The British author who wrote the bestselling series Horrible Histories recently stated that he thinks no one should be able to read for free and that libraries are irrelevant. This has caused a major fallout and negative feedback from not only library supporters but other authors as well. Nick Clark reports for The Independent.

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/libraries-horrible-histories-author-believes-they-are-no-longer-relevant-8494185.html

Goodreads.com is a social media site that is dedicated to getting avid readers together and promoting a love for reading. The site has found over 15 million members since its inception and is constantly helping them to share titles and discuss what they have read. Katherine Schulten reports for The New York Times on the site and what it has done.

Source: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/read-any-good-books-lately/

A recent complaint from a German father has some German parents up in arms as to whether classic books should be changed to remove racist language. Classics are classics for a reason and in my opinion shouldn’t be changed. Felicity Capon reports on the debate for The Telegraph. What do you think the verdict should be: in or out?

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9842757/Racist-language-in-childrens-books-In-or-out.html

Julia Eccleshare shares her thoughts for The Guardian on whether the behavior of children in books can indeed affect the behavior of the children that read them. Her take on the subject is based on the way a real child acts after being exposed to David Shannon’s series “No, David!” What are your thoughts on the subject?

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2013/feb/04/can-books-teach-children-to-behave-badly

There are many key moments in English literature, but The Guardian posts what it considers to be the most influential. Beginning with The Death of Christopher Marlowe in 1593 and ending at number 50 with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1998, these are some of the works that will forever survive and go down in history.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2013/feb/04/english-literature-key-moments-jk-rowling

For this cycle of BooksFree we discussed everything from transforming your old books into works of art to the fact that interactive reading can increase your child’s IQ. Join us and tell us what you think.

• Many publishers are still wary of offering their titles in e-book format as they are worried that it will cut into sales of print books. What do you think?
• If you are looking to do something with the books that are gathering dust in boxes in your home then you may want to go here for some cool suggestions.
• Did you know that you can transform your old books into amazing pieces of art? Read the article on how you can do this on the ReFab Diaries Blog.
• Okay, I love Facebook as much as the next person, but I’m not sure I want to print out my profile page and timeline and make a book out of it. How about you? If so, then read the 7 ways to do that on Mashable.com by Amy-Mae Elliott.
• Did you know that reading can boost your child’s IQ by six points or more? Jason Boog reports on interactive reading for GalleyCat.
• Finally, we discussed ways to encourage your children’s love of reading. Do you read with your family?

Reading with a child should not only help to develop a love of reading in the child, but it should be a joy for you as the parent as well. After reading Jason Boog’s article for GalleyCat called “Reading Can Boost a Child’s IQ by More Than Six Points,” all of us should realize just how important reading can be to our children’s future.

Encouraging our children to read is easier than you might think. Simply curling up on the couch with mugs of cocoa and a good book is often enough to stimulate a child’s love of reading. It’s the point that they are reading with you that often makes the difference.

Don’t just read to your child though. Make sure to include them in the storytelling, encourage them to talk about what you are reading and to read parts of the book to you. Instilling a love, and respect, for books in your child is something that will last them a lifetime. You can go anywhere in a book and be anything.

Reading should be a joy for you and your child. Making quiet time about reading can also encourage them to read. If they see you reading, they are apt to want to read as well. After all, you are their role model and you should lead by example.

Every parent knows that reading is a great way to broaden your children’s horizons, but did you know that interactive reading can increase their IQ by as much as six points? Reading with your child and encouraging them to ask open-ended questions or simply showing an interest in what they read are all ways to boost their IQ. Jason Boog reports for GalleyCat on what you can do to help.

Source: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/reading-can-boost-a-childs-iq-by-more-than-six-points_b64381

Facebook is a much loved social media site where you can post memories, pictures, and about anything else you can think of. If, however, you would love to see your Facebook content staring up at you from your coffee table, we have just the tips for you. Amy-Mae Elliott reports for Mashable.com on seven ways to print Facebook.

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/06/24/facebook-printing-book/