Read ’em and weep?
Cynthia Wilson, chairman of the teacher education department at the University of Illinois Springfield and president-elect of the Illinois Reading Council, doesn’t see it that way.
She’s trying to read every book — other than instructional books — by every author who is speaking at the council’s 43rd annual conference in Springfield March 17-19.
Wilson made the commitment to herself, then got a rough idea of how many books that pledge will require her to read.
“Jane Yolen, one of the authors, told me she just published her 300th book this fall,” Wilson said.
Of the 13 authors Wilson is attempting to read, one has published more than 50 books and others more than 30.
“How far along am I? Not far enough,” she said. “Realistically, am I going to make it? No. Can I get close? I’ll know more next week when we do a walk-through for the conference and I have all those books piled up in front of me.”
Wilson's challenge was featured in a February 10, 2011, article in The State Journal-Register.
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