International Literacy Day

We all know the joke about what assume means. Well most of us assume that everyone else is literate. As a matter of fact in my home county there are 60,000 functionally illiterate people. That is a correct number and everyone I have mentioned that to has been astounded. Bucks County is an affluent suburb of Philadelphia. We are not a 3rd world country. We have a terrific county wide library system and yet look at that number.

What does illiteracy mean? It means you can't read the instructions on a gas pump. You can read the want ads in the paper which leads to your being unemployed. It often means anger and frustration. A large number of incarcerated folks are illiterate but not stupid. Being treated as if you are stupid tends to encourage some people to violence and aggression. Illiteracy doesn't just mean you can't sit down and read a book, it means your entire way of life is impacted negatively.

Now ponder not an affluent suburb but a third world country where illiteracy may be at 90% or more. You don't need to read to pull yourself up by your bootstraps but if you intend to do anything but lift your body, literacy is crucial.

September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO on November 17, 1965. It was first celebrated in 1966. Its aim is to highlight the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies. On International Literacy Day each year, UNESCO reminds the international community of the status of literacy and adult learning globally. Celebrations take place around the world. Some 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women; 72.1 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

Pollen And The Ring of Harmony by Francis T. Perry Williams

Pollen is a message of hope. Earth is depicted as the worst of Al Gore’s nightmares with a cynical attitude toward the environment. Pollen is an enlightened being who hopes to determine if Earth is worth saving from destruction.

In some ways this book seemed a simplistic rehashing of the “green” politics. I don’t think it is positioned as a Young Adult novel but it would work well with that age group. I found myself chuckling over the author’s sense of humor. A logger named Saul Runyan is a good example of William’s humor. The points Williams wants to make are painted with a very broad brush. There is no subtlety to the message. Considering that our environment is in a sorry state, perhaps it is too late for subtle and we need to get hit in the head to see reality. Williams also clearly shows he has a strong faith in the humanity of his fellow man. I liked the story, the interaction between the characters and the message. Pollen has the ability to bring the best out of a motley bunch.

I’m afraid that the message may be seen as pure science fiction rather than a needed wakeup call to the golden rule in human interaction and the environment.

I recommend it.

Body of work of Francis T. Perry Williams

Review: http://www.bookreview.com/$spindb.query.listreview2.booknew.17871

Web site: http://www.pollengreenarmy.com/

Charisma by Steven Barnes

Sometimes a book is truly scary due to it’s plausibility rather than it’s intent to be frightening. Barnes did an excellent job in portraying a situation that could arise. He set up characters that were believable and portrayed them with wide emotional brushes. You really dislike the bad guys but are somewhat confused by your emotions for the “good” guys. Kids are involved and if even fictional harm to kids is hard for you, this may not be your cup of tea. I have a tendency to get emotionally overwrought if kids are threatened so you may want to have a calming glass of wine at your side as you read. I found the book an excellent read and frankly quite different from the rest of Barnes’ stuff I have read.

Body of work of Steven Barnes

Web Site:  https://stevenbarneslife.wordpress.com/