Bad news for Harry Potter
If you have kept up with all the hype associated with the Harry Potter books, you might think that the popular series is getting more children hooked on reading. But according to an article in the New York Times, this might be an illusion.
I have written about this before, applauding the Potter series for getting children to read. And in general, I still think this is true. But the long-term effects of Harry Potter on children’s reading habits might be a little exaggerated:
But in keeping with the intricately plotted novels themselves, the truth about Harry Potter and reading is not quite so straightforward a success story. Indeed, as the series draws to a much-lamented close, federal statistics show that the percentage of youngsters who read for fun continues to drop significantly as children get older, at almost exactly the same rate as before Harry Potter came along.
When talking about reading habits, it’s the long-term that’s really important. Kids can read all the Harry Potter books they want, but if they don’t continue expanding their reading lists and replacing television or the internet with a paperback, the future of the publishing industry itself is looking pretty grim. After all, as future consumers of books, kids are the future of the publishing world.
Young people are less inclined to read for pleasure as they move into
their teenage years for a variety of reasons, educators say. Some of
these are trends of long standing (older children inevitably become
more socially active, spend more time on reading-for-school or simply
find other sources of entertainment other than books), and some are of
more recent vintage (the multiplying menagerie of high-tech gizmos that
compete for their attention, from iPods to Wii consoles).
How can even Harry Potter compete with television, video games, the internet, music and all the other ways we tend to entertain ourselves these days. I’m not saying all the above should be abolished from kids’ lives, but reading can be a healthy form of entertainment in their lives that will give them skills that stretch way beyond the cover of any book.
The conclusions the article makes is based on several recent studies done. But many still contend that Harry Potter has been the best literary thing to happen to their kids in a long time:
Many parents, educators and librarians say that despite such statistics, they have seen enough evidence to convince them that Harry Potter is a bona fide hero.
"Parents will say, ‘You know, my son never spent time reading, and now my son is staying up late reading, keeping the light on because he can’t put that book down,’ " said Linda B. Gambrell, president of the International Reading Association, a professional organization for teachers< .
So it appears the jury might still be out on Harry Potter. While I’m glad the series is getting more children to read, there should be more done to keep them reading after all the Potter books have been finished. If the literary community at large wants to keep pedaling books to future generations, then we should make getting children hooked on reading a personal crusade – otherwise we might be writing the final chapters in our careers.
Read the entire New York Times article here:
Potter has limited effect on reading habits
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