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Monday, December 30, 2013

Reading for Children is Gifting to Generation (an e-letter)

The post is actually an electronic letter which was written to me and I think its better to share the beautiful thoughts with you people to put it on record and motivate for a noble social cause.
Before starting reading and enjoying it, the context is needed for better understanding. The thing is that....
A few days back I emailed a link to a few of my friends' which was a lecture by famous British writer Neil Gaiman on reading books to children, reading habit and the role of Libraries. The lecture was really thought provoking that it made many of the opinion leaders and journalists world wide to talk about and share with their followers. From Pakistan Mr. Amir Khakwani a columnist in an Urdu newspaper shared the words of the lecture and motivated the Urdu readers towards books reading and its need in the society. In response of my that email one of my American friend who I think is my most old age friend on globe shared following beautiful thoughts with me.

Hey Dear Fahad,

I love that you sent me this article, it is a subject near and dear to me.  We are avid readers in our family, and I have deep faith that reading with children, and helping them learn to read is the greatest gift you can give them.  Both Richard (her husband) and I are book collectors.  The 2nd hand stores near us are loaded with peoples almost new and new castaway books that are sold for $2.50!!.  Richard interested in Military and History, he owns books on Hitler, Pearl Harbor, Charles Lindbergh, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill, anything to do with aircraft.  I love books on Art, live biographies, mysteries, cooking and crafts and I buy hundreds of books for the children we care for. so here is what I have to say about the man's article you sent me:
I AGREE: READING IS ESSENTIAL TO EDUCATION, TO SOCIETY, AND TO INSTILL IN CHILDREN THE DESIRE TO LEARN. knowledge is one of the greatest things we can acquire in this life and a love of learning helps children desire that.
I DISAGREE: that there are no bad books for children (and or adults)  THERE ARE BAD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, THERE ARE BAD BOOKS FOR ADULTS.  It is BOOKS THAT TEACH EXCELLENCE, PRINCIPALS OF HIGH STANDARDS, MORALS, AND LIFE LESSONS that SHOULD BE INCLUDED as good books AS WELL AS THE BOOKS THAT EXCITE like adventure (Tom Sawyer, Captain Courageous) , AND MYSTERIES TO SOLVE, AND ANTICIPATION OF WHAT IS NEXT, BOOKS ABOUT OTHER LANDS, CULTURES AND PEOPLE.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE BOOKS written AS WELL AS MEDIA THAT A FILLED WITH VIOLENCE, AND THE DOWNSIDE OF SOCIETY,(rape, murder, criminal behavior) In these books and media   CRIMINALS are often MADE TO BE HEROINS AS IN THE RECENTLY RELEASED MOVIE ABOUT BONNIE AND CLYDE TWO ROMANTICIZED LOVERS WHO WERE IN FACT COLD BLOODED MURDERERS WITH NO regard for the taking INNOCENT LIVES FOR THE THRILL OF IT.
Another book that comes to mind is "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.  This a true story of criminals who cold bloodily murdered an entire farm family, mother, father and children.  It was also made into a movie!!
I believe WHAT WE READ, WHAT WE SEE, REMAINS IN OUR minds.  WE CAN PLAY IN THE DIRT AND WASH OUR HANDS, BUT WE CAN'T WASH OUR BRAINS AND A CHILD IS IMPRESSIONABLE AND THEIR YOUNGER YEARS SHOULD BE GUARDED. THERE IS A LOT OF CRAP PRINTED THAT I WOULD NOT ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO READ.  I believe that WHICH UPLIFTS AND EDIFIES AND PROMOTES GOOD IS WHAT I WOULD WANT TO INSTILL IN  MY CHILDREN. Of course , the Classics should read by everyone.  If people would read Shakespeare and Bronte and even Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, perhaps they could find other adjectives to use when describing things instead of the swear words they find so easy to spit out.
AGREED: BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT, LIBRARYIES ARE IMPORTANT, AND ITS IMPORTANT IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO DO SO HAVE A HOME LIBRARY.  MY HOME IS FILLED WITH BOOKS, WE HAVE A FLOOR TO CEILING BOOKSHELF DOWN OUR ENTIRE HALL WAY.  I ENCOURAGE KIDS TO READ, AND I READ TO THEM, IN FACT IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL HERE, CHILDREN in 1st grade  ARE REQUIRED TO READ ONE BOOK A DAY.  THERE IS A SAYING "RICHER THAN I COULD NEVER BE FOR I HAD A MOTHER WHO READ TO ME".
I TEACH YOUNG CHILDREN AND I LOVE TO INTRODUCE THEM TO FUNNY AUTHORS LIKE DAVID SHANNON AND ERIC CARL, Shel Silverstein (where the sidewalk ends) Carl and Shannon ARE ALSO ARTISTS AND ILLUSTRATE THEIR BOOKS, THE POLAR EXPRESS WRITTEN BY Chris Van ALLSBURG IS FANTASTICALLY ILLUSTRATED AS HE WAS A GRADUATE OF THE RI SCHOOL OF DESIGN AND HIS BOOKS SUCH AS ZATHURA AND JAMANZI HAVE BEEN MADE INTO MOVIES.
SO EXCEPT FOR THE IDEA THAT ANYTHING GOES FOR READING FOR CHILDREN, I AGREE WITH THIS FELLOW ON HIS POINTS. 
I HEAR THEY ARE CLOSING LIBRARIES, I HOPE IT IS NOT SO, I believe I was told Hitler destroyed books too.
I LEARNED TO LOVE READING WHEN I DISCOVER NANCY DREW MYSTERY STORIES AND MY  MOTHER WOULD DROP ME AT THE LIBRARY AND I SPENT HOURS READING AND READING AND TO THIS DAY I CAN'T PUT A MYSTERY BOOK DOWN BECAUSE I MUST SEE HOW THE CRIME IS SOLVED. LOL
That being said, I do not believe in censure ship, I do not believe in banning books because there should always be freedom of speech and freedom to choose what one reads.  I hope that makes sense to you because I have a deep sense in individual freedom of choice for we are all responsible and will be held accountable for our choices in this life. (my belief) and I don't think it is right to force our thinking on to others, let them chose for themselves. Children on the other hand are and should be under parents nurturing and guidance until old enough to make their own decisions.
Well, there you have it, my opinions are always, as you know, passionate and complicated but then again we seem alike in that way Fahad :) and I would love to know how you feel about this subject, whether you see it like I do or not and why or why not??
and although you don't celebrate. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!  hugs!!  I am really happy to hear from you !! You may Enjoy the book and the movie. 
Here is Shell Silversteins poem I love and makes kids laugh:

 
 
Messy Room by Shel Silverstein
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
This is all by her - how I perceived it is; she 1st shared her family attitude towards books reading and tried to motivate by leaving a thought print in the mind of the readers. An action that should be followed, then she resisted on the words of the lecture that there are no bad books and said; there are bad books and we should stop and protect our youngers to read and watch such content. Between the lines how beautifully she shared the American culture of reading and a few trends of delivering thoughts to their children. She also shares and motivates to read her favorites and indirectly by giving details suggests to read them.
I think we should also support her and follow her message of reading books for the children. On her question I want to say that Yes Jeri our grannies also used to tell us stories the stories of morals, the stories of culture but its missing now in the age of technology. Teens are much engaged with gadgets now and rarely sit with old people to listen the experiences.
But on her later views I want to say that; The violence in words or hate speeches are like white collar crimes which stay hidden and pretend to be for social welfare but actually they play with the emotions and lives of others. Just a few months back such an act resulted in attack on American Embassy in Libya and took the life of an Ambassador. No one can support the violence but at the same time no one SHOULD support the violence in words!
At the end I wanna say; Thank you Jeri for such beautiful thoughts sharing and I always love to have from you side.
Have peaceful and beautiful new years from here, Pakistan too!! :)

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