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READ ON!
| Here's about a contest that required children to read as
many books as they could in two weeks |
EasyLib.com's Readathon contest had kids vying with each
other to read the most number of books — Photo: K. Murali Kumar
IF YOU are part of the brigade that never tires of
talking about how television and Internet have ruined children's
patience for books, you ought to meet Samvida Venkatesh. The
seven-year-old reads 25 books in two weeks to win the first prize in
EasyLib.com's Readathon contest. The contest, conducted by the
online library in Koramangala, required children to read as many
books as they could in two weeks.
The contest had over 25 enthu kids participating in
three age groups. And the number of books Samvida, a class II
student in Indiranagar's National Public School, managed to read up
was the highest in any age group.
The number most children managed to pack into two
weeks has surprised even Vani Mahesh, who runs the library. She
hopes that children, eventually, will learn to not just pack in as
many books as they can within a time frame, but also savour every
word they read. While Vani herself wondered if the children should
be going a little slow, children's writer Maya Chandrasekaran, who
gave away prizes of the contest last weekend, feels that it could
well be the pace a child is comfortable with. "If they are reading
fast, it might just mean that are enjoying it so much!" she says. If
you jog your memory a bit, you would remember that Maya was the
sensation who published a children's novel at 13. Having written her
fifth novel and last novel at 18, the 24-year-old is now busy and
quite content writing altogether different stuff at the corporate
communications wing of Infosys — such as writing speeches for its
founder N.R. Narayana Murthy. "I've been writing some short stories
too. I might publish something for my peers," she tentatively says.
Ask Samvida if she too is inspired to write, after
reading so many books, you get a very shy smile in response. If the
number of books she has read actually makes you a little concerned
for the bespectacled child, Samvida's parents reassure you that it
is simply her "normal pace of reading". No, they didn't cram for the
contest like one would for an exam, say Veena and Sudheesh
Venkatesh. And they haven't done anything "extreme" like getting rid
of the cable connection to make sure the child sticks to books.
"Books are very important, no doubt. But television
and books should co-exist. Watching Cartoon Network may be important
for a child because that's what all her peers are doing. Television
also introduces you to contemporary things and improves your spoken
language," says Mr. Sudheesh. Of course, it does take a little extra
effort on the part of parents to get a child interested in reading a
book, considering the allure of television. "We used to sit and read
things to her when she was four or so. We introduced her to
Panchatantra and Jataka tales. She loved them. Gradually, she
started reading other things on her own." Samvida's favourite book
remains Enid Blyton's The Wishing Chair, though she is now on
to reading more complex plots.
"Television is often an easy option for parents.
But if you decide to take some interest yourself in reading a book
or playing, the children too get interested in these activities,"
says Veena. Venkateshs are thankful to the presence of a library
close home too. "EasyLib not only well-stocked, but also categorises
books in the children's section according to age groups," they say.
Vani Mahesh plans to hold Readathon contests during summer and
winter vacations every year. And her library allows its members to
browse through the catalogue online and choose a book, which will be
door-delivered. For more information on the library and the contest,
you can call 51102231 or 25501499.
B.S.
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