Cheating Or Reading Books

Larissa MacFarquhar’s essay titled,“Who Cares if Johnny Can’t Read?” , was published in the Slate magazine in 1997, rebuts the misconception that Americans in today’s society don’t read as much as people did in the past. MacFarquhar presented factual information to back up her claim that Americans do read and that they read more now than they ever did. In addition, people do not read classics as much as they read genre fiction and self-help in today’s society. MacFarquhar also stated that reading books is better than television. According to MacFarquhar, she believed that reading can stimulate emotions and allow people to participate unlike television. Later, she acknowledged that certain television can also stimulate emotions and allow people

“The Lonely, Good Company of Books” by Richard Rodriguez, is an expressive narration about the importance of learning through reading. The essay is a narration of his life from his early school years to high school and how he struggled with the general belief that reading books are the main source of education. “Open the doors of your mind with books” (172) he quotes from a poster over his teacher’s desk. He learned early on that books were the key to academic success. Even though his bilingual parents never read for pleasure, they instilled in him the value of books. This idea was repeated by his teachers that reading was the main activity of learning.

It is agreed that if an author is stating his assertion to a topic, then he should incorporate what the opposing view has to say; therefore, without the other view he writes nothing but fallacies. However, in Gurdon’s case she offers support from the other side allowing them to state their claim. She recognizes the use of first person in these particular YA books, permitting the reader to take on the “persona of the narrator” (Gurdon 2). Then, she detects the claim of the book industry writing that “kids have a right to read whatever they want” and that “the world is a tough place; and that there’s no point shielding children from reality” (Gurdon 3). Refuting this assertion she calls out the incorrect logic of the claim stating that in other words the authority adults have over the content children absorb should “somehow vaporize when it comes in contact with the printed word” (Gurdon 3). The things children read teach them what to presume about the world around them, and that “books don’t just cater to tastes. They form tastes” (Gurdon 4). Subsequently, she offers her proposal that people associated with the publication of books would “exercise better taste” (Gurdon 2) than that of every teen experience. The comprehension of Gurdon’s claim becomes clearer after integrating the opposing view and using it to support her

As a child, I read non-stop. I used to spend entire nights reading, so much so that by the age of 9, I had developed grey circles under my eyes, which I wore like a badge. In school, I would use every free second I had to get just a little closer to finishing whatever book I had on hand. Ms. Carpenter, who always seemed as though she didn’t like teaching very much, frequently yelled at me for keeping my books on my desk so I could get to them quicker whenever I finished my classwork. She insisted that they were a distraction. But I always had a book to read, because every Friday each class walked in a neat line

The essay “Disliking Books” by Gerald Graff gives reason to why so many kids and young adults dislike reading. Graff mentions things from his childhood, and things from his time as a college student to explain his reasoning. Being a part of a middle class family, Graff explains the stigma surrounding studying and enjoying books in his childhood. Graff then shows us his experience that changed his mind. Graff uses details from his life to give meaning to his ideas.

Richard Rodriguez, in the passage “Remedial Reading” from his autobiography “Hunger of Memory”(1982), promotes active reading as a developer of one’s mind. He justifies his position by describing his initial experiences with reading, specifically his attachment to the reading. Rodriguez’s anecdote functions as an encourager of stubborn minds trying to read and displaying its potential to change their life for the better. Rodriguez uses a very descriptive style that may be too verbose for children but compliments the verbosity with enough explanation of his purpose for his message to be known or ascertained.

Throughout history, scrutiny towards literature has fallen into three categories: political, moral, and religious. Advocates of intellectual freedom and speech have stood against those individuals and organizations that oppose the rights of any individual seeking knowledge through books under the 2nd amendment. In my essay, I intend to shed light on the benefits books can have and the side effects of a lack of knowledge in a school setting.

As of late, the literacy rates in America have declined. In fact, over the past ten years “book reading [in] young women slipped from 63 percent to 59 percent, while young men plummeted from 55 percent to 43 percent” (why johnny won’t read pg. 575) Boys have a lower tendency to read than girls due to the fact that school forces them to read things that they are not interested in. Although in “I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read pg. 176,” Prose points out that

Reading is the beginning of every child’s learning. The basis of education begins with learning to read. Short (2010) explained that literature acts as “an inquiry to life” and a “way of knowing” (p. 50). However, in order to support children’s learning, it is essential to show children that learning is interesting from a young age. When Short first began teaching using worksheets and a basal reading program, she wrote, “I often felt that children were learning to read in spite of me” (p. 49). The students were not learning to think critically. However, when she began introducing literature circles to her students, she saw them “critically exploring their understandings with each other” (p. 49).

Before we divulge into the topic of this essay, let me begin by stating that neither the author of the main source, Steven Johnson, nor I intend to devalue books or look down upon them. In his book, Everything Bad Is Good For You, he starts off talking about the importance of books. He says, “We should all encourage our kids to read more, to develop a comfort with and an appetite for reading” (Johnson 21). Reading provides many different benefits, some including “concentration, the ability to make sense of words, to follow narrative threads, to sculpt imagined worlds out of mere sentences on pages” (Johnson 23). As an avid reader myself, I have always had an interest in books.

This is because many schools believe that in today’s age of technology, teenagers prefer reading through a digital platform. However, Merga discovers that reading habits amongst adolescents are not homogenous, and they do not all prefer digital books. Rather, she finds that the individual reading preferences of adolescents vary and educators must take these varying preferences into account.

Michael Henry’s article “Whats with This Summer Reading” has readers pondering why summer reading has students “moving one step further from reading.” Michael Henry explains that one day he saw a teenager becoming very frustrated with the book he was reading. He asked why the young man was reading the book and the boy said, because it was a summer reading assignment. This made Henry think and he began to research summer reading assignments. He wanted to find out what was causing so much frustration.

2014: 84+. Educators Reference Complete. Web. 7 July 2014.This article focuses on reading and connecting children with books and technology together. Using digital reader books provide wonderful opportunity to improve children’s critical thinking and literacy skills. They are offering websites and apps for hands on activities that engage children in reading and science discoveries.

In this paper, Gioia argues that there has been a major decline in reading among young adults. Additionally he argues that this issue affects not only literature and the arts, but all aspects of life. He creates this argument through the use of relevant facts and examples.

I recall a conversation had with a good friend of mine not too long ago; I asked her if she planned on reading The Kite Runner over the summer. She then responded with an uninterested no and attempted to steer the conversation towards the new Jordan’s coming out that weekend. I diverted her attention from the shoes long enough to question her response; she then hissed “I can watch the movie! Reading the book is a waste of my time!” Mr. Moe, that statement clearly shows why Laurel should start a reading program. Interest in reading is crashing among the youth, novels are now a “waste of time”. Since the children are our future, it is our responsibility to keep their minds sharp and alert. According to reneweveryday.com, “reading is the ultimate