Jon Scieszka Quotes

I think kids will read more good books than we can possibly produce.

Unfortunately, a lot of kids don't read anymore. I don't know what we can do about that.

There's a kind of funny gap between 14 and 20 when young people don't read very much. Nobody really knows what to do about it, although we've tried to reach these dropout readers with the 'young adult' book.

There will always be non-readers, bad readers, lazy readers - there always were.

Children have to be motivated to want to learn to read. Reading must not be taught simply as a school exercise.

Let's put in place programs to ensure that all of our children are reading by third grade.

There is a crisis involving reading in certain communities.

This is what I believe is most important: getting good books into the hands of kids - books that will make them want to say, 'Wow, that was great. Give me another one to read.'

Let all the time you can get be spent in trying to learn to read.

If children are reading well by the 3rd or 4th grade then everything else works.

I'm just trying to get kids motivated to be readers by connecting them with a book they like.

The fact is that our kids aren't reading books - or frankly, much of anything lately. Schools are under funded, some schools even closing their libraries. Parents have to realize that it's their job, and not the school's job, to get kids into the habit of reading for fun.

I can't promise that every child with learning differences will become a novelist, but I do think all children can become lifelong readers.

I don't like the idea of a book being a test or being used for a test. The way - in my opinion - to make good readers is to let kids choose their own books and not test them.

If my books can help children become readers, then I feel I have accomplished something important.

We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.

Bore children, and they stop reading. There's no room for self-indulgence or showing off or setting the scene.

I don't think the problem is that people don't read enough mystery books, but that people don't read.

I can't actually wrap my mind around it easily - I can't really visualize what 2 million books looks like... So I try to keep it real for myself by focusing on individual anecdotes of how my books have helped kids learn to love reading.

I believe we should spend less time worrying about the quantity of books children read and more time introducing them to quality books that will turn them on to the joy of reading and turn them into lifelong readers.

Now, my mom did not read well and she read 'True Romance' magazines, but she read with me. And she would spend 30 minutes a day, her finger going along the page, and I learned to read. Eventually, by the time I was four and a half, she could iron and I could sit there and read the 'True Romance.' And that was wonderful.

There are terrific models for success with reluctant readers, but many school systems and state governments need to set aside their 'not invented here' and 'we have more important problems than education' attitudes.

Kids just don't read any more. They spend much more time with video games. It's just hard to get kids to read anything. Book sales have dropped dramatically, too. I think 90% of the books are bought only by 5% of the US population.

Childhood reading is so important.

I don't believe in lecturing people. It's much more effective to present reading as a fun, rewarding pastime.