I present a passage from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse, “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

What if?

On Monday, January 9, 2012, Jeremy Greenfield of the Digital Book World published an article entitled “For Reading and Learning, Kids Prefer E-Books to Print Books.” Greenfield states that “[g]iven the choice between reading e-books or print books, children prefer e-books.” How does he know? Well, his information comes from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. In the Summer and Fall of 2011, the center “observed 24 families with children ranging in age from three-to-six reading both print and e-books.”

Now, let’s be clear, no one in children’s publishing is about to take a study based on 24 families as gospel. However, the industry would be remiss not to heed its insight. Truth be told, the study’s findings are not far-fetched. Not in the least.

Unlike the generation before, the three- to six-year-old children targeted by this study are not growing up in a world of Walkmans and VHS Cassettes. Instead, theirs is one comprised of iPods, Blu-Rays and e-Readers. Their world is exponentially more technologically savvy than ours ever was. Is it any wonder that today’s younger generation may prefer e-books?

Of course, we won’t know for sure until far more extensive studies are conducted on the matter. But, in the meantime, let us be grateful that today’s children are reading. I’m not about to fault them for embracing the world they live in. Are you?

Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. Scholastic Inc.‘s motto is one that I wholeheartedly believe in. So much so, that I’ve decided to take it to heart by making reading a priority this year. How, you ask? Well, by taking The Savvy Reader‘s #50BookPledge.

The aim is simple enough: Read 50 books by Sunday, December 31, 2012. My strategy to keep things interesting is to alternate between genres. As always, you’ll be able to see what I’m reading right here.

So, what do you say? Are you up to the challenge?

A reader lives a thousand 

lives before he dies. 

The man who never reads 

lives only one. 

~ George R. R. Martin

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Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.

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Illustration by Manuel Monroy (What Are You Doing?)

On Monday, December 12, 2011, People for Education released a report entitled “Reading for Joy.” The premise of the report was that while “reading scores have increased in elementary school, children’s” love of reading has declined. In fact, “[t]he percentage of students in grade 3 who report they “like to read” has dropped from 75% in 1998/99 to 50% in 2010/11 and the number of students in grade 6 who “like to read” fell from 65% to 50% during the same period.” These startling statistics led Kristin Rushowy of the Toronto Star to ask a bold question: Should province set targets to boost kids’ love of reading?

I, for one, am all for it. However, it’s not going to be easy. The Ontario government will need to overcome a couple of major obstacles before any such initiative gets underway. First, is the dramatic decline of teacher-librarians in Ontario elementary schools. The wealth of knowledge that they possess when it comes to books is unparalleled. Ontario will need to get these invaluable individuals back into our schools. Second, is the near extinction of public libraries. This whole discussion is pointless if children don’t have access to books. With that being said, I, like Rushowy, am unwilling to place all the burden on the province.

Rushowy is correct in saying that teachers are going to have carry a share of this burden. But, for them, its not simply going to be about making time in their already “jam-packed curriculum” but creating an atmosphere that promotes reading. Similar to ”one teacher who created a coffee-shop type atmosphere in her classroom, a “comfy space” with big pillows and bean bag chairs, to help foster discussion and an interest in reading.” The truth is, for this to succeed reading cannot feel like an assignment.

The last share of this initiative rests with parents. They will need to once again foster the reading experience. Along the lines of when their children first started learning to read. That same excitement and involvement is sure to make a world of difference.

If the province, teachers and parents can come together as needed, they will revitalize an entire generation. That alone, dear readers, is worth the effort.

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First Book Canada

The holiday season is upon us. And we all know what that means: Shopping. Thus, comes the inevitable pressure to find the perfect gift for every person on your list. However, this season is shaping up to look a little different, especially since a majority of Canadians feel that the season has become synonymous with consumerism.

If you are one of those Canadians that is searching for an alternative, consider First Book Canada. The mission of First Book Canada is “to see that all children, regardless of their economic conditions, can achieve more in school and in life through access to an ongoing supply of new books.” To date, First Book (Canada) has donated 85 million books to children across the United States and Canada.

The organization lists price as the #1 barrier to book ownership. As an avid reader myself, I know all too well how expensive books can be. However, a donation of just “$10 = 5 new books for children in need.” Now, when’s the last time you got that much bang for your buck?

Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or are simply in the giving spirit head on over to First Book Canada. What can be better than giving the gift of reading this festive season?

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Time Magazine Cover by Mary GrandPré

Harry Potter. What comes to mind when you hear that name? Hogwarts, Magic, Wizard. Let me throw another in to the mix that, perhaps, you didn’t think of: Longevity.

Four years: That’s how long it’s been since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released. To this day, J.K. Rowling‘s Harry Potter is as much a part of our culture as he was than. Actually, in many ways, his reach has grown exponentially.

The growth that I speak can be solely contributed to Pottermore. The creation of this “unique online Harry Potter experience by J.K. Rowling” is, without question, a rebirth for the series. Nothing signals that more then the timing of its release — after the publication of all seven books but before the release of the final movie. Fans didn’t have to say goodbye to their beloved friends after all.

To make certain that wouldn’t change anytime soon Pottermore entered the social media arena. Why? Well, that’s precisely where Potter fans spend their time. In fact, Pottermore took it a step further by launching a corresponding blog, Pottermore Insider, and a Twitter account, @pottermore. Harry Potter has progressed from books to movies to fansites and now taken over social media. And in doing so, ensures that both fans and readers are never far away from tapping in to the magic.

The character of Harry Potter is now an entity that commands attention with the least amount of effort. The mere mention of the name can turn heads. Now that speaks volumes of what he has come to mean to the masses.

Harry Potter may have started out as “the boy who lived” but has quickly become the boy who will live on.
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UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.