Why read?

People who like to read do it because reading does something for them.  It sends chills down their spine, brings tears to their eyes, or turns on the light bulb in their brain.

And, let’s face it:  they need reading, just as you do.  You need reading now for school, and you’re going to need it even more later on, when you take on a job and other adult responsibilities.  Good reading skills are a must.  Ask any employer!

So, besides the practical reasons, what’s in it for you?  Consider the possibilities.  Through reading you can:

• Become an expert.  An expert on any subject you like-from sports stats to spelunking, coins to carburetors, or anything in between.
• Live dangerously.  Through reading you can share the challenges, fears, thrills, and achievements of those you’re reading about-without the risk.
• Have a few laughs.  Sit down with a book by your favorite stand-up comedian, a collection of jokes or cartoons, or a humor magazine.
• See the world.  Without leaving your room, you can visit places that fascinate you.
• Travel through time.  Explore the frontiers of the Old West or the frontiers of space.  Historical fiction and science fiction move you back and forth in time.
• Use your brains.  Solve a mystery by figuring out whodunit, outwit a crafty villain, or think yourself out of a perilous situation.  Your first clue:  look up Mysteries in the library card catalog or ask for detective fiction at a bookstore.
• Get some free advice.  Lots of novels feature teenage characters that have problems and pressures like the ones you’re dealing with.  Check out the Young Adult section of the library or bookstore.
• Discover new interests.  Through reading, you may develop an interest in something you knew nothing about before.
• Find a cause.  Get smart on an issue that matters to you.  Read about people and organizations that support your cause, and get involved.
• Escape.  Noise, tension, or boredom getting you down?  Give yourself a break.  Leave everything behind as you escape into a book.
• Grow up.  If you find that you’re outgrowing some of the books and magazines written for teens, ask to borrow some of the books and magazines your parents are reading.