Put the Book Down!

"What's that? Put the book down?  I thought this was a blog about reading!"

It is!  You should still put the book down if you're not feeling it.  You're the boss of what you read and kids should be, too.

I recently had to put a book down that I just wasn't getting into. Sometimes that's hard for me, but I'm here to tell you that it's okay.  No, I'm not going to tell you what book it was. Number one: it's not fair to the author who spent so much time and effort writing that book.  Number two: just because I didn't like it doesn't mean that it's not going to be somebody else's favorite book. I mean my sister didn't like Harry Potter when it first came out and I was all like, "WHAT?!?" I eventually wore her down and now she's full-on Hufflepuff, but my point is that not every book is going to be right for every person. There are too many great books out there to not put one aside and start something that you're going to enjoy way  better.

I know there are a lot of people who HAVE to finish the books they start and that's cool too. You do you. However, it's okay to put a book down rather than sludge through it so you can start something new.  What if kids don't know it's okay to let a book go and then they become wary of ever picking up another?

I think this is an important lesson for the kids we teach.  Think back to  a time when you were forced to read something you hated.  For me it happened in high school.  Some people may love The Heart of Darkness (yes, I name dropped the book...sorry Joseph Conrad) but I really didn't like it.  It was tough getting through that one and then analyzing it for symbolism.  I would have been happier searching for symbolism in a book that I actually enjoyed.  The same reading skills apply to more than just one book.

How are we presenting books to our students?  Do they get a say in the matter?  They should!  They should be able to make book choices based on their interests and own reading goals.  And if they want to put a book down? Let them do it.  There are libraries FULL of more.