READING LESSON: Beautiful Islands, Beautiful Books

TS No one rushes through a visit to a beautiful island, and yet many people insist on rushing through beautiful books. SD They dash through the chapters (even sometimes skipping parts), almost as though they can’t wait to get to the end. (Strange…why would they want to reach the end of a wonderful experience?) CM They rarely re-read a page (never a whole chapter), and probably wouldn’t consider taking notes. CM It's almost as if they want to get through the book as quickly as possible just so they can rush on to the next one. SD On the other hand, were these people to visit a picturesque island, I'm sure they would want to enjoy the delights of the place in a slow and thoughtful manner. CM There would be no dashing, no skimming quickly through experiences, no hurrying along to get to the end of the visit. CM Indeed, they would probably find pleasure in revisiting parts of the island, perhaps several times during one trip, in order to enjoy their attractions more thoroughly. CM And of course part of their appreciation of the island would include pausing frequently to take pictures so they could fondly look back on the visit months and years later. SD Similarly, what I hope to do for you this year is convince you that a beautiful book should be “visited” in much the same way that we visit a beautiful island. CM I hope to show you how to take your time as you explore the wonders of each chapter, how to revisit pages and sections in order to uncover more of their beauties, and how to take assiduous notes to serve as a “photographic” record of your reading. CM A beautiful book has at least as many wonders as a beautiful island, and I want to help you learn to appreciate them in a leisurely and attentive manner. CS In the future, when you think of starting a reading project, I would hope you might say, “I think I’ll re-visit a beautiful book I first read in Mr. Salsich's class.”