Commentary
Reading to children: the question is, what to read?
By Dick Sparrer
I wouldn't exactly say that my home library is filled with children's books. Then again, I wouldn't exactly call my home library much of a library at all.
Anyway, when Lexington School called recently to ask if I would participate as a guest reader in an annual Community Read-In ... well, I was flattered of course, but I must admit I was at a loss as to what book to select.
Cheryl Coe, the Lexington library specialist, suggested in a letter to those of us who agreed to participate to "read a book of your choice, perhaps one that was a childhood favorite or a story related to your field of work."
Well, I'll bet the kids wouldn't be too interested in my childhood favorite, Charles Einstein's biography of Willie Mays, and even I wouldn't want to hear a few pages from The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law.
So the question remains: what to read?
Reading to children isn't a problem. Hey, I have a little experience in that area. I have two children of my own, and my wife and I placed a high priority on reading to them when they were younger. I might be a little out of practice, though ... the 19-year-old seldom asks me to read him Green Eggs and Ham anymore.
I wanted to pick just the right book so the children wouldn't get bored and start to drift away. Our photographer took a nice shot last week of retired teacher Carolyn Prestwich reading Luba and the Wren to second graders at the Read-Along at Argonaut School in Saratoga, and she seemed to have those kids captivated with the story. But for some reason, I just don't think of myself as a "Luba" kind of guy.
So I perused my library, such that it is, to check out the choices.
Hmmm, certainly A View from Above, the life story of the late Wilt Chamberlain, was out of the question, and I don't think the kids would be too interested in Where the Buck Stops, personal memories of former President Harry S. Truman.
It was soon very clear that shelves lined with biographies and sports books were not going to help me one bit.
So in an effort to choose just the right story for the kids at Lexington, I went to my family for suggestions.
My wife is a veteran school teacher and coach, so I figured she would be a great reference. The oldest? He's a second-year high school teacher and coach, so he should know something about kids and books. And the youngest? Well, he's a teenager, and teenagers know everything, don't they?
I started with my wife.
"Hey, I'm going to be reading to kids at an elementary school on Friday," I told her. "Any ideas for a good book to read?"
"Oh, there are some wonderful books out there!" she exclaimed, her eyes growing so big and bright that I knew right away she was going to offer much more help than I really wanted. "You could read Wolf, or maybe The Keeping Quilt, or A Bad Case of the Stripes."
"Hey, maybe I could just read a few pages out of the Sporting News," I suggested. "Kids love a good box score, don't you think?"
She didn't even hear me.
"Oh, and there's Because of Winn Dixie--that's a fabulous book," she added.
"So are you saying the Sporting News is a bad idea?" I asked.
"Oh, you're hopeless," she snapped.
Well, I could see that she wasn't going to be any help. So I went to the college kid.
"Well, it depends on whether you want to make it a real educational and uplifting experience for the children," he said, "or whether you just want the kids to like you."
"That's easy," I said. "I want the kids to like me."
"Well, just read a few pages out of book about the Simpsons, then pass out bubble gum to all the kids and tell them Bart says it's OK to chew it in class," he said. "The kids'll love you."
"Now you're talking," I said.
I figured he was on the right track, but there was one other family member to hear from. So I asked the high school coach for his advice.
"That's easy," said the oldest. "Read 'em something out of the Sporting News."
Sometimes it's scary just how much he and I think alike.
Reach Dick Sparrer at 408.354.3110, ext. 31 or at dsparrer@svcn.com.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
