Can Reading Ever Be Bad?

Can we get so involved in books that our normal lives are compromised?  Is reading always a good thing?

I'm not talking about getting hooked on a good title now and then, I'm wondering about people who read one book after another and sit home while others are out experiencing life.

Ahhh, you say, books ARE an experience.  They take you places you may never see like the moon or Antarctica, let you experience things you don't want to like murders or disease or even the zombie apocalypse, and let you live a vicarious life that could otherwise get you in heaps of trouble. 

But can we spend too much time in these other worlds?  Does our everyday life pale in comparison to what we read, and does this make us less content?  Or is every book an enhancement, a gorgeous distraction to an otherwise mundane existance.

I am interested in the fact that many doctors and psychotherapists say we are better off spending time outside and interacting with others to keep our spirits up.  Physical activity works just as well at curing depression as anti-depresant medication.  When people are blue they are told to accept invitations even if they do not want to get out and get involved with the world.

Reading is easy, and if we are feeling a bit sad or blue maybe we need to catch ourselves and put the books away for a while and get out of the house. (I am not trying to trivialize depression at ALL or imply that reading can cause depression.)

Please know I am not suggesting reading is bad, just playing devil's advocate because it is generally stated that reading is wonderful, and I usually agree.

 I just keep thinking about the other side of the coin.

Physical activity and feeling good:
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/treatments/exerciseandmentalhealth.aspx

Reading and feeling good:
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/5-simple-yet-effective-feel-good-factors/

Kids and Reading--Part 1

It's an epidemic!

Well, maybe not an epidemic, but I see it happening quite a bit--kids who do not like to read.  Several of my son's friends flat-out tell me they don't like it.  In fact they would rather do almost anything else.  Several of my mom-friends say the same thing--they cannot get their kids to read.  They've tried the library, Barnes and Noble, kid's magazines, but the kids have a definite aversion, and they cannot get passed it.

I am not anti-school at all, but I think maybe school may have something to do with this.  Our kids are told to read about endless battles in history (and remember the dates), the number of protons, electrons and neutrons in an atom, how our government functions, and endless other important facts and situations. They are then told to write about what they read so they will never forget what they learned.  This is followed by reading books like Great Expectations, The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Red Badge of Courage.  Wonderful books, but heavy stuff.

Are there any books out there that are fascinating to children, yet worthy to be on a school's reading list?  Is it worth it to have them exclusively exposed to only masterpieces at the expense of their love of reading?  I would love to see some books added to the reading list that all the kids can the thrilled about, that they cannot wait to read and talk about in school.  Harry Potter has been bashed by everyone from the Catholic church to local school systems, but kids were reading.  

I hope we can be more open-minded and add a larger variety of books to our kid's reading lists.  Because if we want our kids to like to read, we need to give them something they might enjoy.

Here are a few books I think are terrific and should be read for school:

*  Anything by Roald Dahl
*  The Harry Potter Series by J.K.Rowling
*  Stephen King's books for the upper grades in high school
*  Thomas the Tank Engine books for little ones
*  Shel Silverstein books

Please tell me if there are any books you think would be great for kids to read, I would love to do a series of posts featuring the books you suggest.  Thanks!!

I am in no way comparing myself to any of the above-mentioned authors, just adding a shamless plug for my own kid's book ----------------->

Heather Adkins added a great comment below that does not show so I am adding it here because they are such great suggestions--thanks Heather!! 

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume(Actually, ANYthing by Judy Blume)

The Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech

The Goosebumps Series by R.L. Stine
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin

That's all I can think of off the top of my head :) All favorites from my childhood,   Heather.