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Books, books and more books

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, he surely could never have imagined just how much it would change the lives of people all over the world for centuries to come.

In 2010, a group of researchers were able to work out that 129,864,880 books have been published since Gutenberg’s invention.

With roughly one million books being published each year, that number is undoubtedly considerably higher today.

That's a lot of books!

What’s right for me?

With so much choice, where should we begin when it comes to picking just one book to read? The cover, of course!

Despite the old saying, ‘never judge a book by its cover’, sometimes it is exactly this that will grab our attention first.

Perhaps it will be the interesting illustrations or the unusual title, or maybe you notice that it has been written by an author you really like.

Something needs to grab our attention.

Look for clues

Before you even begin reading the first chapter, there is a lot of information available to help you decide if it is the book for you.

On the back, you will normally find the blurb. This is a short description of what the story is about.

This is often followed by some quotes from other authors and reviewers giving their opinions.

Inside, if you look closely, you can see when the book was first published and where. This can be really useful if you are looking for something modern and up to date.

What’s the point of reading?

Okay, you have made your choice.

Maybe you have settled on the latest mystery novel; a collection of funny poems or a space adventure to a faraway planet.

Or maybe, like Bigfoot Bill in our animation, you have discovered a motivational story to read.

Regardless, you can now take the time to enjoy it and be transported to another world in your mind; learn new words and phrases; experience a range of emotions and pick up new skills and information along the way.

Share the love

Hopefully, you chose a book that you really enjoyed.

Maybe, if you are really lucky, it has become a new favourite. If so, this would be a perfect opportunity to share it with someone else who might enjoy it too.

Just like with a good book review, if you have read it well and understood it, you should be able to accurately sum up the main points of the story and give your opinion about them in a way that clearly shows just how much you enjoyed it.

By referring back to a specific part of the book, Reach for the Stars, Bill and Joe were able to help Cinders finally complete her task. Is there anything a good book ������’t do?

Cinders is certainly a fan of Reach for the Stars -

“Five stars, would recommend. Perfect for backflip enthusiast!” (Cinders, age 11).