Reporters on the Job

• Comic Book Relief: Correspondent Sarah Gauch visited an Egyptian school as part of her reporting for today's story about a US-Egyptian book program. But during one conversation with a librarian, she realized that some of the educators may see the purpose of the program differently than its creators.

"One librarian kept saying that these books are really good and will back up the students' studies," says Sarah. The Egyptian education system emphasizes rote learning. But one of the goals of the literacy program is to instill a love of reading at an early age. "It's important to train these teachers and librarians in the value of reading for pleasure," notes Sarah.

What do Sarah's children read for pleasure? "Every Wednesday, a new Arabic translation of a Mickey [Mouse] comic book is released. It costs about 45 cents. My kids love it and it's popular among those who can afford it. But most Egyptian families can't afford a Mickey every week," she says.

David Clark Scott
World editor