A New York Times article says booksellers are cutting back on the number of picture books they offer because parents are pushing their children to read chapter books earlier. That, along with the recession, is cutting sales, so booksellers are offering fewer titles.

     My gut reaction to that was, well, what’s wrong with parents buying their kids what they want them to read? The world constantly pressures parents in countless other ways; this is one area where parents have real control. If they want their children to read more advanced books for the sake of improving literacy and/or test scores, that’s their right. Also, many children aren’t satisfied with picture books once they learn to read. I taught each of my kids to read at age 3, so they were reading chapter books well before kindergarten.

     But the longer I stew on this, the more I think it’s sad for a whole lot of children, especially reluctant readers. If parents are absolutely forbidding picture books simply because of their packaging, they’re missing out on a lot of the benefits that genre has to offer. Some picture books cover deep themes and use higher vocabulary than chapter books specifically because they’re meant to be read aloud by an adult rather than being read by a child. Moreover, picture books provide a comfort that can translate into a love of reading. Pushing kids to read something that’s too difficult for their level can make them see reading as a huge chore. And really, do we need to force the end of childhood at age 4? Don’t these little humans have an entire lifetime to read boring budget reports?

     To be fair, the article pointed out the many distractions in life now that may have something to do with decreased sales, and e-books are surely cutting into sales of physical books, but the trend to eschew picture books seems wrong to me, and, frankly, I don’t buy it. I think the picture book will survive.

     The timing couldn’t be better for Comic-Con 2010, those who love a good comic book, and those who find themselves constantly defending them. A new report by the Canadian Council on Learning says comics and graphic novels boost boys’ reading abilities.

     The study states what researchers have long held as true: girls are generally more inclined to read than boys and score higher in literacy tests. However, the researchers stress that may be due to the fact that boys’ reading choices aren’t represented in school libraries and classrooms.

     The study cites findings that comics were boys’ second most popular reading choice after newspapers and magazines, and the proportion of elementary school boys who read comics stood at 75 percent compared to girls’ 50 percent.

     Is this all to say that comics would improve boys’ reading? The report calls comics an effective gateway to reading novels. It also suggests that if boys’ reading choices aren’t represented in libraries (where most kids get their books), then those boys aren’t reading as much as they might otherwise, thus they’re lacking practice in reading. And we all know practice makes perfect.

     Of course, the counter argument is that the very reading of said comic books is what’s lowering boys’ reading capabilities; that comics are the junk food of literacy, and that if the kids were reading novels, their comprehension would improve.

     I’d venture to say that parents of reluctant readers are happy to see their children reading anything, be that comics or Herman Melville. Even parents of super readers will likely understand the occasional desire for a different, possibly lighter style of literature, say Batman over an aged classic.

     Let’s hope either method gets more kids reading.

     USA Today has released its list of best-selling books for 2009. I’m happy to say that I’ve read most of top ten at least, which I’ve listed below, and many others are on my to-read list.

     It’s no surprise that numbers one through four are New Moon, Eclipse, Twilight, and Breaking Dawn, in that order, all by Stephenie Meyer. Next come The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and The Shack by William P. Young. Numbers seven and eight are both Diary of a Wimpy Kid installments, The Last Straw and Dog Days by Jeff Kinney. Rounding out the last two places are Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man by Steve Harvey and Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin.

     Wondering how many of the books on USA Today’s list you’ve read? Check it out here and congratulate yourself for a year of good reading.