Reading is not only an essential part of succeeding in society, but also a wonderful source of entertainment.

It would be extremely difficult to operate in society today if you could not read. The Internet would be useless, it would take a bit of work to shop for groceries and applying for a job would be futile.

But there is more to the printed word than just getting through day-to-day activities. Reading books, of course, preceded television, radio and the Internet as a form of entertainment.

If you wanted to lose yourself in a good story a book was the only option.

Books may not be as popular now, since technology introduced so many avenues to partake in a meaningful story, but they still have tremendous value.

One way teachers are sharing that value with students is through the introduction of books into their curriculum that students will actually enjoy reading. While books from decades and centuries ago still hold valuable information, many of the mores and the writing styles are somewhat outdated.

In order to draw in a younger crowd, it is essential that teachers adapt to the changing world. And three teachers at Picayune Memorial High School have found a way to work toward accomplishing that feat.

By finding a series of novels that have been written within the last decade, they seem to have struck educational gold. The teachers report they now receive requests from students outside of their own roll call to borrow books being read in their class.

It’s exciting to hear that teachers have not given up on trying to reach their students. Instead, they have employed new ideas to bring their students into the educational and entertaining world of reading. Remember, books never need electricity and they don’t require an Internet connection.