them do require a historical understanding of the era to get into the book.

Hi all,

I grew up in a different generation. My 12th grade English class was done like a college course. Each of the 4 quarters of the school year we were able to select a different "class" that we might be interested in. I mainly remember one course that was called "Protest through the ages." We started with Aristotle, Socrates et. al. and their protests on government, youth, war etc. and moved forward. The thing is--protest movements seem to be the same no matter what the generation. And youth rebellion is universal and has been as long as we have had a civilization that allows the young a few minutes of leisure.

Having said that--I started reading at 8--vision problems kept me from reading before that (that little kid in your class--the one with the coke bottle thick glasses? That was me.) But I started reading and haven't stopped since. But both my parents were readers, as was my older brother.

When my daughter was born, she'd split her summers with her grandparents--1 set were High School teachers and the other set College. She was the only kid in her kindergarten class who knew who Shakespeare was (my Dad was of the opinion that Shakespeare made a GREAT bedtime read.) Now my grandkids (both boys, 11 and 13 years old) are readers too. They are home schooled now because the public school system had them bored to tears. When they left public school (grade 3 and 4 respectively) the older was reading at a high school level and the younger at an 8th grade level.

But again--both of their parents are readers, and so that's what they've grown up seeing.

It really helps when the people you grow up around love to read and it is a part of daily life.

Everybody is a "reader". It does make it a lot more likely for you to pick up a book if you see people around you doing it, but what really hooks you is the book that speaks to you. I'm convinced everybody really does love to read they just haven't found the right book yet.

That is a great way to look at it Cara! Inspiring. I might have to ask if I can quote you when I present to the class.

Ann aka Iftcan, My 12th grade AP English wasn't structured like a College course but during that time I was taking English 101 for college credits at the same time.

The teacher did try to expose us to different books at the time some I've read already others I thought was interesting. Read Flowers for Algernon & Pygmalion at the time as well as others.

During my Sixth grade year I was reading shorten/abridged classics like Moby Dick/Billy Bud/etc. so a lot of it is availability & getting someone interested.

My daughter basically grew up with a book in her hands. We read to her constantly as a baby and made reading fun for her even then. My husband who is not a reader made reading fun for her - he was great with special effects! As a middle schooler, her advanced language arts teacher gave them a list of 100 books that everyone should read to be considered a good reader and that has gotten her to read some classics this year which we have been able to discuss. We figure that we've spent a small fortune on books already.

The small fortune will be well worth it! I hope she continues to enjoy reading!

I will be going to a Literacy class in March that helps me teach an adult how to read. I'm looking forward to it.

That sounds like a great class. And for a great cause. Good luck. You will have to let us know some of the major points that you learn about.

I definitely will.

I'll look forward to it.

KrisT wrote: "♥ Rachel♥ wrote: "Seriously. We had to read a book called Touching Spirit Bear in 7th grade...it was the absolute worst book ever. (Read the description...but don't dare read the boo..."

Yeah, you are older than me, I'm 13 :) Maybe I should reread it sometime....

KrisT wrote: "♥ Rachel♥ wrote: "Seriously. We had to read a book called Touching Spirit Bear in 7th grade...it was the absolute worst book ever. (Read the description...but don't dare read the boo..."

I loved it too...But it is a YA fiction book, which I usually try to avoid. But I liked this one. I don't remember the Author, but I've enjoying his work.

Mr. wrote: "As a father of a few children (ages 17 thru 37) I encouraged reading early on and stuck a wide range of books in front of my kids... my oldest favorite at age 12 was Steven King's Salem's Lot, one ..."

I agree that parent's have a big affect on their children by how they precieve literature....

To quote a paper from an college assignment

"As a child I was exposed to lots of stories while cuddled up with a loved one, I went to story time, I participate in every summer reading program at the library, my mom showed great examples of the importance of reading (“Unless you or someone else in the house is bleeding, vomiting, or in danger, wait until I finish this chapter!”), and I volunteered for around five years at the library I grew up at. That library is my second home. My mom also works in the Children’s section. "

Oh another thing about parents....

At the end of first grade, even though I had favorite authors and favorite books, I couldn't really even identify my letters...They wanted to test me for a learning disability, but my mom saw no reason for it.

So she home schooled me in 2nd grade, and we made a point of reading everyday and a multitude of different kinds of books....

And not to brag at all, but when I returned to conventional school in 3rd grade, I was easily reading at close to a middle school level.

i was just reading the posts here and would like to say i agree with you guys. if a child is read to or encouraged to read, it is more likely they will become a reader.

i took a workshop once that said if kids are not readers by the time they are in second grade, they most likely will never become one. if students make fun of a child when reading in class, that kid may never want to read silently again. isn't that crazy?

my daughter is five and is beginning to identify words on her own. which is so exciting for me. i can't wait to read all of the great books i was given as a child.

my influence was my oldest brother. he gave me books all of the time. probably well beyond my comprehension for the age i was reading them, but he believed in my ability to learn.

That is great! (What your brother did for you!)

I took my three boys to the library yesterday and they picked out books and they each got a book with audio to follow along in. We also picked up harder books for me to read to them. I think that reading some of the harder books to them helps them realize what they get to read once they get more words in their vocab. Looking forward to a good story is never a bad thing.

Yeahh... i totally agree. i introduced my son to books when he was just 8 months. Large picture books provide an amazing stimulus to the brain in early childhood. In addition to that, we were always reading stories to my son, at times several times a day. it was our only pass-time. At home, me n my husband too are passionate readers.

As a result, today, my son at seven years of age has definite likes and dislike about what he wants to read. Also, he's reading stuff i had never even heard of when i was his age!!!! Makes me very happy :))as a gud reading habit is possibly the best that we can give our children. Books are always a person's best friend.

I'm in. This sounds like a really interesting project to me. I would have enjoyed doing something like this when I was in college. And I saw the rule and I'll try with the language but I have a tendency to talk like a sailor just point it out if I don't notice and I'll work harder on it!

That is too funny. Sailors do have nasty mouths.

lol hi angela welcome

thanks!

School was officially over for me yesterday! Thank Goodness... I'll be able to find out my grade on this little project that everyone so kindly joined.

I did use some quotes, however, it did keep every person anonymous for the end project. I didn't want anyone to hunt me down and yell at me.

She said it was a fabulous presentation and we also had to write a few pages (as desired) about the beginning, middle, and end results. I provided shots of a graph from the statistics that I have taken throughout.

Pat yourselves on the back for such wonderful activity! I learned a lot from all of you and hopefully I have touched you in some way.

I do plan on keeping the group alive and active. There is no need for a radioactive melt down. LOL!

Happy Reading!!

If anyone has suggestions on changing the group photo or if we should keep it the crazy old couple who spends their nights reading and chatting about what is going on to each other?

We can keep things the same about the central idea behind the group.
--- A area were a group of all walks of life can get together and talk about reading, books, characters, and anything else related to books. Proving that many people from all over enjoy reading, lowering the literacy rate.

Let me know what you think. Let me know how I am doing. And let me know if there is anything that could be better.

Or any of the other Mods. That is why I hired them on. LOL!

Ok Elyssa--just a word of warning. If you don't post what grade you get from this--and what comments your teacher made--we WILL hunt you down, tackle you and rip the grade out of your trembling hands. :o)

elyssa,

i think your idea about keeping the central idea behind the group is great. that is what we are all about. i've come to love the picture for the group, but i suppose we can change it if others feel strongly about it.
and i agreen with Ann, you MUST tell us the final grade!

e

Dum Dum Dum.... I should find out today. I checked my e-mail and no grade yet.

We all wanna know it looks like Elyssa

this group is perfect as it is, you dont need to change anything - except, perhaps the part where you say its for a school work, since its already done - and tell us your grade, post the slides of your presentation on the group photos, if its possible please C=

Ann aka Iftcan wrote: "Ok Elyssa--just a word of warning. If you don't post what grade you get from this--and what comments your teacher made--we WILL hunt you down, tackle you and rip the grade out of your trembling ha..."

Yeah...what she said! lol...we worked for this grade too! welllll, kinda, sorta, a little bit! hehe