With the focus in schools these days on tests, exams and even more assessments, it’s little wonder that our children say they don’t have time to read outside of the school curriculum – and what a shame that is!
There is so much to be gained and learned from immersing oneself in a good book, and the most successful CEOs and business leaders will probably all say that they make sure to spend some time each day reading. People who read frequently are constantly exposed to new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of looking at things.
Warren Buffett, American business magnate and considered to be one of the most successful investors in the world, was asked about the key to success and stated:
Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.
source: http://uk.businessinsider.com/ceo-reading-recommendations-bill-gates-warren-buffett-2018-1
Our children these days, however, are so caught up with some test or other – and our 15-16 year olds, for example, are so busy with coursework and GCSEs (in between Instagram, Facebook and YouTube) that they rarely get a chance to pick up a good read.
And even if they do develop an urge to read, school libraries are often sadly understocked and public libraries are now sometimes very hard to find, having been hit hard by spending cuts. According to an article in the New Statesman, for example, 300 public libraries were closed between 2010 and 2015, with many more being handed over to volunteers from the local community to run (see: article from The Guardian here).
Our little ones (usually under 12) generally don’t seem to have too much of a difficulty being inspired by the mysteries hidden inside the pages of a book, but there is still a need to get our tweenagers and teenagers to read more. The benefits of reading are obvious – any CEO, headmaster or parent knows this – but where to start?
Schools often publish their own reading lists on their websites. Here are a few:
Sevenoaks School Reading List (Year 7 , Year 8, Year 9)
Tonbridge School Reading List (from Year 9 onwards)
Harrow School Reading List (features books recommended by Harrow students)
Papplewick School Reading List
Apart from reading lists found on school websites such as the ones listed above, there are other great websites such as:
http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books/teenagers
http://www.childrensbooksequels.co.uk
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/
http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site
http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk
The list appears to be endless.
So, with a world of books to choose from – and with the ones provided above – hopefully, there’s something out there for every single one of our budding bookworms to get their teeth into. And maybe some of us parents too!
Happy reading!
sapiens qui prospicit 