etaoin: >there is nothing wrong with being a bookworm, I take pride in it as well, but I think that it is, generally, a negative term. that is, it gets used most often, negatively. if that is changing (and perhaps it is, with schools encouraging kids to read 25 books a year, and placing lists of kids who do on a big list to be admired), terrific, then more kids can take pride in it.<
Good point, etaoin......that it is because the word is *used* negatively that it has that connotation.
The schools trying to change that connotation is admirable. Unfortunately, it will never work.......it is still not "cool" to be one of the bookworms. The only way that will ever happen is if children reading books becomes as mainstream as, say.......being a computer aficionado is now. Most of us remember when only the geekiest of the geeky were into computers. The Commodore 64 comes to mind.
Having one child who consistently exceeded the 25 list by 10 every year and graduated early, at the top of her class, and one child who is a sports enthusiast, an average student who has read only a handful of books in his whole life.......I have to say the sports son is waaaayyy more popular than the bookworm daughter ever was. And sad to say, she stopped reading as much when she realized it wasn't gaining her any popularity. (and guess who the daughter takes after, and who the son takes after?!)
<looking around for my point....I know it is here somewhere.....> I guess I didn't have one, other than the mainstream comment. Even then, I don't know if bookreading will ever become "mainstream, given that bookreading is a singular activity and sports is usually a group activity.
