Conversation Starter--Teens talk about reading

Courtesy of Ms. Stimpson's 7th hour Language Arts Enrichment

So, what about teen reading? I sat down with some teens ages 15-16 (sophomores in high school) to talk about there reading habits and what they like or dislike about some of the books that are out there.

 Why do you read?

5 of them said they read for fun, while 13 of them said they read if they have to, such as for a class assignment.

Some genres you like to read...

“I like comedy.” –Alvaro C., age 16

 “I like stories that are true.” –Monic J., age 16

 “I like fiction, like fairy tales and fantasy and stuff.” –Andrea G., age 16

“Umm.. I got to think about this hold up, I’m not sure. There are so many out there. I like to read a lot. Like emotional books.” –Selena A., age 16

“Me, mystery.” –Andrea Z., age 15

Others mentioned were mystery, horror, suspense, contemporary ("None of that old stuff." –Juan A., age 15) and romance.

But, what about the classics? What do you like or dislike about them?

“The hard thing about reading these stories, like Shakespeare, is it's hard and really confusing language.” –Andrea G., age 16

“I read them to know how things were back then (in the past).” –Monic J., age 16

“It just depends on the story.” –Juan A., age 15

“I love classics.” –Lauren A., age 16

 “They are original. They usually make movies out of it, and then they ruin it. Then you have to read the book and people say the book is better than the movie…You’re basically creating your own movie in your mind.” –Selena A., age 15

Any favorite classics?

Alice in Wonderland was talked about by Destiny T. (age 15), Andrea G. (age 16), Lea M. (age 15), and Lauren A. (age 16).

“I like how the cat disappears...and the crazy old rabbit.” –Lea M., age 15

“The red queen is cool...also the tea party.” –Andrea G., age 16

“My favorite part is when Alice freaks out because of the cat disappearing.” –Destiny T., age 15

To Kill a Mockingbird was also given a mention by Juan A. (age 15), she said, "It was good...Boo Radley stood out to me in the story the most."

Other books were Wizard of Oz and The Scarlet Letter.

So, what do you look for in a book?

“Interesting plot points.” –Monic J., age 16

“I like good authors. Good story line, and a nice cover.” –Selena  A., age 15

“I like it when we can watch the movie after (reading) the book.” –Andrea G., age 16

“A good ending.” –Lauren A., age 16

“I don’t know.” –Andrea Z., age 15

What can reviewers do to get your attention to read about a book?

“What grabs my attention is the back of the book.” –Destiny T., age 15

“Use good quotes.” –Juan A., age 15

“Tag lines, like with movies.” –Jose L., age 15

“Really what grabs my attention is the title of the book.” –Selena A., age 15