Week 16 Prompt

These questions loosely tie-in with a discussion I had with my friend, whom I work with in a school library, that started with, "Am I just OLD?"
Most of the time, I cannot identify with the reading habits of kids today; if it's not a graphic novel, they are not interested, and usually, nothing I can say to the contrary makes a difference. I ask the students what elements they like about a graphic novel and I try to match it with a chapter book or YA in the library. Usually, this is not a successful practice for me. I have literally had a student say to me, "Why would I look at a book that didn't have pictures? That is so boring!" Not only this, but most of the students can read some of our graphic novels in less than a day, so I see them more than once. I will sometimes say, "Since you got through that so quickly, why don't you try a novel that will last longer?" That is met with a resounding "no." But, I think I could stand to heed the advice of Neil Hollands in his article Every Book Its Reader where he says, "Find common ground in your love for a good story, in the empathy that comes with reading, in the emotional needs that you share, or in the ideas found in books that somehow make life a little better." Just because we do not like the same things, does not mean we cannot find a common ground. 
I do not want to be the lady that cannot flow with the times, but it breaks my heart that these kids aren't willing to explore what else is out there. We have tried book talks and author visits, but it only briefly piques their interest. 
I am 36-years-old, and I find myself turning into a crotchety old lady that starts sentences with, "Well, when I was a kid..." It's happening, so I may as well lean into it for this prompt. 
When I was a kid, I read books, chapter books, then longer books, voraciously. Some of the things I read had pictures such as the Great Illustrated Classics (which all know were awesome) and "Archie" comics (I named my first goldfishes Archie and Veronica). Also, my parents read to us every night before bed, usually a chapter from a novel each night, which is one of my happiest memories. The graphic novels we have today were not something I was familiar with in the late 80's or early 90's. 

Obviously, it is not only graphic novels that are being written, but the new YA seems heavier to me now than they used to be, especially with the rise in popularity of dystopian fiction. Also, I think death is a prominent feature in these books. I remember one romance/death author- Lurlene McDaniel! I feel as though reading and books have changed since I was a kid, but the world and what is offered for reading has changed a lot, too. When I was a kid, there was no Internet, no tablets... but there was Sega Genesis and Nintendo, which was often played! Perhaps it was that I enjoyed reading so much that I did it often or, maybe there was less distraction back then. Also, things have personally changed for me by the mere fact that I am an adult now, not a child- I have more responsibilities and more things weighing on my mind that distract me when I try to relax with a book. 

One could say that TV viewing has taken over as entertainment and taken away some of the need for reading- it is no longer needed to fit into society. Ursula Le Guin said that readers aren't viewers, they recognize their pleasure as different from that as being entertained. I think people are still reading quite often. Maybe it is because I work in a school and I see people reading, but local book clubs are booming, and I see many people perusing shelves at my local library branches. I read people talking about book they have read or wanting recommendations on social media. I think that e-readers and tablets will be a part of reading from now on due to the convenience of them, but I think readers will always revel in the feel and smell of a book. Books will still be published, but I do not think it will be like it was before the introduction of tablets. I think the popularity of print will come back around- it's like how I see the style from the 90's coming back. People long for the past and romanticize it. Books will be no different. 

Hollands, N. (2016). Every Book Its Reader. Booklist, 113(7), 27. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Le Guin, U. K. (2008). Staying awake: notes on the alleged decline of reading. Harper's Magazine, 316(1893). [Files - Canvas]