Republish: On Reading, Books And Libraries

Libraries and books are undergoing rapid changes. The former are being downsized, some are even being closed; while the latter are predicted to go extinct in the future.

In such a light I thought it might be good to remind ourselves of the power of books, reading and libraries through these inspirational quotations:

On Reading:

“Read in the name of our Lord who created, who taught to write with the pen, who taught man what he knew not” — The Quran (Chapter 96)

“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” — Emilie Buchwald

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!” (1978)

“You may have tangible wealth untold. Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be – I had a mother who read to me.” — Strickland Gillilan

“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” — Margaret Fuller

On Books:

“Just the sight of the book takes away the sadness of the heart.” — Moroccan proverb

“The best conversation companion in our time are books.” — Abu al-Tayib Mutannabi

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.”— G. K. Chesterton

“So please, oh PLEASE, we beg, we pray, Go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install, A lovely bookshelf on the wall.” — Roald Dahl, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”

“There is no substitute for books in the life of a child.”— May Ellen Chase

“Never judge a book by its movie.” — J. W. Eagan

“A book is the only orchard I have ever seen which can be put in one’s sleeve and the only park which accompanies a man as he goes. The book is the tongue of the dead and the voice of the living. He is an evening visitor who never sleeps until you sleep and never utters a word except what pleases you, never reveals a secret or abuses a deposit. He is the most faithful neighbour, just friend, obedient companion, submissive professor, expert and useful comrade with no desire to argue to or weary of his owner.” — Ibn al-Arabi, Muslim philosopher

“The book is the tongue of the dead and the voice of the living.” — Arabic saying

“Buy books, and write down knowledge, for weather is transitory, but knowledge is lasting.” — Arabic saying.

A reminder of what libraries (local public and school) represent:

“Libraries are time portals. They can take us back into the past and into the future. They can take us to different worlds, worlds we wouldn’t know, people we wouldn’t understand.” — M.T. Anderson

“We’ve got lots of books to open lots of windows that will let you use your imaginations in lots of ways.” — James H. Billington (Librarian of Congress) at the opening of the Young Readers Center, 2009

“The best of my education has come from the public library… my tuition fee is a bus fare and once in a while, five cents a day for an overdue book. You don’t need to know very much to start with, if you know the way to the public library.” — Lesley Conger

“As a child, my number one best friend was the librarian in my grade school. I actually believed all those books belonged to her.” — Erma Bombeck

“The richest person in the world – in fact all the riches in the world – couldn’t provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library.” — Malcolm Forbes

I hope these quotations made you reflect about all that we have been given when it comes to our access to reading material and to value those who teach/support us in reading. And may we think about those who do not have the opportunities and privileges we have.

But more than this I hope you smiled a little, maybe laughed a little too, as reading these quotations made me do

Source: http://muslimkidsbooks.wordpress.com/2010/03/04/on-reading-books-and-libraries/

Getting Your Child to Love Reading

Author: Kathryn Perkinson

Helping your children to enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and well worth the investment of your time and energy. Kids will learn reading skills in school, but often they come to associate reading with work, not pleasure.

As a result, they lose their desire to read. And it is that desire - the curiosity and interest - that is the cornerstone to using reading and related skills successfully.

By far the most effective way to encourage your children to love books and reading is to read aloud to them, and the earlier you start, the better. Even a baby of a few months can see pictures, listen to your voice, and turn cardboard pages.

Make this time together a special time when you hold your kids and share the pleasure of a story without the distractions of TV or telephones. You may be surprised to find that a well-written children's book is often as big a delight to you as it is to the kids.

And don't stop taking the time to read aloud once your children have learned to read for themselves. At this stage, encourage them to read to you some of the time. This shared enjoyment will continue to strenghten your children's interest and appreciation.

Simply having books, magazines, and newspapers around your home will help children to view them as part of daily life. And your example of reading frequently and enjoying it will reinforce that view.

While your children are still very small, it's a good idea to start a home library for them, even if it's just a shelf or two. Be sure to keep some books for little children to handle freely.

Consider specially made, extra durable books for infants, and pick paperbacks and plastic covers for kids who are older but still not quite ready for expensive hardbacks. Allowing little children to touch, feel, smell, and even taste books will help them develop strong attachments.

How you handle books will eventually influence how your kids treat them. Children imitate, so if they see that you enjoy reading and treat books gently and with respect, it is likely that they will do the same.

When you read aloud together, choose books that you both like. If a book seems dull, put it down and find one that is appealing. There are, however, so many children's books in print that making the best selections may seem a formidable task.

One approach is to look for award-winning books. There are two famous awards for children's literature made each year by the American Library Association that are good indicators of quality works: the Caldecott Medal for illustration and the Newbery Medal for writing. But these are given to only two of the approximately 2,500 new children's books published each year.

Fortunately, there is a lot of other good help available. For instance, there are lists of books recommended by the American Library Association and the Library of Congress and some excellent books to guide parents in making selections.

The best help of all, is at your neighbourhood library. If you are not familiar with the library, don't hesitate to ask for help. The children's librarian is trained to help you locate specific books, books that are good for reading aloud, and books on a particular subject recommended for a particular age group.

The library also has many book lists, including ones like those mentioned above and probably some published by the library itself.

In addition, your library will have several journals that regularly review children's books, including The Horn Book and Booklist. These will give you an idea of what's new and worth pursuing.

And there's nothing like just browsing through the many books available at your library until you find ones that appeal to you and your kids.

If your children are school-aged, keep in mind that the school library is an excellent source for a wide variety of materials and the school librarian is knowledgeable about children's literature. Encourage your kids to bring home books from their school library - for pleasure as well as for their studies.