Flats Quote by Walter Dean Myers
![“We’re suggesting that [kids are] missing something if they don’t read but, actually, we’re condemning kids to a lesser life. If you had a sick patient, you would not try to entice them to take their medicine. You would tell them, ‘Take this or you’re going to die.’ We need to tell kids flat out…” quote by Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/034/walter-dean-myers-2582_flats_we-re-suggesting-that-kids-are-missing-s_1425344.jpg)
“We’re suggesting that [kids are] missing something if they don’t read but, actually, we’re condemning kids to a lesser life. If you had a sick patient, you would not try to entice them to take their medicine. You would tell them, ‘Take this or you’re going to die.’ We need to tell kids flat out: reading is not optional.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing Literacy, Walter Dean Myers, 2005
Reading is essential; without it, children are denied full life experiences, similar to denying medicine to a sick patient.
In simple terms: Reading is vital, not optional.
Key Takeaway
Promote reading as essential.
Themes
education
literacy
health
choice
Mood
urgent
concerned
Type
advocacy
persuasive
When to use this quote
- parental guidance
- school curriculum
- public policy
- health campaigns
- media messaging
Key Concepts
necessity
ethical persuasion
Questions to Reflect On
- What strategies can make reading appealing?
- How can we balance encouragement with autonomy?
A Different Perspective
Reading alone may not address deeper socioeconomic barriers.
![“Gonna rain like a cow pissin' on a flat rock" [drugstore clerk to detective Virgil Flowers] Dark of the Moon, p.7” quote by John Sandford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/887/john-sandford-5843_clerks_gonna-rain-like-a-cow-pissin-on-a-flat-r_12063.jpg)
![“I wouldn't mind gigging around the same era as Jesus, after he gives his speech about the meek and how blessed they are and all that type of bullshit, going up there and doing a flat 20 [minutes]. I reckon I'd have better stagecraft and presence than Jesus. Yea, I'm a better stand-up comedian than…” quote by Jim Jefferies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0fb/jim-jefferies-8092_blessed_i-wouldn-t-mind-gigging-around-the-same_24477.jpg)
