Friday 1 July 2011

RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND READING

Rights of the Reader - Daniel Pennac
Everyone deserves the right to read.


Once you can read, does that mean you must accept the mantle of responsibility not only to read yourself but to share a love of reading and the necessary skills with others, as well as to protect the rights of everyone to be able to read?


Access to reading material should not be dependent on your personal wealth - vive la library!


Over your shoulder, please don't mind me
if my eyes have fallen onto your magazine
Oh I've been watching and wondering
why your face is changing with every line you read.

All those lines and circles, to me, a mystery.
Eve pull down the apple and give taste to me.
If she could it would be wonderful, but my pride is in the way.
I cannot read to save my life, I'm so ashamed to say.

I live in silence, afraid to speak
of my life in darkness because I cannot read.

For all those lines and circles, to me, a mystery.
Eve pull down the apple and give taste to me.
If she could it would be wonderful.
Then I wouldn't need someone else's eyes to see what's in front of me.
No one guiding me.

It makes me humble to be so green
at what every kid can do when he learns A to Z,

but all those lines and circles just frighten me
and I fear that I'll be trampled if you don't reach for me.
Before I run I'll have to take a fall.
And then pick myself up, so slowly I'll devour every one of those books in the Tower of Knowledge.
(Robert Buck/ Natalie Merchant) 10,000 Maniacs "Cherry Tree"
Friday is my favourite day on Twitter. I love reading the #fridayreads the mix of old favourites and new material to check out is thrilling.
This week I have read:
Firestorm Dragon Orb by Mark Robson
Dragon Fire by Cornelia Funke
Pure Dead Magic by Debi Gliori
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
The first book for next week:
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Part of the Rights of the Reader is the availability of books the reader wants to read and this week four of my books came from the library. The Public Library Service must be protected when recession bites hard and, for many people, money is scarce. This is not a good time to cut back on library services.

I'm a huge fan of the mobile library.

When my Mum wouldn't let me wander as far as the town library, I was allowed to go to the shops on the estate. Twice this week I've passed the library van, doing its thing at the local shops around town. 


This quote, from Larry Niven of Readers' Rights - which I have printed out large and pinned up over my laptop ;) - came from Phantomimic's Website:

The reader has certain rights. He bought your story. Think of this as an implicit contract. He’s entitled to be entertained, instructed, amused; maybe all three. If he quits in the middle, or puts the book down feeling his time has been wasted, you’re in violation.

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