Monday, October 1, 2012

A Good Read






I was having conversation with my granddaughter.  Charlotte is now 6 and soaking up all the knowledge they can throw at her in her first grade classroom.  That beautiful little face is even more adorable now that three teeth are missing and she has a bit of a lisp. 

The coolest thing is…we were talking about what she is reading.  This precocious little girl has been reading for a long time and it’s fun to watch her proficiency grow and grow.  I was surprised at what she’s digging into right now.  She knows the books I have here at my house and she asked “Mimi, when you come next week can you bring me The Light in the Attic?”  Wow, I thought…these kids are in first grade and they’re already reading Shel Silverstein?  Impressive! 

I assured her I would not only bring her that book but Where the Sidewalk Ends, The Giving  Tree and Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back as well.  And just for good measure, I’m tossing in The Wizard of Oz.  I so look forward to reading these things with her.  My boys have especially enjoyed Lafcadio. 

As I talked with Charlotte, I was reminded of my childhood friend who was like the Pied Piper when it came to reading.  Her name was Stevie and she introduced me to the public library when we were but second graders.  I well remember the day she led me around to a particular shelf and said in her very adult and matter of fact tone, “These are the Bobbsey Twin books and if you start at this end you can read their story in order.”  My introduction to serial books!  I read my way through the Bobbseys and went on to enjoy Nancy Drew and my all time favorite, Nurse Cherry Ames.  So many happy hours escaping into those worlds so different from my own!

If you have favorite book memories, leave me a comment and share them.  I’ll just bet we’ve got a lot in common!  If you're receiving this post on your e-mail, please click through to the actual blog.  You'll find directions there for posting comments. 

The more you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”   –Dr. Seuss