New York Times Op-Ed Columnist Frank Bruni wrote in praise of the recent rise in numbers of young readers. For Bruni this rise in numbers came as a surprise because of his presumption that technology had outsourced the value of books to generations past.
Bruni asserts that reading has much to do with the transformation of heart, mind and soul–something he thought only grown-ups took for granted. As it turns out, young readers are everywhere these days. This may not come as a surprise: movie adaptations are adding to the popularity of titles such as The Hunger Games (with all three books in the series adapted for the big screen) and The Fault in Our Stars (movie adaptation opening in theaters soon) for readers young and slightly-older-than-young. But, I have to admit, there was a sigh of relief at the findings of the survey Bruni cited.
Is it books? Social media? Peer pressure??? Some of us older-than-young folks would like to take credit for reading to our children or gifting books instead of toys when we see them reading for pleasure. (Go ahead, pat yourselves on the back.) Whatever or whomever is influencing them, the kids are reading more these days–and Bruni’s ode to reading makes us librarians warm and fuzzy inside.
Read on, world.
Daylily
