Avid Reader Becomes Obsessed Reader

I have never had to force my kids to read. Read fiction, yes. Non-fiction, never. They always have their noses buried in books, mostly about whatever animal or scientific project is their current interest.

I remember one of R's teachers commented, during parent-teacher conferences, "I love that he reads all the time. I would just prefer that he not read while he's walking. He might trip." Agreed.

But I could not have imagined that getting a Kindle reader would transform my avid reader into an obsessed reader.

A few months back, he asked my mom if she would get him a Kindle reader for his 12th birthday. She called to make sure we were fine with it. And, because he was smart enough to pick the model that only allows him to read - no game capabilities - I figured, What the heck. Let's do it!

Nonna and Nonno bought it, got him a case in his favorite color, and kept it squirreled away until his actual birthday. So, this weekend, after a fun birthday camping trip with some of his best buddies, he was able to unwrap his Kindle.

He had also gotten some giftcards and used them to pick a few eBooks online. Now, instead of reading for an hour before he falls asleep, it's more like two to three hours! And, perhaps, it's the novelty of the thing, but that's an amazing jump.  I still love my paper pages, but I will never argue with a tool that helps a child read more. I never thought I would say this, but I am a fan of the Kindle!

Do you have one? What do you think?