End of the ‘Rainbow?’
My intrepid friend Jenn from Milwaukee informed me that “Reading Rainbow” is in danger of being canceled. This article indicates that few merchandising opportunities (Update: Jane informs me that Chronicle Books distributes a line of Reading Rainbow Readers), lack of interest from funders and a narrow target demographic are to blame.
Which leads me to ask: Where the hell are Barnes & Noble, Random House other book related businesses who support less-high profile book fairs, story hours and children’s reading initiatives? I fear this is another example of what Laura Miller pointed out in her excellent New York Times Book Review essay on America’s atittude towards books in the media and on television–that reading is a weighty, no-fun affair, a “good for you” rather than enjoyable activity that we should encourage children to persue in youth and neglect in adulthood.
What bunk.