In the latest edition of School Library Journal dated 1 September 2010, Beth Gallaway writes about using games as a means of enticing tweens and teens to read. In an age when electronic games are all the rage, reading and books have fallen farther down the activities that children/tweens and teens do during their spare time.
I enjoyed reading the article titled "Readalikes Using games as a jumping off point for book selection" as Ms. Gallaway discusses the popular games and books that relate to them. She breaks down possible reading selections into video games, online gaming and table top games. Each game she lists also has genre categories that librarians can then use to locate more books for potential readers.
Using something tweens and teens really like to encourage reading is a brilliant idea that many librarians should be using. Don't we ask children what they like before selecting or suggesting books? Why not use the games they play? Just as with everything, there is room in tweens life for gaming and reading. In fact, some parents do not want their children gaming or watching television just before bed so this is the perfect time for some fun reading to help slow down before trying to fall asleep.
The more I contemplate this idea of using games, the more I like it. Unfortunately for most of us, we are not knowledgeable enough about the popular games for tweens. That is when a list like the one created and shared by Ms. Gallaway can help us find a book or genre that will tempt a reluctant reader.
Gallaway, B. (2010). Readalikes. School Library Journal, 56(9), 24-25.
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