A Creative Approach For Reducing Illiteracy Among U.S. Teen Girls Once Illiterate Author Suggests Teen Girls Read Romance Novels

Cynthia Simmons, a once illiterate teenage girl turned successful author, believes her life experience should be made part of a national campaign to tackle the growing problem of teenage illiteracy - especially among young girls.

Once Illiterate Author Suggests Teen Girls Read Romance Novels

"At Least With Romance Novels They Will Learn Not Only About Sex, But About Love,"
Says 'Anything, My Love' Author Cynthia Simmons

Farmington Hills, MI--- November 13, 2002-- So many teens, especially girls, have poor reading skills that special programs have been launched to encourage young people to read more in an effort to improve long-term literacy in America.

In January 2002, President Bush launched the "No Child Left Behind" program and since then several state departments of education are looking for unique approaches to tackle the problem of raising reading levels of teen girls and boys.

A creative solution proposed by a former illiterate teenage girl is to launch a national campaign to encourage reading and raise literacy among teen girls by giving them romance novels to read. Just as Cynthia Simmons, author of Anything, My Love, was inspired by her early reading of a romance novel, other girls today could be helped as well.

Simmons points out that illiteracy goes hand in hand with low self-esteem in teenage girls in America and that, simply put, reading is the best way to develop reading skills.

Simmons was functionally illiterate with low self-esteem when, while baby-sitting, came across a romance novel in which she became very interested. Allowed to take the novel home, Cynthia spent weeks devouring it -- teaching herself to read as she looked up word after word in the dictionary, enthralled by the adventure unfolding, and enticing her to keep turning the pages.

And Simmons is not an isolated case. Reading achievement declines between grades 8 to 12 and 25 percent of teens in America leave high school without a diploma, many of them dropping out because they cannot read well enough to do the course work, according to Dr. Carol D'Amico, assistant secretary of vocational and adult education in the U.S. Department of Education. Of the 65 percent of high school grads who enter college, she adds, about a third do not finish the first year.

According to President Bush's "No Child Left Behind," since the Elementary and Secondary Education Act first passed Congress in 1965, the federal government has spent more than $321 billion to help educate disadvantaged children.

Yet nearly 40 years later, only 32 percent of fourth-graders can read skillfully at grade level. And so merely spending money will not solve the problem, as seen by the fact that average-performing students have made no progress over the past 10 years, and the lowest-performing readers have become less successful over this same time period.

"Romance novels can be a great way to get teenage girls reading," stresses author Simmons. "For one thing, in the average historical romance common themes include such things as good overcoming evil, standing up for what's right, dealing with racial prejudice, beating the odds, and love conquering all. There are always lessons to be learned from such themes, plus pure enjoyment and a bit of history."

The main characters in romance novels are usually decent people with strong values and ethics. Likely the hero is tough, capable, courageous, caring and willing to lay down his life for anyone in need. More often than not, the heroine has many of these same qualities -- strong and brave when necessary, but also compassionate and kind hearted.

"Heroes aren't brutish beasts who abuse woman and mistreat animals, anymore
than heroines can be cruel, unfeeling and promiscuous, " adds Simmons, "Although romantic scenes can be explicit to varying degrees, it isn't pornography. It is seldom worse, and often less graphic, than what is seen on rock videos or current movies."

" In most good romance novels, love wins out in the end," says Simmons. "With MTV and sex on the screen such a big part of modern day life, most girls by the age of 14 and 15 already know a lot about sex. There is no escaping it. Perhaps not all romance novels are appropriate, just as not all movies are. But there are plenty of romance novels that are suitable. And at least with romance novels they will learn not only about sex, but about love."

To arrange an interview with this fascinating author, contact Scott Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by telephone at 734-667-2090.

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