Fellow Sun blogger Kate Shatzkin at Charm City Moms raises an interesting question -- one sparked by the upcoming DVD release of Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle. As more and more classic stories are presented as DVDs, she wonders about the impact on young readers. Will the animated tales make them read less, as they gravitate to televised and computerized fare? Or will they become more interested in reading the book, too?

I think it's tough for a book to win out over a great DVD or movie. Millions have watched Disney's Cinderella, but how many have read the fairy tale? Did the Harry Potter movies whet young readers' appetites for the next book -- or for the next movie? Then again, I just came from the amazing Iron Man movie, and I'm psyched to read some of the old comic books.