By Nathan Ngo
Books are amongst the only items that are hardly touched by anyone. A book can allow many students to see a whole new world, only if they are willing to open a book and immerse themselves with imagination.
Upon returning to school for the 2021-2022 school year, students tend to get very busy with future classes they plan to take. Some students may be active in a sport at Fountain Valley High School or some may be taking extracurricular classes on top of assignments due the following day. Students will often find themselves in a situation where they can’t find the time to do anything else: playing games, talking with friends or simply sitting down to read a solid book.
Some students do read, although not for fun. An English class may assign a reading project, which requires a student to pick a book and read in order to complete the assignment. Generally, most students would only read a book if it was for an assignment. School takes the love of reading out of most students on campus. Keeping up with classes is a higher priority and when free time is available, very few students will resort to reading a book.
One problem students encounter when trying to find a book to read is knowing how to choose one. “Never judge a book by its cover” is a common phrase said; but when it comes to choosing a book, students tend to choose the book with the better looking cover. However, this is not always the case. Some books can be recommended, some books have a certain genre students find interest in and not all books have covers. A simple title can draw students into picking the book up and checking it out. Everybody has a different taste in books and it may be hard to find a good book nowadays.
Now what makes a good book? A good book solely depends on one’s self. Some people may find one book boring but another may find it interesting. Many genres are presented today and students have a wide range to choose from, from fiction to nonfiction, fantasy to mystery. However, some students may be looking for a book to keep them on their toes while others may be looking for a book to make their cheeks rosy.
English teacher Terick Thomas finds essays and articles to be powerful and eye-opening; although, there are moments where books are on the same wavelength.
“To me, a good book is when it is able to show me a whole new world I’ve never considered before,” Thomas said.
Many teachers also have their own reasons for what makes a good book. Basically, it depends on one’s self to define what is a good book and what books give them joy when reading.
A book is a good source of enjoyment and it allows one’s self to be open to creativity and work with their own imagination. Last year, all students had to do almost everything on computers and often spent hours staring at a screen. Reading books is a good way to take a break from staring at a screen and provides many benefits.
An article from Healthline said that “reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability matures, those networks also get stronger and more sophisticated.”
Reading allows students to be introduced to new vocabulary and sentence structure, which can better benefit one’s creativity and grammar. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is hard to understand anyone’s feelings from being on screen or simply from being away from others for too long. Reading can fill that void in several students.
Books are an overall good source of enjoyment for anyone, but many will find it hard to fit in time to read a book.
Many students will find books lying around in their house waiting to be picked up and read. However, we can’t find the time to ever do so. Many students will argue that reading a book consumes valuable time they can use to study or do homework. On top of that, not all students find a passion in writing and reading so just sitting down to read rather than doing something more fun will be quite a challenge.
Even with little time, books offer a chance for students to imagine and create their own world within their heads. With many problems today, a book can open the eyes of students and give new meanings and lessons.
Mathematics teacher Tony Diaz, who hardly reads, still finds enjoyment in reading things like articles and essays. For him, it doesn’t have to be a book but when it is a topic that he finds interest in, he would definitely read it, but not on a daily basis as it proves very difficult.
“When students are younger, they should [read]. It would help build their vocabulary and some creativity,” Diaz said. “I don’t think it should be something you’re forced into but it will help.”
Books provide a lot of entertainment through adventures and stories so pick up a book and read it. You will not regret it.
