Books are BACK!

The Times revealed today that they are launching a Books for Schools campaign as of January 2009.

Schools that are registered on the new program will be able to claim hundreds of complimentary books. All they need to do is collect and send off tokens from The Times.

In this increasingly technological age, it is almost innovative yet modernist bring back the book.

As The Times wisely say: "Reading is still the basis of education and the beginning of wisdom...The books read at school are a pathway to the stars."

There are countless reasons why people love books so much. A few of these are:

1.) A shelf full of books can come to be an old friend and you grow attached to what each books means to you.

2.) There is nothing better on a cold dark Winter's night than snuggling up by a toasty fire with a good book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

3.) You can take a book anywhere; the beach, bed, the tube or bus, the bathroom...

4.) AND you don't need to plug it in, log on to anything, or recharge. Once a book is bought, it's your trusty wireless friend for life!

5.) Reading can make you a more interesting and knowledgable person (depending on what you read of course!)

Digital Book 'Kindle' does not kindle the love

In November 2007 a new digital reader from online bookseller Amazon was launched.

It was a fairly unsuccessful attempt to do for reading what iPod did for the music record industry.

This awful device can wirelessly download a book in less than 60 seconds and store up to 200 volumes. It costs a hefty £238.

Apparently it is gentle on the eyes as there is no backlighting. Ink particles are electronically activated and so give the screen the same quality as ink on paper (apparently).

It offers access to 90,000 books, 11 daily newspapers, Wikipedia and internet blogs.

On (digitally enhanced) paper, a great idea. Charlie Tritschler, head of the Kindle project certainly thinks so. The Times report Tritschler saying that the name Kindle came from the “concept of kindling the love of reading”.

Book or digital screen?

If I wanted to kindle or even rekindle my love of reading I would go and sink myself down into the cushy corduroy beanbags at Waterstones with a big pile of books.

I would not go and buy some spangly device that looks like a 'chunky calculator' and start trying to download books - which, by the by, you still have to pay for.

I do understand though that a huge positive to 'Kindle' is the 'save the planet' green factor. By using digital books we would need to chop down less trees for paper.

In my opinion though, the day we start reading book on screens rather than hardback because it saves paper is the day the world goes crazy and we all start using hairdryers instead of toilet roll.

Books for Schools is a blessing that The Times have not disguised. Hopefully we will see more innovative ideas similar to theirs soon.

Read my blog tomorrow on children's favourite books.