Battle of the Books

I know many wonderful, inspiring teachers. I know many wonderful, inspiring kids. It's puzzling to hear people malign today's schools and teachers and students but I suspect it was always thus. (I remember in my high school Latin class reading Pliny or Catullus or someone moaning on about "kids these days" and how the whole Empire was on a road to ruin paved with slothfulness and generally uncouth behavior.)

But just imagine the creativity and intellectual curiosity it requires to stride into a classroom each morning, knowing that two or three dozen minds - unique brains, all - will be seeking help understanding that day's lessons. I have a hard enough time conveying simple information to my three children. How could any one person possibly hold the attention of so many diverse creatures, let alone devise the keys that will allow them to unlock their potential? I love visiting classrooms but I always leave full of respect for the teacher who remains behind. What a hugely important job.

I don't know who invented the concept of Battle of the Books. I figure it just has to have started with a teacher or a librarian. But I've seen it now at bookstores like the venerable Woozles in Halifax, and also in schools on the west coast. I hope it's viral. I hope it spreads across the globe. If you haven't encountered an example of Battle of the Books, let me explain: schools compete with each other by having their students read books on a reading list, then answer questions based on the books' content.

I can't describe the thrill when a Google Alert pops up in your mailbox, and you discover that your book has made it onto the list of someone's Battle of the Books. Now, somewhere hundreds of kilometres away, kids I've never met are reading my book! Maybe they're even talking about it! Maybe some of them will send me an email or a letter! Maybe they'll read the next book too!

And there are other great reading programs now well established across the country, like the Willow awards in Saskatchewan or the Forest of Reading in Ontario, where kids read from a list of recommended books and vote for their favourites. (You can't vote unless you've read a certain minimum number of books on the list.) I've volunteered in my local school library for the past ten years and I can testify to the passions that swirl around these programs. I've even attended the awards ceremony, as a chaperone for students from our school, and I've heard kids in the audience around me arguing the merits of their favourite books, right up to the moment the winner's name is called. American/Canadian Idol just can't compare - these readers are thoughtful, analytical, opinionated and inspired.

There's no shortage of reasons to feel grey or despondent in this world. But when I feel discouraged, I head to a school, a library, or a bookstore. They give me hope.