War of the Worlds and How I Learned to Love Reading

On 30 October 1938, a peaceful Sunday evening was upended when Martian invaders began vaporizing everyone they could. As listeners turned to their radios for information, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre repertory company put together a powerful and convincing performance of "War of the Words" by H. G. Wells. Forty years later I opened to that story in my fifth grade reading book: a discovery that forever changed my opinion of reading.

Like just about every other boy in fifth grade I read when and what I was told to read. Even our "free" reading time was limited to what we could find in our reading textbook. It was there during one of our reading sessions that I discovered an adaptation of the text of Welles' radio program. Thinking the story might involve tanks and airplanes I started reading and was instantly sucked into a different time. Intrigued by Welles' script, I did not notice the rest of the class lining up to go to art.

I was not aware of my teacher calling my name nor did I notice the laughter as my classmates assumed I had lost my mind. The sudden tap of a hand on my shoulder was quite jarring, catapulting me from the 1930's back to the reality of the 70's. While making an effort to avoid eye contact with the other students I reluctantly put down my book and joined the line. It was the first time a story had so captured my imagination that I became unaware of all that was happening around me. At that point I understood the allure of reading: of getting lost in another time or in another place. I had finally found the joy that comes with opening a great book.

While I understand the need to expose students to different styles of writing and to certain standards of literature,  I wish schools would schedule more time for free reading. Schools should offer more time of discovery where students find and read stories they find interesting without having to answer questions or putting together reports. This free time might open the door to a love of reading, giving more children an opportunity to lose themselves in the pages of a good book. Free reading time could become a step forward towards the U.S. becoming a more literate nation.