Sweden is in a reading crisis, I think most people have understood that. We risk having a whole generation of functional illiterates if we do nothing, says Education Minister Lotta Edholm (L) at the government’s press conference. The selection presented consists of literature from the 19th century to the present day. The 250 works of fiction are divided from preschool to high school, and include, among other things, “Circumstances” by Nobel laureate Annie Ernaux, the serial novel “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi, Ann-Helén Laestadius’ “Theft” and also classics such as Astrid Lindgren’s “Brothers Lionheart” and Harry Martinson’s “‘The nettles bloom'”. – The reading lists are another piece of the puzzle to enhance the value of children’s books and the role of reading in Swedish schools, says Lotta Edholm. Mixed reactions The lists are voluntary to use and the 250 works are also accompanied by informative texts to facilitate teaching. The lists are just lists, what makes a difference is what happens with the reading in the schools and preschools, says Tammi Gustafsson Nadel, education advisor at the National Board of Education. She says that the reactions from teachers have been mixed. Some see the lists as support, while others are more cautious because the tips come from the government. We do everything we can to emphasize that the lists are voluntary to use and that they will be revised. Then they come at the same time as the cannon mission, so I understand there is a mix-up. But the reading lists are much broader in scope. Greater work is required Lotta Edholm emphasizes that the reading lists are part of a larger work to promote reading, and that the whole way of teaching children to read must be developed. Teacher training and curricula should change, she emphasizes. But she believes that the lists can help them with different reading needs, because there is a great variety in the books. I hope that the reading lists stimulate a discussion about such things. How do you choose books for students who have a little difficulty and for those, sometimes the girls, who read really fast and really well and want challenges all the time. The Swedish Culture Council’s director general Kajsa Ravin hopes that the lists can lead to conversations about the role of literature among the reading role models as well. Children and young people’s reading is a responsibility for the whole society, she says.
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