'An exercise in empathy'

In the last instalment of this column, Shruthi Rao wonders why we read books and what reading ought to mean to us and our children.

Once, when I was talking to a bunch of children, I asked, “Why do we read books?” One boy raised his hand and said, “Books are for learning.” It made me pause. It’s ingrained in our culture that books are for learning, and that those who read are learned. But are books always for learning? Don’t the majority of us read books for entertainment? And if you tell a child that books are for learning, isn’t that a surefire way of putting them off books permanently?

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve learned a lot through books. But that was just a happy byproduct. Also, yes, many books are specially geared towards learning. But I don’t think I’d read those if they weren’t entertaining (unless they’re textbooks and I have an exam to pass!)

Anyway, my point is that books don’t come packaged with readymade life lessons laid out for you in bullet points. They are not there to “teach” you things, or make you learned. But if you read widely, you do manage to pick up life lessons and general knowledge, develop your empathetic abilities and gain perspectives (and much, much more) without even realising it. All this while you are being entertained!

And that to me, is what reading is all about.

For three years, I’ve been coming to you through this column every fortnight, talking about books and reading and children’s literature. But everything must end sometime, and this will be my last piece for this column. I want to leave you with a few thoughts on reading and books.

* Reading is fun, not a chore: It’s okay for a child to read whatever they want (as long as it is appropriate for their maturity level, which differs from child to child).

* Re-reading books is okay!

* Audiobooks are books too, and so are comic books, and graphic novels, and novels in verse, and everything in between. Also, picture books are not always “baby books”, and are good for all ages!

* If kids don’t like to read, try out different kinds of books. Different authors. Books from other countries. Books by authors from your own country. Maybe they haven’t found the kind of book they like yet? But trying out so many books can be expensive. This is where libraries come in.

* If your child loves reading, make sure they have the time and space to read even when their academic and extracurricular activities threaten to take over all the hours in a day

* On the other hand, it is completely okay if it turns out the child doesn’t like to read! There are hundreds of other things to do in life.

If you like a book, reach out to the author and tell them. Leave reviews on sites that sell those books. Tell friends, and spread the word around. Encourage children also to get into that habit. Most authors don’t earn much through their books — this is the “payment” that they will really and truly treasure!

Thank you for being with me on this journey as I’ve explored the rich world of children’s books and literature and shared it with you. And as always, happy reading!

The author has written 14 books for children and can be reached at [e-mail] and www.shruthi-rao.com

Goodbye from Gobbledybook. Till we meet again!