I Read It! - November

It's the first Tuesday of the month, which means it's time for the November edition of "I Read It" at 5MinutesforBooks.com.

I Read It is a monthly posting that gives fellow readers (and bloggers) a chance to share the books they've read because of another readers recommendation. Posts can be anything from as detailed as stating the title and author of the book, who recommended it to you, why you wanted to read it, and what you thought about the book. (In other words, a full review.) Or you can keep it simple and announce what you read by recommendation and whether you agreed or disagreed. This is a fun way to spread the word about a great read... or in some cases, sadly, about the bad ones too.

Of course if you haven't read anything by recommendation in the last month you can still participate. Head on over to 5MinutesforBooks and see what other readers have read and reviewed upon recommendation. Then read their reviews and leave your own comment letting them know if they have inspired you to read the book too.

Whatever you decide, have fun and of course -- keep reading!

You Are What You Read!

The age-old saying "You are what you eat" has spurred on healthier eating habits, so will the latest "You are what you read" movement spur on healthier reading habits?

Consider that statement for a minute. Does it startle you or excite you? Does it make you worried or proud?

Scholastic has launched a new website: You Are What You Read where browsers can:

• Discover new books through an interactive web that shows how users’ Bookprints are connected.
• Find and connect with users across generations and from around the world to see the books in their Bookprints.
• Compare their Bookprints to those of the participating "Names You Know," and find out if they share a book in their Bookprint with famous athletes, award-winning entertainers, world-renowned scientists, or iconic business leaders.
• "Favorite" other books they like and check out what similar users enjoy reading.
• See which books have been chosen as Favorites from around the world Share a book in the real word through Pass It On, which encourages users to give a favorite book to a family member, a friend, or even a complete stranger.
• And Coming Soon: Users can join ongoing conversations about books and Bookprints in "Book Buzz," a live feed of comments, news, and reviews.

Which five books have influenced you? Are they books from your childhood or from this year? Leave a comment and let me know which five books have influenced your life. Or better yet, create your own post stating the five titles and why or how they have influenced you. And then don't forget to head over to Scholastic and create your own reading footprint!

Related Links:

• 2010 Kids & Family Reading Report
• Get Your Own "You Are What You Read" Widget
• "You Are What You Read" Press Kit

Happy reading!

Reading Aloud to Children -- Who Does?

A friend of mine recently took her 15 month-old son for a wellness check-up. The pediatrician commented on how well his vocabulary was growing and inquired if my friend read aloud to him. My friend, an avid reader and book lover like myself, acknowledged that, yes she did read aloud to her son daily. She stated that she loved reading and loved to share her passion for books with her son. The pediatrician responded that reading aloud made such a good impact on children's development and that it was so sad how few parents actually take time to read to their children.

This got me wondering. How many parents actually read aloud to their children?

I am no expert on reading statistics so I did what most people would do... I searched the Internet and found a few statistics as reported by the The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES Fast Facts, Family Reading) in 2001. Their study showed a range depending on the age of the child, as well as the race and family income level. Still the statistics are astounding! For two year-olds the highest percentage of children read to by an adult (eg. parent) is still under 60% with the lowest being under 30%. It was worse with four year-olds as the high end was only 50% and the low end dropped to 20%!

I realize that literacy is definitely a serious problem in the 21st century and it grieves me to see it perpetuated in future generations. It also bothers me that so few parents (who can read) do not take more advantage of the free books offered through public libraries. With such availability I think there should be no excuse to share 30 minutes a day to read, tell stories, or look at pictures books with a child. As they saying goes: #Fail!