I've been on several panels since Salt Lake Comic Con (and now FanX...) rolled into town. I've met amazing artists and authors, entertainers and performers. I've made good friends and even forged relationships that have led to professional advancements in my writing career.
But I think the panel I'm on this Saturday might be the most important one I've ever been on.
It's entitled:
How to Turn your Non-Reading Child into a Book-Loving Machine
It's more important now than ever.
When I pitched the panel idea, I hoped it would be chosen. I remember when I attended public school, especially jr. high when books and reading became a joy and not a drudgery. Back then, there were many distractions that took kids away from books. And this was in the 1970s. Kids nowadays have distractions we couldn't even imagine back then.
Just how important is reading--or the lack thereof--to our society? The effect of a generation of no-readers scares the daylights out of me. Reading connects us as people. Our histories are written down, but if no one reads them, no one will know them. Our laws, policies, customs, traditions--everything--are found in books or online. Without readers, they disappear.
Except for one person, CK Johnson, I know all the other panelist. Holli Anderson, Dave Butler, Paul Genesse, John Olsen--I've interacted with them and have read stories they've written. I was excited when the panel schedule came out and found out who will be there.
If you're worried about how to get kids to read, or you have children of your own that would rather do other things than read (and if you're attending FanX this weekend...), please consider attending our panel. It's Saturday, 9/8/18, 1pm to 2pm in room 151A. We may not have all the answers, but we'll do our best to give the topic the respect it deserves. I'd love to see you there.
No comments:
Post a Comment