Reply to e-reader vs real books for kids

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[quote=Anonymous]People of the book -- I weep at having found you!  On DCUM of all places!!  My kids, all avid readers, are 15, 18 and 21.  I'm so grateful they learned to read and to love reading before the advent of e-readers, so DH and I didn't have to face this dilemma.  When I have asked friends who are teachers about the impact of e-readers, they are conflicted.  OTOH, they note that for many kids the novelty of e-readers can spark an interest in reading; OTOH, e-readers can make it too easy for kids to read without gleaning real meaning.  They fly through books without stopping to look back and consider what they've read earlier.  They can't make margin notes -- or, at least, can't make them easily.  These habits are important to developing a capacity for reading critically and thoughtfully as opposed to simply racking up a long list of books consumed.

To this, I would add my own experience of many trips to the library and hours browsing in bookstores with my kids.  I treasure the memories of those times and the opportunities they gave us to talk about books -- and much more.  Last week my younger son, who is in the midst of his first college exams, sent me a text: "Do you think Nick Carroway would give his kids the same advice that his Dad gave him?".  I was startled -- esp. since many of his texts are more along the lines of requesting advice on laundry or suggesting I watch the Daily Show so I can be truly informed about the news -- and I texted back to ask if he was reading Gatsby in English.  His response: "No, I was just thinking about it."  Reader, my heart leapt with joy.         [/quote]

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