Book Problems...

I have a confession to make…I buy WAY too many books. I realized this as I was gazing at my personal library, trying to decide what to read next. It was like I had a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear. There were so many choices! Choices, I might add, that I had accumulated earlier that same month. It’s a problem…

I think I once told my husband that I wish I had more than one brain and pair of eyes. Sure, I would look really freaky, but I could read more than one book at the same exact time. How marvelous would that be? You could travel to twice as many places, go on twice as many adventures, and fall in love twice as many times.

Now that I am a teacher, my reading has slowed down considerably. But I still love it. I guess it’s true that “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

But as a teacher, I see so many kids that abhor reading. They would rather sit and stare absently at a wall then read. It’s mind blowing to me! I can’t wait to get off work (or sometimes just a break in the day) to read my book. The chance to explore, to be free, and to relax is so enticing. Why don’t kids understand this? Why do they only see it as a chore?

I wish I had a magic wand that would lift their preconceived ideas of reading and show them the true joy they are missing…

What do you guys think? How can we encourage kids today to read without shoving it down their throats? How can we convince them that it can be done outside of school, it can be done for pleasure? Let me know your thoughts!