[HPforGrownups] Re: Children reading ( was Arguing with the clueless)

[John Walton]

No: HPFGUIDX 29164

Jennifer wrote:

> I also have wasted my time arguing in favor of HP.  What it comes down to for
> me is that the biggest issue in our society is not the fear of an outbreak of
> child witches and wizards, but rather rampant illiteracy!  HP increases the
> number of children reading and using their imagination, which is such a
> greater good 

I spent last summer working with kids who have ADD, ADHD, dyslexia,
hyperlexia and all sorts of other learning difficulties. These are kids who
*never* pick up books voluntarily. The center where I was working got a
shipment of about thirty or so HP books, which were left in a box on the
front desk after the office manager opened them and went to get a coffee.
When I popped my head round the door, almost every kid had put down their
game boys, clustered around the desk and there were little mutterings of
"Harry Potter! Harry Potter!" as they grabbed a book each. We ended up
having to order another shipment :D

Hooray for Harry!

--bouncy!John

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"One man can change the world with a bullet in the right place."
-'Mick Travers', Malcolm McDowell's character in "If..." (1968)

John Walton -- john at walton.vu
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