As I grew older, reading became very important to me. I particularly enjoyed the Red Wall Series when I was 10 or 11 years old. This series was about a made up world with different warring factions. The author would make it a point to begin each book as a disjointed assortment of stories and vignettes, then gradually bring them together to form a grand plot. The animal characters were vivid and unique, each faction had been given life by the author in a different way with separate beliefs and attributes. It was written in the style of folk tales, with funny moments and an underlying moral message, usually something positive such as the importance of sharing and kindness.
I think books are important in the process of developing opinions and character, because they often pose tough questions and situations that wouldn't normally be presented otherwise. Even if one doesn't realize it, reading a good book which captivates and inspires will shape one's mindset and maybe determine future choices. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on the reader.
I don't think I'd be the same person if I hadn't been raised reading all sorts of books. I remember not being able to stop thinking about some of them and being excited to pick them back up and continue reading. One series in particular I read recently which had the same effect on me that story books had in kindergarten was Cesare. This was a book about the rise and fall of the Roman emperor Caesar and the enjoyment I got from reading it proves that once a love for books and reading is aquired, it's most likely going to remain with you for ever.
I agree! When I was little I was a huge fan of the Redwall series too, and I remember waiting anxiously for each new book to come out. It was better than TV.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're saying, perhaps reading does have a great outcome on your future self. I never enjoyed reading as a child, on the contrary, I was that kid that saw TV as the best creation in the world. I spent a lot of my life doing things that had no benefit. I think you can clearly see the impact it had on me; I can't write well nor read books without getting easily distracted. There can only be one way to see the results of reading during child hood:
ReplyDeletePlace three kids, around 4 years old, in separate 6 by 6 closets with nothing but a lamp; one with a book, one with nothing and let the third child be a controlled subject. Let the experiment last for a minimum of four years and see if your thesis was correct. IT'S GENIUS! Now, where can I find three identical triplets? (I HOPE I DIDN'T OFFEND ANYONE, I WAS MERELY BEING FACETIOUS.)