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