The Rights of the Reader

While working on a project for a graduate class, I stumbled upon a list of ten rights and one warning for readers. The list is from French author Daniel Pennac's book entitled The Rights of the Reader. It is illustrated by Quentin Blake whose work is instantly recognizable thanks to his partnership with Roald Dahl. While I have not read the book, the list is straight forward, honest, and a catalyst for discussions amongst my students. We honor Rights #8 and #9 with weekly opportunities to share an excerpt from a new favorite - students post-it a phrase, line, or paragraph to later read out loud allowing the class to dip into a new book.

Right #1 - The right not to read - has had the most debate in the GATE Space. For my students who love to read, this is an appalling statement - they don't disagree with the rule, they just can't understand why anyone would opt out of reading. For my students who are not big fans of reading for fun, this right is their favorite. Following much debate, the agreed upon interpretation of this rule roughly translates to, "you shouldn't be forced to read if you aren't in the mood but you can't possibly live a happy and productive life without reading."

My personal favorite is Right #6 - the right to mistake a book for real life. I'm looking forward to our extended summer break and hoping to have time to confuse my real life with the literature in my life!