Better Than Life

I've now read The Rights of the Reader (Pennac, 2006, Translated by Sarah Adams) six times. I enjoy his use of irony / sarcasm, vignettes, and his lively, plain speaking. Readers of all ages can relate to his book. Every reader has every right listed from the right not to read to the right to be quiet - and this includes students from K-post graduate. In schools, the rights would need to be have guidelines (we can't have our students exercising their right to not read all the time and we cannot give them choices all the time). Knowing we need to have guidelines, I think if we give (allow them to know they have these rights, even) students these rights and discuss what they mean with genuine student input, we should see an increase in pleasure reading - or at the least, a decrease in "I hate reading, why do I have to read in school all the time?" If more teachers practiced "the right to read out loud," or "the right to read it again," demonstrating how pleasurable reading can be, we should also see an increase, as did the teachers in Pennac's book, of students wanting to read. Quentin Blake's drawings are rendered in black on light cream pages in the Candlewick Press edition; they lose in the translation from the Walker Books colorful illustrations. Blake and Pennac (and translator Adams) are a good team. Parents, teachers, and all who work with, live with, or have any contact with children should read the book. So should people who just want to dip in, to see if they like reading, read this book.

While I'm francophone, and love to read, my usual books are in English. When I started highschool in French, my mother handed me this book, and it convinced me that French books weren't all that bad (despite the fact that I'd previously refused to read them.)Honestly, the prose is brilliant. The use of words is beautiful, and the points he make are well worth considering. This is a book about reading, and about why one should or should not read. Most teachers should read this; it would probably help them understand the children in their class, and help them love reading.

To those who know Daniel Pennac, it's only fitting ! He's the best contemporary french novelist. And "better than life" is another great great book, highly funny and witty... and also highly moving. To those who love genius, cleverness and emotion... this book is for you !!!

This book is a must-read for school-kids, student, teachers, parents, social workers, politicians, all those who take care of the society and the future of the young. Once discovered, the simple, but powerful approaches from this book can become a perfect recipe to raise a healthier nation, where we will not have things like Littleton! Because, the kids who have school duties, who fulfil them, and who find pleasure in fulfilling them, will not have time to waste on stupid ideologies, worrying about how to get weapons, but will have time filled with activities that will make them better people. Not instantly, as most of them would want... But, none good investment gave good results immediately, right? And all the wounds have to be healed from the inside. Yes, we can require producers to decrease amount of violence in the movies, but what good does and forbidding bring? Feed the soul, the depths of human mind, with the healthy stuff, and you will have a healthy nation. Mr. Pennanc, thank you. I hope this book will not be a jewel thrown to the pigs.

In this short, simple book, Pennac describes the change that is wrought over children as they learn to read. First, there is the wonder, the closeness, the beauty of being read to by a loving parent. The child becomes a little tyrant, demanding "Another!" or "Again!", hungry for words, hungry for imagination, hungry for the closeness of someone they love. Then, another change - they begin to learn to read and write. They get caught up in the wonder, the magic of it. (Pennac's description - filtered through the wonderful translation - of a child learning to write "Mommy" is very touching). Then, there is a third change. The child is "forced" to read for school. Long books. Boring books (at least to the child). The child would rather watch TV, rather be anywhere than at his desk. Worried, the parents sit downstairs - in front of the TV, discussing worriedly why "kids don't read" (A telling bit of irony there). Pennac also provides a sort of "Bill of Rights" for readers- reminding us that we are free to skip chapters or put a book down if it's not for us. As someone who went through a brief "non-reading" period in junior high (but thankfully came back to the written word), this book had me nodding in agreement and chuckling at places.I dearly hope that the young folk who gripe about "how boring" reading is will come back to it at a later date and come to appreciate it again. Or else the printed word may become an endangered species. I would highly recommend this book, especially to new parents who want to "raise a reader". The main message in that area is, get your posterior off the couch in the TV room and read to your child. And let your child see you read. Make books a treat. Even (heaven forbid) make reading an "illicit" activity.....