Reading into an alarming trend

                              By  Carson Lagreca
                                     Central Bucks West High School

                              I really love reading.  I'm always reading at least one book.
                             A problem has been paining me for a long, long time: kids in high school just don't read!  Not only do they not read, but they also poke fun at kids who do.
                             Yes, I mean me (on occasion).  I like to read between classes in the hall.  You can find me leaning against a wall, reading Stephen King or Herman Hesse.  I often get told I'm a loser, or a nerd ----- jokingly, of course ----- but there is still some real implication hidden in those taunting remarks.
                             It really puzzles me why kids don't like to read.  In fact, it alarms me.  We're the future leaders of this country, and we're ignorant and nearly illiterate.
                             I think this may be partially due to being forced to read for school.  This year, in AP language and composition, we read scarcely captivating and extremely non-enthralling novels such as "The Crucible."
                             For our summer reading, we were forced to read nonfiction books.  The set included a borderline self-help book about brains and learning, which, much to my chagrin, I chose to read.  The other options weren't much better ----- a book about portion control (why would any high schooler care about portion control) and a book about cadavers that tried to be funny and came off as insolent.
                             The worst thing about this is that teachers often have no say in what we're reading.  The teachers, at least, should have something to do with what we read.
                             Bottom line is, we should be able to choose our own books to read.  I think this would help begin to foster a love of reading in my peers.
                             I was always reading as a kid.  Childhood, I believe, is where the love of reading begins.  If you didn't read as a kid, you probably don't read now.
                            When I ask my peers what they're reading, they scoff at me or laugh in my face.  "Reading? Psh.  I don't read."
                            My internal response is often along these lines: "WHAT?"  I just don't get it.
                            There are books out there for everyone ---- for every taste.  Do yourself a favor and go to the library.  Check out a book.
                            I'm sure you won't be disappointed.