Try to find people a conversation with whom is worth reading a good book; and search for the books, that could be worth a conversation with a philosopher.
Made: Evstigneeva Jane. 11 years old.
Palace of children creation.
Ryazan.
Teacher: Timoshenko R. V.
Nowadays we can’t imagine our life without books. Perhaps, there are more books on our planet than men alive. I enjoy reading books and often go to the library. A great member of volumes fills the shelves. I find there books of adventure stories, historical novels and tales that open us panoramas of life and history of other courtiers, psychological novels, collections of short stories, poems, the immortal classics. Sometimes I buy books or take them from my friends. Books can speak. They can tell us a fairy tale, an interesting story, we can “hear“ a nice poem from their pages. From books we learn about great discoveries, about stars and planets, about plants and animals. With the help of a book we can travel to the past or to the future, to space or to the bottom of the oceans. Books on different branches of knowledge, textbooks, reference books and numerous dictionaries help us to learn. Books are the sources of knowledge and the means of self-perfection.
I would like books to be merry, interesting and exciting. I am 11 now and I’d like to find answers to my questions in books. I hope that books will help me to realize merits and demerits of my character, will teach me to put faith in myself. I’d like to learn to struggle against my laziness, shyness and other short-comings. I’d like to read about friendship, because it is very important for people.
To study better at school I need books that can tell me how to improve my memory, to concentrate my attention, how to make the most of my time, how to develop my talents. I want to learn to get on with my classmates and teachers at school and with my parents at home.
There are a lot of modern ways to find necessary information. Television, radio, the internet began to force books from our daily life. But I conceder books to be very useful. A book is a faithful and undemanding friend: it can be put aside and taken up again at any moment.
How many books shall I read to finds answers to all my questions? It is counted, that if you read 50 pages a day, then you can read only 3000 books during our life. It is too little!
There are many problems in reading. Some children don’t like to read because it is a hard work; you should think a lot to be a good reader. Then we have no modern interesting books to read. It seems to me, that writers don’t like children of my age and don’t want to write serious books for us. Then grown-ups should teach us to be good readers.
For example, in France there is a monthly magazine for children “Pumpkin“ which tells children what to read and how to read. In Sweden there is a special “Academy of children’s books». In Norway and Great Britain there are laws that support literature for children and those people who write books for teenagers. Ed. Uspensky said that if children don’t read well they won’t be successful.
We learn from books and people. Sometimes you can’t find books you need. Then it’s better to talk to intelligent, clever people. But it is difficult to find such people, who want to discuss something with you. You should also be a good and interesting interlocutor. I’m lucky that I’ve got a grandfather, he is a wise man, a real philosopher. He has worked at school for 58 years and he knows a lot about everything. Best of all I like to talk to him. It’s even better than to read a book, because we can argue, he can explain, what I don’t understand. I can ask questions and get answers at once. My grandfather tells me a lot about the Great Patriotic War, about heroes, about famous people. We often talk about books. I learn many interesting things, about animals, flowers and many medical herbs from him.
After these talks I understand that our nature is alive like people, it can feel, it can be angry with us. I notice its beauty and don’t want to pick up flowers as before. I realize that nature gives everything for our life and we must protect and take care of it. You can’t love your motherland if you don’t love nature.
Talks with clever, thinking people leave deep traces in our souls. After conversations with a descent person you to do something good and useful for others. By the way, wise people can advise you what books to read.
So books and people are the best teachers. We should find and choose them carefully in life. If you don’t read books, you are nothing.
22.07.2007