Read Anything - Just Read

Read Anything, Just Read

Recently I went out to dinner with a friend and her twelve year old granddaughter, whom we will call “A”. She had told “A” that she could bring along a book to read when she got bored listening to the adults talk. Amazingly enough, the book wasn’t hauled out until almost time for dessert, but while we were all talking, my friend asked me if I thought kids should be able to read whatever they want to. Why of course was my response! She looked a tad taken aback so I asked why – what is bothering you? Well, first she wasn’t really in favor of a book that “A” had been reading called TTFY because it was written entirely in internet messages using ‘text speak’ and she didn’t think it was a good example of writing. “A” defended herself about that one. She explained to her grandmother that she knew better than to write a paper in that language and that she read a lot of other books, many that were classics or bestsellers and written in proper English. My friend then went on to say that she also wasn’t sure about “A” having just read ANGELS AND DEMONS, so I told her a story.

My mother was an elementary school librarian and usually quite over protective of me, her only child, but that over protectiveness ended when it came to books and reading. I always read a lot and by the time I was in the seventh grade, I was reading books from the adult section of our public library. One day my father emerged from the bathroom with the copy in his hand of James Baldwin’s ANOTHER COUNTRY that I had been reading and left in there. He looked at my mother and said “Are we letting her read this?” “Yes, dear, we let her read anything she wants to.” He looked skeptical but returned the book to where I had left it. I have always been so thankful to her for that. Then, I didn’t know what half the words in that book even meant – pimps weren’t a subject that ever came up in conversation where I came from – but it was one of the many books that opened up other worlds to me, made me want to read more, learn more, go places and do things.

So, let them read whatever they want. You don’t know where it will lead.

When books fall open
And you fall in
A great adventure
Will begin. *


*from a poem entitled “When Books Fall Open” © Makennarella