A New Love For Reading

In addition to devouring Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in four days, my daughter has recently discovered a young adult vampire series written by Stephenie Meyer. I'm amazed. After years of reading chapter books no longer than sixty pages, she's suddenly found the ability to sit still long enough to read 500 and 600 page books in a couple of hours. I'm not sure where this has come from, but I'm very pleased.

Reading is such a joy. While it can never replace playing pirates on the lake in a canoe, or being fairies in the park, it can certainly take you to new and exciting places. So much better than TV, in terms of revving up the mind.

I credit J.K. Rowling with developing a whole new generation of readers, and I credit my daughter's friends with inspiring her to carry those heavy Twilight tomes to the cashier. It might be a teen thing, the desire to lose oneself in a book, but I don't think she'd have attempted books so large if it hadn't been for Harry Potter.

For those of us who write, it's a powerful thought to know you might encourage even one new person to become a reader.