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Monday, October 09, 2006Books, An Endangered SpeciesPrepare yourself for a Monday Afternoon Rant. I was standing in the check-out line at Kohl's department store. Nothing too exciting, just a pair of pantyhose for some upcoming weddings (yes, it's true; until this past Saturday, I did not own any pantyhose). Kohl's always has some kind of gimmicky, five-dollar, buy-it-for-your kid display near the check-out registers. Right now, it's a display of "Collector's Edition" hardcover Dr. Seuss classics, along with some cheesy stuffed characters from each story. Front and center was one of my favorites, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Yep, that one's almost older than I am. So a woman with two children took her place in line behind me. Her daughter, who looked about nine or so, gasped and pointed emphatically to the nearest Grinch book. "Mama! They have a book now!" I continued to eavesdrop despite the loud noise of my jaw hitting the linoleum. "Well, I think there was a book..." Mama didn't sound too sure. "NO." Daughter knew Everything. "There WASN'T." That did it. There was no possible way I could keep my mouth shut for another nanosecond. "Yes, there was," I said in my most Educated Voice. "That was a book when I was your age." The child simply gaped. Really, it was an all-out gape. "I thooooought it was a book," said Mama in her lazy drawl. "I don't remember if we got it or not..." No, madam, you most certainly didn't "get" it. You didn't "get" the fact that children should read books first and enjoy the videos afterward. You didn't "get" your daughter to realize that books are treasures, wonders of the imagination; that they're an integral part of every child's education. A child who can read can learn anything. A child who watches videos will become a passive learner. Yes, my children have watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Heck, it's one of my favorite Christmas specials. But you'd better believe we've read the book, too. Same goes with Narnia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Secret Garden. Book first, movie second. I know we live in a "click the remote" society, but I'll admit that I'm flabbergasted. It blows me away that a child would be completely unaware that The Grinch is a classic Dr. Seuss book. That she's never read it, okay. But that she didn't know it existed? That she insisted this was a brand new phenomenon, ready for the taking at the incredible price of five dollars? Oy. And the worst part? Her mother wasn't even sure! How can you be thirty-something years old, live in the USA, and not know that Dr. Seuss wrote a book about a Grinch? That scares me. Okay, I'm a writer. Writing for youngsters is what I do! One day, when my wildly popular fantasy series hits the big screen, I will shrivel up and die if I hear a child say, "You mean this was a book?" A. A. Milne and Beatrix Potter are rolling in their graves. Labels: books |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
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7of my readers are feeling chatty:
The Secret Garden was a book?
Hmmmm!
With your book, the question will be, "This was a movie?" :)
::anger at illiterate parents raising video junkies rising::
Last week I hit my breaking point with KidWrite who is really more of a KidWatchandDroolBrainlesslyLookAtThePrettyColorsontheFlashinScreen.
No school night TV and only 3 hours on a Saturday and 3 on a Sunday. Plus all videogame play has to be cleared through me.
Unfortunately, he is only with me 1 night a week and every other weekend, so I get the distinct sense that I have slipped into "Dad's a doodie-head" territory. But I explained to him that he can no longer rush through his homework to get to the TV or video games.
I think they really do slip some sort of neurological manipulating signal into TV programs and video games that controls the viewers and makes the addicted. Television-Nicotine...
You would love a picture of my bedroom at home, my parents were of the exact same philosophy as you. I just don't get how people don't appreciate the value of skipping away from reality into a book.
LOL Dave!
and...
(((((Dave)))))
Respectively.
Jerry -- You're making some Good Dad Moves. Yep, TV is terribly addictive. And once they get "sucked in," it's hard to pull them back out.
Kirsti -- "skipping away from reality" -- I love that! That's what a good book does for me.
Truly very sad.
Just last night I read to my little ones from my childhood copy of How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Well, ssshhh, it is actually my sister's. Given to her from our "Nanny" for Christmas in 1968.
You know - I think you hit the nail on the head. It is very sad that children don't read as much anymore. Our son was first read to and than started reading. He still reads a lot, but mostly stuff I would never pick up, like who do install something on your PC - you know geeky stuff. But I also think that reading needs to start at the home front and not wait until the children are in school...
Thank you Jill for putting writting this post, because some people just don't get it.
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