"The Future of Reading"

There was a great article in a recent New York Times book section. It outlined one teacher's use of a somewhat novel approach to teaching reading: allowing students to choose their own books.

(The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/books/30reading.html?pagewanted=1)

What I find curious about the whole thing is that it's not new. In the eleventh grade, Mrs. Brinkman--if I remember her name correctly--gave us all freedom to choose our own book to read in the spring semester. The previous fall, we'd all read Lord of the Flies together. I remember being fascinated with the book and drawing what I imagined was a map of the island. I gave it to my English teacher who used it in class. I don't remember now, but I'm sure I was proud.

Reading has always been important to me, and I truly don't understand people who don't have bookshelves full of books that have been read and are waiting to be read. I don't understand people who don't know how to use a library. But that's just me. Reading is my life in a way.

I have to say that I am a reading snob. I can't stand pulp. I once picked up something by Danielle Steele, not knowing anything about her or her books. I got it for light reading on the beach. I remember that I made it through the first two paragraphs, I put the book down in the sand, and I walked away never looking back. I'm sorry, but it was trash to me.

So, during that spring semester in high school when I was given freedom to choose anything I wanted, what did I read? As You Like It by Shakespeare. I was a fanatic of his even then. I distinctly remember that the language was tough going. It was hard on my ear, but I read it and understood enough to report on it. I could have picked anything out of the school's library, but I chose Shakespeare. I was a literary snob even then.