Book `em!

WHAT DO MICROSOFT mogul Bill Gates and singing idol Enrique Iglesias have in common, besides their boyish charm?

Go to your local library and find out. Gates and Iglesias are both featured in the American Library Association's "Celebrity READ" poster series, where pop culture figures pick a book and are photographed reading it. The ALA website describes Iglesias this way: "His smoldering good looks are inspiration enough for all to pick up a book and read." And according to the ALA, Bill Gates, who is perhaps too rich to smolder, "knows that reading opens windows to the world." Only time will tell whether the singer or the software mogul will motivate more young people to read Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea," the book chosen by both.

For $15 a poster, libraries across the country can adorn their walls with images of Gates, Iglesias, or any of 59 other familiar faces. The program started in 1980 with Mickey Mouse, and since then the ALA has enlisted the participation of about four celebrities a year. According to Kathryn Leide, director of ALA graphics, the all-time bestseller shows Shaquille O'Neal reading "Undying Glory," about the Massachusetts 54th Regiment in the Civil War. Recent additions include actor Orlando Bloom reading Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" (the book, not the script) and skateboarder Tony Hawk reading Nick Hornby's novel "High Fidelity."

It makes sense that outspoken actor Tim Robbins would be shown reading Howard Zinn's "People's History of the United States." But why is model Cindy Crawford sitting in front of a makeup mirror reading "The Hobbit"? In the spirit of questions like that, here are some alternate reading assignments for the stars.

Britney Spears, pop singer
Her Choice: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," by J. K. Rowling
Alternate Selection: "The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially," by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher.

Mel Gibson, actor-director
His Choice: "1984," by George Orwell.
Alternate Selection: Hmm, let's see. What would be another good book for Mel Gibson to read? It has to be a really good book.Maybe something will come to us later.

Rob Schneider, comedian
His Choice: "The Metamorphosis,"by Franz Kafka
Alternate Selection: "Exterminator!",by William S. Burroughs

Regis Philbin, TV host
His Choice: "Treasure Island,"by Robert Louis Stevenson
Alternate Selection: "The Man WithoutQualities," by Robert Musil.

Christina Ricci, actor
Her Choice: "The Fountainhead," by Ayn Rand
Alternate Selection: "Transparent Things,"by Vladimir Nabokov. Or whatever her teacher assigns her.

A.S. Hamrah is a writer living in Brooklyn.