Monday, December 3, 2007

FWD: Learning to Get Lost in A Good Book

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Learning to Get Lost in A Good Book
November 30, 2007
A few days ago Motoko Rich pondered "A Good Mystery: Why We Read" in the NYT.

"The gestation of a true, committed reader is in some ways a magical process, shaped in part by external forces but also by a spark within the imagination," writes Rich, who cites Alan Bennett's absolutely delightful recent novel The Uncommon Reader as an example of what happens when someone discovers the magic of reading (in this case, of course, uneasy lies the library card with those who support the crown).

I've been asking a lot of questions this week about what you read this year, and I've heard some great answers. I've also told you a little bit about how pleased I am that my own daughters seem to be on their own paths to becoming "true, committed" readers. Since I know that my readers are readers, today's question: what was the book (your first, your fifteenth, the last one you read) that crystallized your commitment to reading?

It's not necessarily an easy questin to answer, especially since, like me, many of you have been reading steadily since an early age. But if I absolutely had to give an answer, I would point not to a single celebrated work of children's lit (which is what you might expect), but instead a humble row of biographies in my elementary school library. When I was in second grade, that row (I can still see it in my mind's eye -- the volumes were several different colors, including orange, yellow, green, and blue) represented a sure thing. I loved learning about a new person's life each time I checked one of them out.

What was your moment of reading magic?
Posted by Bethanne Patrick on November 30, 2007 Comments (6)
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