We have a bit of a squidgy feeling about this and cannot pinpoint why:
In a bid to foster a new generation of book buyers, Random House is investing in a private company that promotes literacy using a system that encourages children to read on their own and with their parents.
It’s not the program. We believe that the way to build readers is to allow them to read for pleasure as often as possible, and American Reading Co.’s 100 Book Challenge strikes us as a good thing. We cannot fault Random House for its investment — this is the type of farsighted behavior we generally applaud in publishers. Heck, even if only Random House titles fill those baskets, we don’t mind; we firmly believe in the American competitive spirit.
On the surface, it’s all good. And maybe that why we feel so odd. It’s like all the right steps are being taken. Of course, that’s it. Nothing to make fun of. Not a single opportunity for snark.
No wonder we feel so icky. If the experiment works, however, we will be overjoyed. Also, we know a specific school library that would be happy to participate in the program. Thrilled, actually.
