A matter of Choice

It's all very well to say "let them choose their own books" when talking about encouraging children to read, but what if you think your kids have terrible tastes?

A matter of choice

TOTS TO TEENS:BY DAPHNE LEE

I TALKED about choice last week and have, several times in the past, stressed the importance of letting children choose their own books in order to encourage and nurture the reading habit. But, what do you do if you hate the books they pick?

I know someone (I'll call her Ginger) who dreads going to the bookstore with her 15-year-old daughter. 

“It's embarrassing when I have to pay for really trashy books like those in the Seven Deadly Sins series. I'm sure the cashier gave me a strange look when it came to buying Lust!”

At least, she lets her daughter buy these books even though she doesn't approve of them.

“Well, they're not as naughty as the covers imply,” says Ginger. “I just think they are so badly written and the characters are mean and shallow.”

However, she hopes that her daughter knows better than to be influenced by the books. 

“I think she reads them for the same reason I used to read Barbara Cartland romances. It's just entertainment. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to be reading anything else. She finds the classics boring. She doesn't even like Little Women or Anne of Green Gables.”

The only classics my eldest son, Elesh, has read are the Narnia Chronicles, The Wind in the Willows, and comic book versions of Robinson Crusoe and Huckleberry Finn. These days he prefers science and animal encyclopaedias, Mister Midnight and books based on the Disney movie High School Musical.

As for my second son, his book-at-bedtime choice is a Star Wars illustrated encyclopaedia. Has anyone tried reading a reference book at bedtime? Unless you're terribly interested in the subject matter, you may find that it sends you off to snoozeland. 

I can't believe that Ekath (who is four) would be interested in the history of the Jedi or R2D2's technical capabilities. However, I once tried to just point at the pictures and make up stories about weird alien beings, but he insisted I carry on reading. 

He is also currently into Barbie Fairytopia (the books and the movies), which is quite funny, considering what a macho man he is otherwise.

I have a recurring nightmare in which my children sell my entire book collection to the rag and bone man for RM10. Of course, if they choose to do that once I've made my final exit, I will be none the wiser ... unless I happen to be one of those who hangs around in spirit form, wringing their hands, moaning and groaning, and predicting doom and gloom. 

To be honest, I have considered bequeathing my first editions and out of print children's books to the National Library of Singapore (they have a wonderful section that houses books of this sort). 

I understand how most parents would find it a lot easier to choose books for their children. Parents who do this must be prepared for the books to lie untouched and gathering dust though. 

I tell myself, I shouldn't mind what they read. That they actually like books (any book) is what counts. I bet that's what my mum used to say to herself when I was going through my Sweet Dreams Romances phase.