Visiting My Old Friend Laura Ingalls Wilder

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do.

"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity, and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon, and by moonlight." ~ Robertson Davies

I ran across this quote recently and have been thinking about it. There are many books I’ve read over and over through the years, books I love and books I’ve taught or wanted to share the experience with others.  Of course, if I’m sharing the experience or teaching them, I need to read them again during the process. The first book that comes to mind is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I’ve written about it before and how it changed my life. If you missed that post, please click here.

Of Mice and Men is a book I taught as well, so it was read over and over during the process. Other books I’ve taught that I enjoyed reading many times – Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank (my brother-in-law George’s favorite apocalyptic novel), Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Bean Treesby Barbara Kingsolver (I really need to write a blog about her works. I once signed up for a three-day workshop on Animal Dreams just so I would have an excuse to re-read it!), Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, and, of course, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. There were others, but these pop easily to mind. They are all great books and it was always a pleasure to revisit them. But that isn’t really the intent of what Robertson Davies said, is it?

Since I’m already in my old age (okay, maybe 65 isn’t exactly OLD, but it’s well past just maturing), I tried to think of something I had read as a child and again as an adult, that would be worthy of being designated “truly great.” I’ve lighted on the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read them, all more than once, as a child. When I found myself the mother of two daughters, I bought the whole set so I could share them with my daughters. I read them when I was around thirty and enjoyed them at least as much as I had as a child. I remember being surprised at how much I enjoyed them as an adult. They were so well written and the stories were every bit as compelling as I had remembered. Granted, I grew up in the Midwest and have an affinity for the place of the stories. I also love to be transported to other times, and Wilder does an exceptional job of that.

It’s time for another reading of the books. Now I write for children, so I will bring a new perspective to my reading. I also have a granddaughter who is just about ready to read these wonderful books, so I have another opportunity to share the experience. I will be putting this set of books on my summer reading list and will report back at some point in the future about the experience. I would do it now, but I’m leaving in a couple of days for a writing workshop (you'll be hearing about that next time) and will be quite busy. I also have some book reviews that will be due soon, but I will get back to the Little House soon.

What books did you read as a child that deserve another look wherever you are in the life process? Why do you feel compelled to choose that book or those books? 

Interview with Jame Richards, Writer Extraordinaire

If you are reading this in your email, don’t forget to click on the headline to go to my blog. If you haven’t subscribed yet, please do.

A couple of posts ago, I reviewed a book I LOVE called Three Rivers Rising: A Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards. If you haven’t read this wonderful historical novel yet, what are you waiting for? Hie you to the bookstore, Amazon, or the library or click on the title or the image of the book cover below to order. This book is delicious! Now I’m happy to tell you, Jame Richards generously gave me the time for an interview. I think you’ll enjoy reading more about her and the process of writing Three Rivers Rising.

The Johnstown Flood was certainly an extraordinary event, but one not a lot of young people know about. How did you decide on that as the basis for your book?

The flood had always fascinated me ever since seeing a documentary in high school. Years later, when I started writing, it became clear to me that the flood would make a fantastic backdrop for a Romeo and Juliet-type story, but many years passed, along with several failed attempts at writing it. When the opportunity arose to take a workshop with my hero Patricia Reilly Giff, I thought, “Geez, I better write a few pages of something to bring to the class. If only I had a story idea simmering in the back of my mind…hey, wait a minute!”

I loved the marriage of fictional characters to the backdrop of such a powerful historical event as the Johnstown Flood. Was it always your intention to write this story as fiction?

Writing about any true story, you want to start with as much factual information as possible. You can only do so much, though, adding fictional elements to the lives of real documented people. At the end of the day, you can control the story more with completely fictional characters. The character Joseph was inspired by the real life John Hess, but in order for that storyline to be told through the eyes of a young person for YA, I opted to give him a child bride and tell it from her point of view.

What did you do to prepare for writing Three Rivers Rising?

A few things had changed in my writing life by the time I completed Three Rivers Rising. Working on a screenplay for many months had changed my writing style. Screenwriting moves you away from the interior reflections and the observational: everything is action and dialog. Action and dialog. Action and dialog. The setting, as needed, is the majority of the description. So when I applied this to novel writing, it became a more immediate and visual style.

The other thing that changed was trying verse for the first time. I had always felt comfortable writing poetry, but it never amounted to a novel-length work before. After reading Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, I could get my head around telling a larger story one poem at a time.

How did you discover your fictional characters? Are they based on real people?

No one is literally based on a real person, but you take pieces of yourself and others to build characters. Rather than the well-worn character of the feisty headstrong girl who throws caution to the wind, I wanted Celestia to be quietly rebellious and conflicted. She loves her family members, even though they’re flawed, and doesn’t want to be cut off from them. That felt more organic and real to me. Peter, by design, had to be a little more cultivated than the average joe so he could relate to Celestia and see himself with her. For Kate it was easy to choose her actions and reactions based on the Know It All/OCD behavior of anyone I might know who’s like that. I think she feels most like a real person to some readers, though maybe not the most sympathetic. I was very much in touch with Maura’s experience because my children were small when I was writing this, and I was knitting, nesting.

Your writing has such a great, natural flow to it. Do you spend a lot of time planning your writing – outlining and such – or is it a much more organic process for you?

Thank you! I guess I’d describe it as setting off toward the horizon, but you can’t see your destination. I write for a while until I know where I’m going, then I might do a play-by-play of the remaining scenes. So, no, I don’t do a ton of planning before I start—I would miss all those great surprises that jump out along the way!

Writing can be a lonely business. Do you work with critique groups or critique partners? Maybe you could talk a little about your writing process.

I get together with other writers frequently, but it’s not Writing by Committee. It’s more like a support group in a way. We talk about the industry. We bounce ideas off each other. We read our work aloud and maybe we say, “It was a little slow in that spot” or “I didn’t get where you were going with that.” That’s the biggest benefit: reading for an audience. More often than not, I know what I need to do to fix something that way.

Also, I’m very lucky to have Patricia Reilly Giff for a mentor. She gives lots of encouragement and spot-on feedback.

As writers, we all hear so much about the editing process. Did you have to do a lot of re-writing once Three Rivers Rising was placed with Knopf? Did you feel an editor would be able to give you much guidance considering writing in verse is so different from prose?

I wouldn’t say I did a lot of rewriting, but there were stubborn sticky parts that had to be clarified repeatedly. Did I also write new material? Yes. Did I also cut out chunks? Yes. But in general, the finished book is very similar to how it sold.

I didn’t know what to expect from an editor since it was my first book. I did know that my editor had worked on other verse novels that I admired, so I trusted that. She wasn’t afraid to get down into the nitty-gritty where every word counts. It worked out very well.

Did you have an agent represent the book or did you sell it on your own? If you had an agent, do you feel it was harder to find an agent because your book was written in verse?

Verse is still considered a risk. So it is harder to find an agent. And harder to find a publisher. Consider the economy and the concerns about the future of publishing—everyone wants to aim for the sweet spot and I can’t say I blame them.

Do you feel your job is easier or harder now that your debut novel is out and a big hit? Is there more or less pressure? Does the pressure come more from yourself or others?

The “harder” part is trying to top yourself. The more people liked your first book, the higher the bar is set. Hopefully, I’m a better writer by now, though. I would say I’m my own toughest critic, so there’s some pressure that way, but there are definitely external expectations, too.

What has been most thrilling for you since your novel debuted?

The biggest thrill is hearing from readers who reach out, much like yourself: bloggers, teachers, librarians, etc. I often hear from other writers, too. It seems we’re each other’s biggest fan base!

It’s never easy to find enough time to write, but you have small children. Is it a distraction or an inspiration?

My writing time was very limited when they were small, but I found that helpful in a way. It forced me to shut that door at naptime and sit quietly glued to the computer until the baby squawked. I had to hit the ground running or my writing time would be gone. So I was actually very productive. Same with nursery school and half-day kindergarten. When you have that finite window, it makes for a useful urgency. 

What do you hear from your young readers? Do they seem to find the verse more appealing or the story?

They express surprise at how quickly they forget they’re reading poetry (like it’s supposed to hurt?), how they just get swept up in the story and how quickly they finished it! (Instead of 250 words a page, my novel averages 100-150.)

What advice would you pass along to those of us who haven’t gotten that first book published?

1. Write. Rinse. Repeat.
2. Read.
3. Read for craft.
4. Write some more.
5. Don’t think of your manuscript as chiseled in stone. Break it all apart. Cut out the excess and put it back together better.
6. Don’t give up after a few rejections. It is part of the process. Period.
7. Rejections get less painful as you get closer to the destination. More constructive and encouraging. Those initial blunt form rejections can take years off any writing life, I know, but don’t park there.
8. If your work isn’t selling, sell something else. The market changes. It’s different for me now than it was when I sold 3RR, different from when Hesse sold Out of the Dust, different from when my mentor sold her first book. Maybe it’s not the time for one manuscript. Polish up another. Get it out there. You can’t sell it if it isn’t out there.

  

I saw on your website as the third of three girls, you were named for your father. I was the fourth of four girls and my father lobbied for me to be named for him. (If he’d had his way, I would be Frederica Alberta Hollinbeck!) How do you feel about your name? Did you like growing up with an unusual – almost boy’s – name?

Frederica is a great name! You should name a character that…see what parallel life you might have led.

I like my name a lot now. It fits me. I think a boy name on a girl is cool and I hope it makes me seem tougher than I am! But it was a real drag as a kid because every time I was introduced to someone there was a big rigmarole of explanation. Plus, there was always mention of Jamie Sommers, the Bionic Woman, and that created a detour into pop culture. Nowadays we’re more accepting of unusual names. It’s fashionable even.

Thank you for so generously sharing your time and thoughts. Is there anything I didn’t ask about that you’d like to tell us?

You’re welcome! I hope I covered everything, but if your readers want to know more, they can check out my website www.jamerichards.com or like 3RR on Facebook for updates on events. 

Freeeeeee Stuff!

If you are reading this in your email, please click on the title of the blog. It will take you to my blog and two things will happen: I will know how many people are really reading my blog and you can leave a comment at the end of the post. If you aren’t reading this in your email, please look on the right side at the top and sign up for an email subscription. I’ll do my best to make it worth your while with interesting reviews, interviews, links to other good sites and blogs, and random wackiness. Thanks!

In March I posted about helpful places to visit on the internet. There are so many, I could probably post something like it once a week, but since I only post about once a week, I think I’ll try to restrain myself to doing this only occasionally. But do please read through. There is a treat for you at the end.

There are a lot of companies that want to sell something to writers – classes, books, services, etc. Many of them send me something by email often. I usually whiz through the table of contents or sub-heads checking for anything of interest. Many times there are interesting articles, links to other useful sites, information on opportunities. Here are several you might want to look at and maybe even sign up for the free e-newsletters they offer.

Check out the Guide to Literary Agents blog: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/. They always list a few new, hungry agents and tell you just what they’re looking for. They also have useful articles and interviews by agents and authors. They had a posting not too long ago called How to Blog with links to three really good articles: http://view.writers-community.com/?j=fec516777163027d&m=fe9b15707463077575&ls=fe611577706304757415&l=ff3a15707665&s=fe961770776c057b70&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe86107272630d7476&et_mid=274760&rid=3028165&r=0#2. It’s worth reading.

Writer’s Digest magazine has a free e-newsletter. They try like crazy to sell you books and magazine subscriptions, but beyond that they have some interesting articles and links. They tell you about contests (mostly their own that you have to pay to enter, but they are well respected), conferences and other events, give you writing prompts, and link to a lot of the articles they publish in the magazine. I get something useful out of it more often than not. http://www.writersdigest.com/GeneralMenu/.

Randy Ingermanson sells software for writers. He has something called the Snowflake method. I have a friend who has used it and thinks it’s pretty good.  I haven’t tried it yet, but I sure like his blog. He often bases his posts on questions from his readers (i.e. other writers) who ask the questions many of us have about writing, but don’t know who to ask. Check it out. http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/

I’ve recently run across a blog called Adventures in Children’s Publishing. http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/ It’s written by four writers who write for kids of all ages – from picture books to YA. They have a ton of interesting posts in their archives. There is a reason they have over 1100 followers.

If you like historical fiction or hope to write historical fiction (count me on both those) you will like Two Nerdy History Girls blog written by a couple of very talented authors, Loretta Chase and Susan Holloway Scott. The blog is just flat fun to read. http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com/. Check it out.

Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency in Denver has a blog called Pub Rants. It’s always good to get an agents perspective. http://pubrants.blogspot.com/.

Nathan Bransford used to be a red hot agent; then he quit to become a children’s author. He blog is rife with interesting and useful posts. http://blog.nathanbransford.com/. You can scroll through his archives and find almost anything you might need information on.

Here are some specific blog posts I found to be particularly useful:

A good post on creating a pitch: http://amiekaufman.com/?p=454

An excellent post on how to write a good query AND (Bonus!) a free download of an e-book on writing queries: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/p/writing-query-letter.html

A post by my very prolific daughter Maggie on the daunting task and the rewards of blogging every day: http://www.maggiesnest.org/2011/04/28/embracing-the-no-good/

There are other blogs I really enjoy listed to the right. If you haven't checked them out, take a look. Just click on them and, by the magic of the internet, there you are.

And now for your promised TREAT. One of my favorite television shows is CBS Sunday Morning. The link below will take you to a fascinating interview with John le Carre about writing. It isn’t just interesting to writers. It’s just interesting. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/01/sunday/main20037717.shtml

Do you have some places you like to visit or good information you receive? Please share!

Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards -- A Review

My friend Mitty – AKA Elizabeth Varadan of The Fourth Wish blog – wrote a review for the Sacramento Book Review of Three Rivers Rising: a Novel of the Johnstown Flood by Jame Richards. First, I must admit I have a kind of voyeuristic fascination with disasters. Secondly, I love historical fiction. Thirdly, if Mitty says a book is “compelling” and “lyrical,” I’m going to have to read it, even if it is a novel in verse, which I find a little off-putting. (It has something to do with my insecurity about poetry. See my last post.) I picked up a copy and am so glad I did.

This story has it all – forbidden romance, heroes who risk their own lives to save many others, a boorish upper class who build their private playground with no regard for others, and a natural disaster of Biblical proportions. Richards weaves the stories of three different women whose lives ultimately intersect at the most horrific and remarkable of times.

Celestia Whitcomb spends summers with her family at Lake Conemaugh, a man-made lake created by an earthen dam above a valley of working-class villages and the town of Johnstown. The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club had been built by wealthy men on the shores of “their lake” as a summer get-away for them and their families. It is there she meets and falls in love with Peter, a worker at the club and a resident of Johnstown, a town in the valley below the dam. Of course, such a romance is forbidden, and they are forced apart. Celestia is sent to Europe, but they secretly stay in touch and hope to be reunited one day. When she returns to Lake Conemaugh, she finds Peter has left the club. She defies her father and goes to Johnstown to be with Peter.

Also below the dam lives Maura, a young mother of four, married to the love of her life, Joseph, a conductor on the train that runs through the valley. Her life is filled with the never-ending chores of raising a family on the little they have, while she waits for her Joseph to return to her each night.

Kate lost her fiancé in a drowning accident. She had to leave her home because she could not bear to be there any more without her love. She went to nursing school and is on her way to her first job when the train brings her through the valley just as disaster strikes.

Rain had fallen for days and the dam weakened. No one really believes the dam will not hold, but suddenly it is gone. All three women are in the valley below at that moment. All have survival as their goal – for themselves, their loved-ones, and those around them.

The story of the Jonestown flood is a huge one, but Richards tells it extremely well, building great characters and making us care about them, all in under 30,000 words – spare, elegant verse that draws readers in and holds onto them through this sad, sweet story of love, strength, and survival. I recommend it. It’s a young adult book, but I believe adults will love it as well.

Another Writer's Contest and a Winning Week for Me!

Another quick blog today with news that may be important to you as a writer, followed by news about me as a writer, followed by blogging awards I'm handing out.

First, there is another contest for writers that I think is a wonderful opportunity. I’ve read it’s harder to land an agent than a publisher. Frankly, I'm not sure I believe that, but I do know landing an agent is very hard work. There is a contest going on right now that should be of interest to anyone writing for young people. Check it out at: http://yatopia.blogspot.com/2011/04/pitch-contest-with-natalie-fischer.html. It looks pretty interesting!

Now news from another contest, one that ended last month. The Foster City Writer’s Contest had a children’s division this year. Perhaps they do every year, but this year is the first time I’ve taken a good look at the contest and the first year I’ve entered. My children’s short story, Helen’s Home Run, won first place! Woo-Hoo! There is a nice money prize and it will look good on my bio.

I also was awarded two blog awards by my friend, critique partner, and fellow blogger Elizabeth Varadan. (http://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com/) She blessed me with the Sisterhood Award and the Versatile Blogger Award! I am so honored. As with other blogging awards, these are to be passed along to other bloggers.

I shall award the Sisterhood Award to my friend Michelle Fayard, a former critique partner who (sad for us) moved away. You can find her blog at http://michellefayard.blogspot.com/. She is the one who passed on the information about the agent contest. Good luck to both of us, Michelle! I also want to award it to Barbara Krasner, a friend and collegue who encourages and helps me at every step. More about her and her blog in the next section. She is a double award winner today. She is also a teacher and will be teaching a Highlight's Founders Workshop on writing Jewish-themed children's books. Check it out.

The Versatile Blogger award not only should be passed along, but requires I tell seven things about me you might not know. Hmmmm. When I received a Stylish Blogger award a while back, I had to do the same, so let’s see if I can come up with seven new things.

1. This week, was a good week for me as a writer. Besides finding out I’d won the Foster City Writer’s Contest, I received my first publishing contracts – for two poems I sold to High Five magazine, sister publication of Highlights. I’m very excited.

2. My grandson Gehrig is a future baseball superstar and has been playing some amazing ball lately. He may be only nine, but I’m telling you, someday you’ll be reading about him.

3.      My granddaughter Gracie is going to be a famous writer someday. She is only five and is already writing books! Must be something in the water around here.

4.      I have enough “Seasons” poems to submit a collection to publishers. I am polishing them madly and my goal is to submit before summer.  

5.      I had a writing teacher in college tell me to never write poetry again. I guess I just don’t listen well. You did notice I sold two poems, right?

6.      I am an active member of three critique groups. It’s a miracle I get any of my own work done.

7.      I couldn’t possibly do any writing without my critique groups. They give me so much help and encouragement.

I’d like to award the Versatile Blogger award to (drum roll, please):

Barbara Krasner -- http://thewholemegillah.wordpress.com/author/thewholemegillah/ -- everything you might need to know about writing for children with a Jewish theme.

Elizabeth Varadan -- http://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com/ -- a treasure trove of wonderful writing.

Maggie Hollinbeck -- http://www.maggiesnest.org/ -- yes, she’s my daughter, but she may well be the real writer in the family. She blogs every day and I much admire her passion and work.

Morgan Mussell -- http://thefirstgates.com/author/morganmussell/ -- always interesting, always thought provoking, always edifying and entertaining.

Margaret Duarte -- http://enterthebetween.blogspot.com/ -- I learn so much from Margaret about blogging and writing.

The Speculative Salon -- http://speculativesalon.blogspot.com/ -- a group of six writers share this blog. It’s always worth a look.

Have a great day. Back to my regularly scheduled (which means no schedule at all) blogging now.

Writer's Contest

Just a quick post to all my writing readers. There is a terrific contest going on right now. If you go to http://deareditor.com/2011/04/15/newsflash-a-deareditor-com-free-fiction-edit-giveaway/ you can get all the details. To celebrate the completion of her final manuscript for Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies, the Editor is giving away a FREE Substantive Edit of one fiction manuscript for adults or young readers. Deadline: April 21, 2011. Check it out!

Let's Go to the Movies

If you are one of my writing friends and have not yet discovered The Speculative Salon blog, you might want to take a look. It’s written by six women who all write speculative fiction, and they take turns in the box. The latest post, written by Elizabeth Gibson, examines some films she loved as a child and how they influenced her writing. My friend Morgan Mussell also often blogs about the influence of film on his writing. You might want to check out his blog, The First Gates. Anyway, it seemed an interesting exercise to me, so, with a tip of the hat to Elizabeth Gibson, I thought about what films had influenced my writing.

As many of you know, I spent last year working on a historical novel based loosely on my father’s childhood, The Incredible Journey of Freddy J. It is, I hope and believe, a great adventure story. (It is also my hope and belief that one of these days soon a publisher will realize it should be published!) I certainly was a big fan of adventure films all my life. When thinking about Elizabeth Gibson’s post, the first film that came to mind was Treasure Island, the 1950 version with Robert Newton as Long John Silver. Disney did a surprisingly good job with Robert Louis Stevenson’s marvelous book. The resourceful Jim Hawkins is one of the great young heroes of book and film. The Swiss Family Robinson was another great favorite, the 1960 version with John Mills and Dorothy Maguire, heading perhaps the most inventive and ingenious family in all of filmdom. After seeing that film, I was pretty sure if I could find the right man in my life, I could raise a family in a fantastic tree house. (See how I was thinking, even then? LOL.) My writing certainly has been influenced by these and other sweeping adventures filled with resourceful people.

Beyond adventure films, the next group of films that came to mind were the great musicals of the mid-century that were imbued with adventure and, often, romance – The Wizard of Oz, Brigadoon, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Calamity Jane. I could go on and on. I saw them at the theatres, bought the albums, and tried to replicate them in our living room, sometimes battling a sister for the starring role and best songs. When I look at Freddy J., I see the influence of these films as well. Music becomes a motif: fuel that keeps Freddy going and reminds him of home.The resourcefulness of those characters also shaped Freddy's character.

I could easily write one of my epic posts examining movies that have informed my writing, but I think for once, I’ll keep it short and simple. What movies have influenced you in what you do or even in how you live your life?

Ray Bradbury Sure Got it Right

I’ve been doing some substitute teaching the last couple of weeks at a continuation high school (a last chance school for those who don’t find success at the regular high school). I like subbing. It keeps me around teenagers, keeps me in touch with their interests, their language, their problems – all things helpful in my writing for young people. I work at three different schools – the regular high school, a charter school covering 6^th through 12^th grades, and the continuation high school. Each is a different experience and wonderful in its own way. I had a couple of real surprises while there last week, and not in a good way. Oh, I don’t mean behavior problems. There are always a few of those, but the kids for the most part are nice and very respectful. The principal is one of the best I’ve run across through the years and he runs a very tight ship.

The first surprise came from a very sweet senior girl. She seemed to work hard and behaved well. She asked if she could go to the restroom, and I told her to sign out and take the restroom pass – standard operating procedure at the school. I was busy with some paperwork, so when she asked me what time it was, I just pointed at the clock. She stood there for a few long moments, then said, “I don’t know what that is.”

“What what is?” I asked, baffled.

She pointed to the clock. “The time. I don’t know how to tell time that way.” She smiled sweetly.

She had never learned how to read a clock. Nice girl, seemed bright, used the language well, but at about eighteen years of age, she couldn’t read a clock! I thought a lot about it after the incident and have come to the conclusion that she never needed to learn to read a clock. We live in a digital world. Most clocks display the time digitally. When kids want to know the time, they take out their cell phones and check the digital display. Clocks in cars, outside of banks, on the stove, etc., etc. are digital. Why learn something one doesn’t need? And yet, I do think kids should learn to read a clock. I can't imagine clocks will completely disappear.

The other surprise was a young lady who came into the math class in which I was subbing. I had the workbooks laid out and told her she could get hers. She told me she wouldn’t be working in the workbook – all her work was done. She had completed everything in the book.

“I have a 4.0 GPA. I do all my work,” she said proudly.

“You can do work from another class then." 

“I’ve got all my work done in all my classes. That’s why I have a 4.0.”

“That’s great!” It was nice to hear that kind of pride from a student at a continuation school. “I’ll bet you’ve got a book to read then.”

“Oh, no. I don’t read. Reading is boring and it gives me a headache. I hate reading.”

Other students came pouring in, and I couldn’t carry the conversation further, but I spent quite a bit of time pondering it. There have always been kids who don’t like to read; that hasn’t changed. But students with a 4.0 GPA? That has changed. So I have to ask, how can a student reach the level of learning it takes to truly earn a perfect grade without having some love of reading or at least an appreciation of what reading gives? I hope I run into that young lady again this week so I can continue the conversation. I’d like to try to suggest some things that might change her thinking on reading. Maybe no one has ever spent the time to talk to her about what she has read, help her find her way through great literature, and teach her to divine her own maps through her reading.

But on a larger scale, I wonder if kids need reading these days. Just as the girl who can’t read a clock, maybe kids don’t believe they need to read in today’s world. I know the art of writing is rapidly falling by the wayside, and I blame it largely on email and texting. u no wat I meen? y lern wat u don need? (Sorry about that punctuation. I couldn’t help myself.)

Whenever I talk to young people, I ask what they’re studying in English class. Can’t help it. I have to know. So often the answer is something like, “We’re watching The Lord of the Rings.” “Oh,” say I, “so you’re reading Tolkein.” “Who’s Tolkein?” comes the response.

I know a lot of great English teachers who make sure their students read good literature, but time in the classroom is being shortened every year and more and more demands are being put on the teachers – time for test preparation, time for testing, time for parent conferences (or should I say confrontations?), time for tutoring, etc., etc. Some don’t fight the good fight so much. It’s just easier to show the movie or read an excerpt and talk about the story instead of reading it carefully, perhaps aloud, and discussing it, peeling away the layers, and taking the time to consider the power of words on a page.

Every chance I had when I was teaching, I would insert Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 into my curriculum. I told my students I thought it was the most important book of the twentieth century. We read much of it aloud in class and talked of what Bradbury was trying to warn us. Some of the kids really got it. They are the ones, I like to think, who carry books with them and carve out a little time each day to let great authors help them explore the far reaches of their minds, help them find texture in their lives, and enrich their existence. They are the ones who will read to their babies every day of their lives until they, too, become readers and lovers of books. 

Readers may be an endangered species. The world is becoming a place where young people don’t NEED to learn to read. I don't mean learning to read words; I mean learning to really read books. We must do what we can to make sure young people need and value reading. We have to continue to share great books, share the love of reading, and continue to write good books that engage children and young people in ways that will help them become readers. Ray Bradbury got it right. His great book is frighteningly close to coming to pass. If you haven’t read it lately, you might want to revisit it. If you’ve never read it, do yourself a favor and give yourself the time to read this fine book and the leisure to think about it, then act on what you learn. Bradbury would want you to.