Is reading cool or a chore for you?

Is reading cool or a chore for you?

J.K. Rowling is said to have revived the love of the written word
among kids and teenagers -- and perhaps their parents -- with the
magical Harry Potter series.

Potter fever has also touched down in this country, but does
that mean the reading habit has taken hold among teens here?

Mega, 13, student of a private junior high school in Central
Jakarta

Reading? I'm sorry, but I only read comic books. You know,
those Japanese manga. It's interesting because it is full of
pictures, it never makes me bored. The stories are funny,
adventurous, sometimes dorky but entertaining.

Those school textbooks are really, really boring, and it makes
me really sleepy. I only read the books when I have exams. Other
than that, no. Yes, of course, my mother usually goes ballistic
on me (for not reading). But, please..

But I read Harry Potter, too. However, since it's only writing
and no pictures, I read it little by little.

Is reading something from the past? I don't know..

Dupi, 17, student of a public senior high school, North Jakarta

My uncle used to live in our house, and he has this stack of
books. So, my first contact with books came out of curiosity
about his collection because, when I was a little, he never let
me and my brother got close to them. So, we both liked to sneak
into his room and "steal" one or two books.

The first books that caught our attention were from the series
of Tintin comics by Herge. The pictures were very good, and the
story adventurous. Other books were Asterix, Tanguy and Laverdure
and many others. He also had this wayang (traditional puppet)
story, that was interesting too.

I read everything, actually. Comic books, novels, Harry
Potter. Textbooks? If they are about history, I like them. Other
than those, I only read them when I have exams.

My uncle doesn't live with us anymore. Now, he likes to force
meto read books that I think are just too "heavy". Political
books, religion and stuff. Come on, I'm just a teenager.

Ryan, 16, student of a public senior high school, South Jakarta

Yes, I like to read! I read everything, I read newspapers,
magazines, books, novels. Porn books? Naah, that is such a junior
high school thing. I've passed that, never read them again. Well,
maybe once in a while.

But yeah, I like to read. It's a habit in our family. My mom
always give me books to read. She also brings me to bookstores
regularly, where I can pick any books that I like. But she is
usually mad at me if I pick comic books, so I buy them without
her knowing.

I like novels like A Child Called It, Lost Boy.. I also like
Harry Potter. I've read all the series, all four of them. I
haven't read the latest one. I read in Kompas, though, it has
been released in London -- was it last week? What? It has been
released here? I didn't know that. I'd better go check the book
store then.

I think reading is very important. I mean, it will be so
embarrassing if people ask us about some bit of common knowledge,
but we can't answer them because we never read. How can we become
a quality human resource if we don't read? Man, I sound so cool,
don't I? (laughs).

Rando, 15, student of a private junior high school in South
Jakarta

I don't really like to read, except for comic books. Books are
boring, they only have tons of words but no pictures. I prefer
comic books. Cool! I read Kungfu Boy, and those Marvel comics and
superheroes stuff.

Yeah, sure, reading is important. Like what Ryan said, it's
good to have a lot of knowledge. But I don't know, I just don't
like it.

Nanda, 17, student of a public senior high school, South Jakarta

My father is a lecturer in a university in Jakarta. Ever since
my sister and I were a little, we had to read books, and then
tell the summary of them to my father.

It was torture for my sister, but not for me. I love reading.
I don't like anything in particular, just everything. I often
come to book bazaars at Bentara Budaya (in Central Jakarta, near
the Gramedia complex), because the prices are cheaper.

The routine with my father still continues until now. Lately,
though, we have to read English books, so that's tougher.
Sometimes it becomes a burden. So, right now I like to read
something light, like comic books, or those teenage romances.

-- Hera Diani