News
Why Won't Kids Read Books?
I'm pretty accustomed to reading discouraging articles about the death of the novel or the diminishing number of Americans who read fiction.
But when I opened the cover story of this month's Atlantic magazine, I have to admit a spontaneous curse erupted from my mouth!
I've included the link below for anyone who subscribes but hasn't read it yet. And if you don't subscribe, The Atlantic is pretty great.
The story, headlined "The Elite College Students Who Can't Read Books" chronicles how many high school students arrive at college (and often competitive and elite colleges) having read very few books all the way through.
The journo who wrote the piece, Rose Horowitch, interviewed more than 30 college professors, public school teachers and big thinkers and they concurred with the thesis of the story:
Middle schools and high schools are no longer requiring that students read a book cover to cover. So students don't. Instead, they prep for essays and tests by reading excerpts or Cliff notes about the book.
Here's a sample of observations from the article:
Teacher Mike Szkolka: “There’s no testing skill that can be related to … Can you sit down and read Tolstoy? ” he said. And if a skill is not easily measured, instructors and district leaders have little incentive to teach it."
Anthony Grafton, Princeton historian: There are always students who “read insightfully and easily and write beautifully,” he said, “but they are now more exceptions.”
Jack Chen, UV Chinese-lit prof: Finds his students “shutting down” when confronted with ideas they don’t understand; they’re less able to persist through a challenging text than they used to be."
And this!: "Reading books, even for pleasure, can’t compete with TikTok, Instagram, YouTube. In 1976, about 40 percent of high-school seniors said they had read at least six books for fun in the previous year, compared with 11.5 percent who hadn’t read any. By 2022, those percentages had flipped."
Two things occur to me about this: Family book clubs may be more important than ever! It's a chance to read a complex novel and encourage the kind of critical thinking that feeds good discussion.
And, I'm ever so grateful for the deep and searching conversations we have about books on our Siren trips. Ya'll were well educated! :)
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/the-elite-college-students-who-cant-read-books/679945/?utm_campaign=one-story-to-read-today
Life of Pi Wildlife Safari to India, 2025!
Hey Roamers & Readers,
If you've been eyeing the "Life of Pi" Safari to India in 2025, keep a watch out for an email update in November.
The trip is full and before I put a "sold out" banner on it, I want to ensure that everyone who has expressed interest is still coming.
A small deposit will hold your spot. Or you can roll the dice and see if there's an available place when you're ready to commit.
I'm planning to do the trip again in 2027 so if you can't make it this time, no problem!
Can't tell you how indescribably excited I am for this adventure! Our outfitter in India is a reader and he has been inspired by our appreciation for Yann Martel's incredible novel.
https://www.sirensojourns.com/life-of-pi
Read to Roam Book for October: "Playground" by Richard Powers
I recently had one of those remarkably serendipitous reading experiences. I’d just finished British marine biologist Helen Scales’ exceptional “What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World’s Ocean” when Richard Powers’ new wildly wonderful novel, “Playground” arrived.
Mr. Powers’ novel asks many of the questions that Helen Scales book contemplates: Why don’t the ocean’s creatures inspire the same reverence and awe that land-based animals do? Why do we have to corrupt our oceans almost to the point of no return before we act to truly conserve? Why, as Helen Scales asks in her book, have we countenanced so much damage and destruction?
–Check out this mind-blowing paragraph from Powers’ novel: “No human being knew what life on Earth really looked like. How could they? They lived on the land, in the marginal kingdom of aberrant outliers. All the forests and savannas and wetlands and deserts and grasslands on all the continents were just afterthoughts, ancillaries to the Earth’s main stage.”
The novel, alive with Powers' vivid and gorgeous prose, sweeps us from Montreal to Chicago to French Polynesia to an experimental floating city in the blue Pacific.
"Playground" is one of my fave novels of 2024. Catch my interview with Richard Powers on MPR, Friday, November 22 or anytime on my Big Books, Bold Ideas podcast.
Bayfield Book Retreat, October 2025
Friends, It will take the good people of Asheville, North Carolina some time to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene so I am regretfully postponing the Siren retreat I had planned there for next autumn.
Instead, I am announcing a Fall Colors Book Retreat at Wild Rice Retreat, a gorgeous and tranquil place on the shores of Lake Superior near Bayfield.
It is the most perfect place for a book-drenched weekend: Great food, beautiful surroundings and plenty of wellness centered activities to do (when we're not talking about books.)
We'll also have special author meet-ups at Honest Dog Books in Bayfield.
Mark your calendars for October 24 to 26th, 2025 and drop me a line if this intrigues you. I expect this retreat to sell out.
The itinerary and book list is coming soon!
Bookstore Radar
The future of bookstores in Asheville, North Carolina is unknown after the city and much of western North Carolina has been ravaged by hurricane-driven floodwaters.
Malaprop's is an independent, light-filled mecca for books on Lexington Avenue and if/when they open again, they'll need lots of love from book-lovers.
Please consider purchasing some of your books for the Christmas season through their online portal.
https://www.malaprops.com/