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April 21, 2009
Few tasks are more difficult, or more rewarding for a bookseller than finding books for reluctant readers. When a child's reading level drops below their levels of understanding and interest, matching them up with a book becomes a task fraught with difficulty. Motivation is everything in reading. In his wonderful essay on Homer and the Study of Greek, Andrew Lang argued that the study of Greek was disappearing from 19th century classrooms because students were being made to start off with boring texts. "they mutiny against Xenophon; they murmur against that commander; they desert his flag. They determine that anything is better than Greek, that nothing can be worse than Greek." Lang goes on to argue that to learn Greek one should read Homer straightway, to be motivated by interest that is. He notes that, "from the very first words, in which the Muse is asked to  sing the wrath of Achilles, Peleus' son, my mind was altered, and I was the devoted friend of Greek." Interest first, love of reading next, there's truth there. This being so I've been delighted to find a strong new imprint that specializes in accessible content with high interest for reluctant readers, Stone Arch Books. Their adventure series has great titles like The Beast Beneath The Stairs, The Cave of the Bookworms, and The Book That Dripped Blood. There are some early science books for struggling readers, such as Pebble First Guide to Snakes and a nifty first graphic novel sports fiction series with titles like The Kickball Kids and Lily's Lucky Leotard. If you're looking for a book for a child who's reading level is slipping ever farther away from his other interest level, you'll find a good friend on our new Stone Arch shelf!
Here they are! Our weekly picks for the two best: two hardcover, two
paperback, and two children's books. The very best new arrivals to leap
out of the box and onto our shelves this week. Call or email us if you
want more information on any of these titles, or to have us hold you a
copy. Or stop in and check them out in person. We'd love to see you.
Thanks as always for sharing your reading with us!
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