Canada Reads, the CBC’s “battle of the books,” is underway again. The annual radio showdown seeks to elevate one book that all Canadians should read.
This year, advocates will debate not only the best book, but also “the one novel that could change Canada.”
Read the story for the full details: Canada Reads 2014 seeks inspirational novels | Quill & Quire
Nielsen Book data suggests that 32% of children read books every day, and 60% every week. But these percentages are falling as digital entertainment rises.
Read the full story: Children’s reading shrinking due to apps, games and YouTube | Technology | theguardian.com.
Travel writing is a glamorous but difficult genre. To a reader it’s an easy sell: you get to go to fantastic places and see unusual things without spending the money.
In this list, I’ve observed the following parameters: no recent blockbusters, like Eat, Pray, Love or Wild, as many of the world’s regions as one could possibly fit, and steering away from the older, 19th-century popular travel books unless there was something particularly remarkable about them.
See the list: 35 Great Travel Books That Will Take You Around the World Without a Plane Ticket | Flavorwire.
Teachers have a strong desire to teach reading for pleasure but feel frustrated by a restrictive curriculum, a lack of support from parents and a drop-off in school librarian numbers, according to publisher Egmont.
In the latest instalment of Egmont’s Reading Street study into children’s reading habits, the publisher’s consumer insight team surveyed 250 teachers about their pupils’ reading. The majority were classroom teachers, with 77% teaching children at primary stage and 66% having been in the profession for more than a decade.
Over half the teachers surveyed said there had been a decline in the number of children who read for pleasure over the course of their career, with the majority observing this trend over the past decade.
Read the full story: Teachers ‘frustrated’ over Reading for Pleasure | The Bookseller.
Short lines of text on electronic devices may help some dyslexic readers increase their reading speed and comprehension, research suggests.
Read the full story: E-readers ‘more effective’ for some dyslexic readers | BBC News.
The Toronto Public Library has just given another reason to love having a library card, and to enjoy this benefit you won’t even need to leave your house. TPL has partnered with leading digital newsstand provider Zinio to give members access to digital magazines for free.
Read the full story: Toronto Public Library now offers free digital magazines | BlogTO.
“Toronto, September 17, 2013 – Kobo, a global leader in eReading, and Free The Children, today announced a year-long partnership focused on supporting literacy among Aboriginal youth in Canada. Both organizations share a commitment to making Reading more accessible and are working together to support literacy programs in Aboriginal communities across the country. Kobo has donated 3,500 of its award-winning Kobo Touch™ eReaders as well as $100,000 to develop a program designed to cultivate a love and passion for reading. The program includes a speaking tour to educate youth about literacy in Aboriginal communities and encourage them to explore their own culture through digital reading.”
The Full Story: Kobo and Free the Children Partner to Advance Literacy of Aboriginal Youth Across Canada | Kobo Cafe.
James Patterson said on “CBS This Morning” that he intended to help children become better readers. His announcement comes at a time when one in every seven American adults reads below a fifth grade level.
The bestselling author of the Alex Cross series said, “It’s so easy to get kids reading.” He offered an anecdote about his own son, stating, “When… Jack was 8, that summer we said ‘Jack, you have to read every day.’ And he said, ‘Do I have to?’ and we said, ‘unless you want to live in the garage.'”
Patterson urged viewers to go to local libraries or local bookstores, then made a surprising announcement: Over the next year, the author will donate $1 million of his own money to local bookstores. The only stipulation? The stores receiving donations must have children’s sections.
Indie bookstores and libraries alike have been receiving their fair share of donations from generous individuals; Last week, the Columbus Metropolitan Library broke ground on a new building thanks to a $1 million donation from one of its previous employees.
via James Patterson To Donate $1 Million To Indie Bookstores | HuffPosy Books.
Interesting opinion piece from Kelly Jensen, a librarian and a blogger.
Snip: “When we buy into these ideas about boys and reading, we also make a statement about girls and reading. We believe they’re automatically readers. They don’t need our support or encouragement to be life-long readers because reading is part and parcel of being a girl.”
Read: Books for Boys and Books for Girls: Problems with Gendered Reading | Book Riot
Books are one of Chloe Leitmann-Morales’s favorite things. She sorts through the full shelf in her family’s Arlington County living room, pulling out her choices one after another, then settles comfortably on almost any nearby lap. She’s ready to listen and follow along as her father, mother or grandmother reads about Dora the Explorer, different kinds of bellies or the dog Blue, in both English and Spanish.
Chloe has “read” more than 1,000 books. She is 2 years old.
She is a poster child for the Arlington County Public Library system’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program, a months-old effort encouraging preschoolers to strengthen language skills, build their vocabularies and begin love affairs with stories and the printed word.
Read the full story: Arlington library system starts ‘1,000 Books Before Kindergarten’ to urge a love of reading | The Washington Post.
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