Seriously, though, it's great to see kids passionate about reading [again]. I know it's happening; we see those intense, "enquiring-minds" every time we go to our local library. There are young people checking-out educational videos, yes, EDUCATIONAL! I've watched -- it's TRUE!!! Not smut, not "Dumb and Dumber", but "The Life of Christopher Columbus" or "George Washington; The Story of Valley Forge". I even asked a young girl once if she was checking-out a video because it was part of required curriculum. She said, "No, I just like to learn about how things were in the good old days. Ouch! Well, as a dinosaur from those good old days, I guess I know where I stand, huh? I'm really glad to see the kids at the library absorbed in "surfing the Net" or just sitting alone reading a book, completely oblivious to the activity around them. Not geeks...but cool kids...with [apparently] "cool" brains. I snickered recently when I overheard an "old bat" whisper bitterly (and loudly) to her elderly cronie that the library has become a babysitter for "latchkey-kids". (Better than going to the library to gossip about everyone younger than you are, I'm thinkin'!) If it IS true, what better place for kids to spend their free time??? Young and impressionable + The Library! See how well the two elements go together! The computers at the library have safeguards to prevent access of unsuitable sites. Parents know this. They can (and SHOULD) be a part of this decision-making process at the local level by helping to choose what children learn from the Web. There are very specific guidelines for what children can view by computer at our library. Come on, Grannies, what's the worst thing these kids could do (unsupervised) at the library?...overdose on "Encarta Encyclopedia" Oh heck, we wouldn't want those kiddies learning about history, literature, and, oh my...grammar and spelling? Yep, on their own time, too!

What I really have observed..(truly), is that a loving parent(s), a teacher or a mentor has obviously motivated today's children with an updated version of this credo: "you may be ALONE (when you're reading by yourself) -- but you never have to be LONELY! If a child learns this lesson early, books will always be a best friend. Books have the power to spark a child's imagination or to be a special companion until the parent(s) gets home. If I were empowered to impact a child in such a profoundly positive way, I would be PROUD to be a (published) children's author (although I could probably live WITHOUT Oprah's approval). "You go, girl! Get over it!"