The Week Junior UK - Issue 189, 27 July 2019

Nowthat you’veread abit moreabout it,tell us whatyouthink by voting in our

poll attheweekjunior.co. uk/polls.VoteYESif youthink it’s ok to stopreading

abook halfwaythrough, orNOif youdon’t.We’ll publish theresultsnextweek.

Whatdoyouthink?

Isitoktostop reading abookhalfwaythrough?

H

ave you ever startedabook, gotafew chapters

in andrealised that it isn’t as interesting or

entertaining as thecover suggested? If you have, you

wereprobablyfacedwithadilemma: should youkeep

going with the book, even if you aren’t enjoying it, or

put it down and find something else? Cressida

Cowell, the new Children’sLaureate, says it’sokto

stopreadingabook you don’t like. She says young

readers in particular should focus on booksthey

enjoy,rather than those that aren’t of much interest.

Not everybody agrees. Some writers say it’sbetter to

stick with the book you’ve started. Some novels are

meant to be challenging and people shouldn’t just

read things that they findeasy.Sowhat do you think?

Is it ok to stopreadingabook?

Yes–don’t waste time on bad books

Therearelots of brilliantbookswaiting to beread

in libraries and bookshops, so it makes no sense to

spend hours and days struggling throughastory that

isn’t interesting or gripping. Nobody would choose

to sit throughaboring TV show,sowhy should they

have to put up withadull book? Giving up and trying

adifferent novel is the same as flicking the channel

on TV or picking something else towatch on Netflix.

It’samatter of personal choice: you should be free to

findastory that’sright for you. Besides, it’simportant

to enjoyreading and not view it asachore. If you’re

forcedtoreadsomething you don’t like, you might

be put offreading other booksinthe future, which

would beahuge shame.

No –abit of patience is needed

Although therearegreatbooksthat areeasy toread,

but others taketime and focus. Some of the most

famous booksever written arefull of trickywords and

paragraphs, with lots of characters and different

storylines toremember.Concentrating right until the

end is an important skill to master.Ifyou give up on

abook, you’ll miss out on so many brilliant and

rewarding novels. Besides, if you stopreading

halfway through, how will you know how everything

turns out for the characters? What’smore, the book

might suddenly becomereally gripping, and there

might even beasurprise twist. Giving up iseasy,but

having the self-discipline and determination to finish

adifficult book isafantastic skill to have.

●On 9July,author CressidaCowell was

named as the new Children’sLaureate.

This isarole awarded to an outstanding

author or illustratorfortwo years,

during which time they promote the

benefits ofreading and writing.

●Cowell, who is mostfamousforwriting

theHow toTrain Your Dragonseries,

came up witha10-point planforyoung

people to get themreading. As part of

the plan, she saysreaders should put

downabook if it isn’t enjoyable.

●Some people think it’simportant to

finishabook onceith as been started,

because thereward fordoing so often

comes at the end.

Whatyouneedtoknow

CressidaCowell says it’s fine to give

up on booksyoudon’t enjoy.

LAST WEEK’S POLL

Last week, we asked the crucial

question: is Marmite delicious or

disgusting?Well,

there’sstill no

definite answer

–exactly half

of ourreaders

both loved it

and loathed it.

1

Thereare lots of booksint he world;it’snot

worthwasting timereading something bad.

2

If aTVshow isn’t entertaining, most people

would choose something else. It should be the

sameforbooks.

3

If someoneforce sthemselves to finishabook

they’renot enjoying, it might put them off

reading in the future.

1

Some of the best booksever written are

difficult toread. It’sani mportant skill tokeep

going and get to the end.

2

If someone puts downabook beforethey’ve

finished it, they’ll never know how it ends,

whichcould change their opinion of it.

3

It’seasy to give up on difficult things, but it’s

not always the right thing to do.

Threereasons why it’s fine to stop

readingabook

Threereasons why it’s important to

get to the end ofabook

GETTY IMAGES

YES NO

DIDYOU

KNOW?

Thewor

dfor loving

the smell

ofold books

is bibliosmia.

50%

NO

50%

YES

8

Thebig debate

The Week Junior•27 July 2019

The aim of the Big debatepage isto present two sides of an issuefairly and

objectively,ino rder to stimulatediscussion and allow ourreadersto makeuptheir

minds. The views on the page do notreflect those ofThe Week Junior,and the page

is no tfundedby thirdparties. The page is createdinassociation

with the English-Speaking Union, an educational charity helping

young people discovertheir voiceand realise their full

potential.Formoreinformation, please see esu.org