Reading: A pill for intellectual development?

An article in the Telegraph.co.uk by Michael Morpurgo today about instilling the love of reading in children is followed by the Telegraph's guide to the 100 books that every child should read (per three age groups).

Mr. Morpurgo says that Britain (though it sounds pretty widespread to me) is in a muddle about literacy. Treating the ability to read as a tool for success rather than focussing on the appreciation of storytelling and the story have created the commodification of reading. He partly blames education:

Ironically, it may be responsible both for the great blossoming of our literature, and at the same time for leaving so many with the impression that literature is not for them, but the preserve of a certain educated elite. As a consequence, much of our society has become separated from its own stories.

When I reflect on my early reading experiences, those that come immediately to mind involve teachers/librarians/authors reading to the class. I guess that I already had a love of story.

At any rate, there are some surprising choices for the Top 100s (because I haven't seen them very often on other lists of the sort) and I'm glad that I have copies of many of the titles. I've not read all of what I own.

There's a story by Jacqueline Wilson -- one of my favourites -- that I haven't read and now intend to do so: The Story of Tracy Beaker.

Some of my childhood favourites, read over and over again, made the lists: Pippi Longstocking, Winnie The Pooh, Tom's Midnight Garden, The Outsiders.

Books I've avoided appear: Watership Down. (I've avoided it because I've heard that it's powerful emotionally and it has taken me years to grow comfortable with The Velveteen Rabbit. I don't want to go through that again.) Charlotte's Web. As a child, the story saddened me.

Book(s) I didn't like appeared, as well: The Story of Babar. Anything Babar, really, I just don't like.

Some books that I've even recently considered reading: I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith and Coraline by Neil Gaiman (both started years back but remain unfinished).

Some books that I'd like to buy made the lists: The Worst Witch Collection, by Jill Murphy.

A longer version of the article in the Royal Society of Literature Review: http://www.rslit.org/

Here are the lists:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/01/19/bokidsbooks219.xml

Note to self: Er, stop avoiding the books that require intense, emotional engagement. This is a comfort-zone alert!

Visual Bookshelf I + II (notes on Facebook) - Updated

I think this (Visual Bookshop app) is a great idea, except for the fact that people get updated in the News Feed on Facebook to the degree that it could be annoying. Sorry folks!

I started adding books I've already read until I realized (1) I doubt I could remember every book I've ever read and (2) it would take a long time to do this. So, I've decided to list only the books I've read in past month or so.

I thought it would be a good idea to keep track of the books that I read to Devyn for a year: starting September 11.

Of course, now my bookspace reads more like a this-is-what-I-want-to-read-vs.-this-is-what-I-get-to-read.

But, I love children's books. Well, except for the Berenstain Bears, Dora, Thomas The Tank Engine and Blue's Clues. I'm sick of Madeline now because Devyn's jag is unrelenting. I also hate Clifford the Dog and anything to do with Caillou.

To keep her from requesting Madeline cartoons and movies repeatedly, I read to her. I just prop Molly up in her Bumbo seat and Devyn sits beside her in front of me and I read before snack time, lunch time, naptime, etc. Then, there's also practicing her tracing, letters, numbers and so forth. Mix in the changing/feeding/comforting baby and a host of other responsibilities and it's a busy day... But we must read.

Next week, Devyn will be in school five days a week (JK and the JK programme at daycare) and I'll miss reading to her.

Where Is My Mind?

This area of my life has been disorganized. While I've got a handle on homemaking, childrearing and working, sort of, I haven't been able to settle into a good book.

I attempted to read Trace by Patricia Cornwell because I knew that a copy of Predator (her most recent) was on its way to me. Unfortunately, as with Blowfly, I was completely disinterested by the time the narration shifted, this time, to the perspective of the psychopathic criminal.

I've drifted among middle reader and young adult and picture books. (My library books are now overdue). I've neglected to record any that I have read.

There have been several articles (sources: New Yorker, New York, The Walrus) that I have not, despite my earlier vow, recorded herein.

Anyway, I think that once the Christmas holiday is over, once the New Year begins, I will be able to find my book. A book. Any book.