Today I've been thinking a lot about what makes someone a "reader." This is something parents used to ask me when I was teaching and I never had a good answer. Is it nature? Nurture? Like many subjects to which those questions are posed, it's probably some of both. Sure, my parents are big readers and I grew up with a lot of reading material around, so there was probably a good chance that I would end up reading a lot as well. However, I know many people who grew up in similar environments but just never really got into reading.
NPR's Fresh Air did a story today about the release of the new "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" book. Apparently, like Harry Potter, this is a series that has gotten kids' attention and has made many kids interested in reading who weren't before. The book critic spoke about her daughter who has never really been interested in books, despite her mother's career. Wimpy Kid is different apparently.
Later, when I was on the bus going downtown, I watched as the guy across from me pulled a book out of his bag. He was about my age so I was curious to see what he was reading (oh hell, I'm always curious about what people are reading, no matter their age). It turns out that it's a book that I own but have never read and, just yesterday, had pulled off of the shelf to decide whether or not to keep it. I elected to keep it and now, having seen someone else reading it, perhaps I'll have to read it too.
Are you a reader? If so, what do you think made you that way? If not, why not?
I think this is an interesting question. I'm a big-time reader as are both my parents. I think one large factor for what makes reading appealing is how easy it is for you. For example, my sister is dyslexic so for her, reading is not that enjoyable. I'm "good" at reading though, so I think it follows that I like it more. I also read mostly to get information, so I don't mind reading books that a lot of people would see as boring.
ReplyDelete