The Future Of The Books: Under-14s Winner

On the usual Friday evening I believe in taking the liberty of snuggling up in front of the open fire with my Jeffrey Archer! I yearn for his books. If I've not fallen asleep, I am found reading until the early hours. If she hasn't spoken to me already, my mother tells me off for keeping such late hours, but my obsession with books is everlasting.

How can books be replaced or changed? There are some things in life that can't be replaced and one of those is books. I suppose I can foresee a mini-computer replacing a book, but only in the far distant future when technology will be at its best. However, in my opinion I find it hard to talk about, not only think of, the consequences of cuddling up with a computer. The nasty thing would be tremendously uncomfortable. I can't imagine relaxing with it. Nor can I imagine trying to work the thing to turn the page. The picture gives me nightmares and there wouldn't be half as much enjoyment from it as there would be from a book.

I am a traditional/conservative person so I think staring at a bright computer screen for an hour could easily give you a serious headache and I don't fancy having bright lights glare at my face. Call me old fashioned or not, I wish the book to remain in its present form. Not only does the thought of reading a book off a computer disturb me but financially the cost of computers would be prohibitive for most people.

We're trying to introduce books to people, not scare them away from them. Children would have no chance of surviving the consequences of computerised books. Some people find it hard to afford a book at the moment, so think about the future. If books change like that, they may as well be extinct for some people because of the expense.

Its nice to have a change from time to time, so if books are to change I would only be delighted to give suggestions. I am a bit bored with the present presentation, so if changes are to be made, something bright and colourful should be used to show that books are full of enjoyment, and that each and every book has its own autobiography. There are pros and cons to everything, including books. The annoyance of books are paper cuts on fingers as you turn pages. Although they are not painful, they are irritating.

If books did change, I think it should be for the better. I would suggest plastic covered pages. However, this innovation would cause problems too. The chemicals used in plastic manufacture adversely affects the environment and waste plastic takes 50 years to decompose. During that time it is destroying nature. So, that too, would have its advantages and disadvantages.

Sometimes I get a throbbing headache from trying to read each detailed letter, mainly because of the small print. But then again it has its pros and cons. I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't enjoy the process of reading. The extent of vocabulary and enjoyment to be found in one book is unbelievable. The words one child can learn from reading one book is extraordinary.

Some children see books as punishment unless they have pictures, but if they just relaxed and read a small amount of a book, they would be eager to finish it and they would see how sensational it can be.

A book is something one couldn't bear to live without. My life wouldn't be worth living if there were no books. A book is what helps you develop speech. It helps you communicate. I know that when I feel depressed and down in the dumps, I pick up a nice Agatha Christie and it always manages to make me smile, because the murderer is always totally unexpected.

What about libraries? Will there be such a thing in the future, or will it be a "computary?" Imagine the problem sorting out thousands of similar-looking discs in a "computary".

If books do change, I will probably never read a good book again since financially I could never afford such expense.

One cover of a book to another holds a world of imagination that I have not yet discovered, and I wish to discover it before I am robbed of the enjoyment and the privilege of reading other people's ideas and the result of their imaginations.