Reading To Impress

Many people read, but less than many actually read because they enjoy it. There are elitists out there, those that read to impress, and I'm not down with those people. Yes, I've tried to read a few of 'their' books, but by and large, it hasn't been a positive experience.

In 2007, the Library and Information Update did a survey and found that half of their respondents said that reading classics made one appear more intelligent, and that's why they did it. Also, more than half of the young adults, age 19-21, lied when asked to name their favorite books. The favorite books of read to impress name droppers were:

Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien
War and Peace – Tolstoy
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus – John Gray
1984 – George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J.K. Rowling
Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
The Diary of Anne Frank

That's not to say that all of these books, or any of them, are bad. It just goes to show what the common thought is on what intelligent literature is. Lord of the Rings is one of my favorite stories of all time. 1984 has consistently rated among my favorite books ever, and of course, children the world over love Harry Potter. I've also read The Da Vinci Code and loved it, and I read portions of The Diary of Anne Frank to my students every year.

The point here is that if reading becomes seen as nothing more than a task someone undertakes in order to appear smart, then it is done in vain, and serves no purpose beyond appearance, much like getting plastic surgery or something like that. As teachers and/or literary theorists, it is our job to make reading real to kids, to help them find the true value in reading, and to enjoy the process.

Please take a look at the reading survey that is tied to this post, and my personal response. I have also provided a link to the survey itself in .pdf format on that post. CLICK HERE to go to that post, which also happens to be the post immediately prior to this one.

Reading Interest Survey

This survey is taken directly from the Reading Interest Survey pdf file that you can locate by clicking the just mentioned link. I am providing my personal responses because it's fun, please take the survey and do it or use it with your students to get a better view of them as readers.

1. Do you like to read? Of course, I wouldn't do this blog if I didn't.

2. How much time do you spend reading? During the school year, probably 10 hours per week. During summer vacation, much more, probably 30 hours per week.

3. What are some of the books you have read lately? I read I Am the Messenger, The Little Prince, I'm reading The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford right now, and that's about it, it was a busy month.

4. Do you have a library card? How often do you use it? Yes I do. I use it probably ten times per year.

5. Do you ever get books from the school library? Well, this is cheating because I'm a teacher, but of course I do, I get dozens at a time actually. I also have my own classroom library that served my class well this year.

6. About how many books do you own? This is a two parter. Personally, for my own home collection, about 200. What I own for my classroom, as a teacher, about 400.

7. What are some books you would like to own? I'm just trying to keep up with my students interests, so whatever they're interested in. Personally, I don't TRY to own anything, I just find what's good. I'm currently looking for a couple of Holocaust related graphic novels, I'd like to own those.

8. The kind of reading I like best: History, science fiction, adventure, novels, biography, humor, mysteries.

9. Do you like to read the newspaper? Yes, I don't read it from cover to cover, but I read what stands out to me.

10. What parts of the newspaper do you like? Columnists, headlines, sports, comic strips, politics, current events, and editorials

11. What are your favorite television programs? The Office, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Iron Chef America.

12. How much time do you spend watching television? During the school year, maybe one hour per night. During the summer, maybe a lot more.

13. What is your favorite magazine? Wired

14. Do you have a hobby? If so, what is it? Yes, reading.

15. What are the two best movies you have ever seen? The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and The Pianist.

16. Who are your favorite entertainers and/or movie stars? I've always thought that Ben Affleck was pretty cool, and that Jessica Alba was pretty pretty.

17. When you were little, did you enjoy having someone read aloud to you? Yes, I did. I still do.

18. List topics, subjects, etc. which you might like to read about: Zombie fiction, I love the stuff and can't find it. The Holocaust, I am immersed in the genre, and am always trying to find more. And any good young adult and pre-adolescent literature, for obvious reasons (it's my field).

19. What does the word 'reading' mean to you? It means more than just looking at words on a page and making sense of them. Reading means actually interacting with a text, enjoying it, wanting more of it, and becoming immersed in it. Of course, that is a classroom definition.

20. Say anything else that you would like to say about reading: Reading opens door, it changes world views, and it has the power to shape lives.