[originaltext] In America, where labor costs are so high. "do-it-yourself" i

In America, where labor costs are so high. "do-it-yourself" is away of life. Many people repair their own cars, build their own garages, even remodel their own houses. Soon they may also be writing their own books. In Hollywood there is a company that publishes children’s books with the aid of computers. Although other book com panics also publish that way, this particular company is very unusual. It "personalizes" the books, by having the computer make the reader the leading character in the story. Here is how they do it. Let us say your child is named Jenny. She lives on Oak Drive in St. Lou is, has a dog named Spot, a cat named Tabby, and three playmates whose names are Betsy, Sandy and Jody. The computer uses this in formation to fill out a story that has already been prepared and illustrated. The story is then printed with standard equipment as a hard cover book. A child who receives such a book might say, "This book is about me"; the company therefore calls itself the "Me-books Publishing Company".
    Children like the me-books because they like to see in print their own names and the names of their friends and their pets. But more important, "personalization" has been found to be an important tool in developing enthusiasm for reading. Me-books are thus helping a child to learn how to read by appealing to that natural desire to see his own name in print.