Patsy Aldana

The statement that the Canadian publishing industry is hanging by a thread is nothing new -- indeed, fearing the demise of Canadian culture seems to be almost as important to Canadian culture as the creation of Canadian art and literature itself. The bell has tolled for the future of Canadian literature so often that we've learned to tune it out. And through all those warnings, the Canadian publishing industry has found a way to survive.

This time, however, things are different.

Reading for pleasure is simply not in the air these days. Children are the barometer. Ontarios Grade 3 and 6 pupils seem to be losing the pleasure of reading. In Grade 3 in particular, just 50 per cent said they like reading in 2010-11, down from 76 per cent in 1998-99, a major survey found. A society that loses the joy of reading would be impoverished, and not just in things that money can buy. So why has the love of reading apparently shrunk? The answer is to be found primarily at home, not in the schools. Public schools