BOOKWORMS

A bookworm is one of those people who cannot stop reading. They always have their nose in a book and read for pleasure. They can walk along a street with a book in front of them and not notice the world go by. When they go to bed, their lights stay on for ages because they cannot go to sleep until they have finished their latest novel or biography. They have books with them and around them wherever they go. Quite simply, they just love reading. There used to be a lot of them, but now they are a dying breed. Television, video and the wide range of social and recreational opportunities which are now available have taken the place of books in many homes. School children and students still have to read but they usually read because they have to, rather than because they enjoy it. Once they have left school or college, many feel that they never want to open a book again, and according to a recent survey, many do not. In Australia, 80% of university graduates never read another book from the beginning to the end. In England, 44% of the population say that they never buy a book and a further 1% buy only one book a year.