There’s an old advertising stat that goes something like this: a person must be exposed to a message or image at least nine times before they truly register it.
Maybe it’s eight times, maybe it’s ten – the point is, a person must be exposed to a message over and over before they absorb it. And then must be exposed more still before they act.
So, author Tina McElroy Ansa’s AJC article about balanced reading, can not be emphasized enough. Although she’s primarily speaking about adult literature, the message applies and is even more important when it comes to young readers.
Here’s the synop of Tina’s article: Stop believing that just because a person is reading, that it’s all good. What they read is important. So a balance in the type of books a person consumes is essential.
But she says it so much more eloquently than that, so please click through.
We’ve spoken of this issue here at The Brown Bookshelf before. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say today’s blog is about the…fourth time we’ve mentioned it. So five more times to go and another five for good measure before I expect action.
Thanks for this article. As a school librarian, I struggle with this issue. I know it’s what my students want to read. Part of it is the appeal to teen’s inquisitive nature about the adult world but also, these books relate to the world of too many of our children. I am noticing a trend for books that relate to teens of color in a more responsible nature, hopefully this will continue.