Is Browsing For a Book a Lost Art?
One of my favorite things to do is browse a bookstore for a new book. Very rarely do I go with a title in mind. It is way more enjoyable for me to let the colors and the titles guide my interest. Even now thinking about that simple pleasure makes me smile!
Since becoming an elementary school librarian, I have noticed that most children do not look for books this way. As early as first grade, my scholars come to the library with a specific title or series in mind. While there is certainly nothing wrong with knowing what you like and want, it becomes a detriment when nothing else will do. If that particular book is checked out they seem lost and almost refuse to try any other book. This makes me so sad! To be honest, it took me a while to even figure out that was the problem. Students would say "I can't find anything" or "There's nothing good here." My first reaction was "What!" "No Way!" Now I see that we have lost the art of browsing and, like many things, we need to explicitly teach the skill.
Talk with your kids about what it means to them to browse for a book. Try guiding them through the process and maybe they'll rediscover the thrill of noticing a beautiful cover or laughing at a particularly clever first line.
- Go into the library with an open mind. Be open to trying different genres or styles.
- Walk slowly past the shelves. Stop and look at books that catch your eye. Is the spine colorful? Is the cover design interesting? Is the title awesome?
- pick 2 or 3 up that catch your eye and take them to a comfortable spot to look at them more closely.
- Pile your mini stack nearby. Pick one up and read the back or the inside front flap and read the first page. I can always tell if I like the author's style right from the first page!
- Out of that stack, surely one is worth checking out! Check it out, read it, and then share what you learned with a friend.
Reading new things that you would not normally check out is how you grow your reading brain!
For the love of books and kids try to restore the art of browsing!
Until next time, Happy Reading!
Mrs. Wagner
