How I got my sister to love reading!

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved reading. So I was flummoxed when Swapna, my

younger sister, couldn’t figure out what was so great about it. I tried telling her that there’s a

whole new world out there, just between you and those pages. You can sit in one place and travel all over the world. There are stories that make you laugh, cry and send a chill up your spine, and then there are those that make you stop and think.

I was determined that she too should know the joys of reading. So, on our walks to school I

started telling her stories from the books I’d read. Those she had no problem in enjoying! But then one day, when she’d gotten hooked on to an adventure story, I left it hanging right in the middle.

She was aghast. I had to complete the story, she said, but I wouldn’t budge. She argued and pouted and tried everything possible but she had to pick up the book and read to finish the story! :) After that, she went on to discover and read many, wonderful books. And now, there's nothing more that we like to discuss than the next book to read. :) 

Fast forward many, many years and I wondered if I could try the trick with my niece, Aisha, when she was little. I doubted it. There are so many gadgets out there plus, we have movies, games and so many other things competing for attention that reading tends to lose out. And yet, she took to reading like a fly on barfi or a bee on honey! :P

I think it's because growing up she was surrounded by books (on the bookshelf, nudging out clothes for space in the cupboard and even under the bed!) along with voracious readers. So, she has been conditioned to look at reading as a fascinating and attractive activity. Why else would her mother and her memas refuse to play with her when they had a book in hand? :D

Reading tends to gently push you to grow, whether you read physical books or use a gadget to get your quota. It's not just about knowledge and awareness but also the immersive experiences and viewpoints reading offers us. (With movies and shows, I'm always aware they're acting so the suspension of disbelief is rare. :P)

And yet, if there's someone who doesn't like to read and finds the thought of reading an entire novel too daunting, they can try reading a page a day. Here's another trick I picked from a friend: You can pick a story and make reading a family activity: read aloud different parts for 10-20 minutes, every day or for a longer time on weekends. Make a skit of a scene or two.) You won’t regret it. In fact, once the story catches hold, the reader won't even realize when they've reached a point where they just can't put the book down.

Of course, the downside to reading is that we can expect to be told off for reading at the dinner table, in bed long past sleep time and taking the book to the bathroom... because we just have to know how it ends! :D)

Once I tried reading 13-14 books at one go, switching books after reading a chapter from each. That's another trick to make sure the most interesting books don't get over too soon and that I can read the slower, more thought-provoking ones at a pace I can digest. 

Happy reading! :)

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A white rabbit with grey patches wearing glasses sits in front of an open book - Image by Anna Shvets on pexels