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
Your grand is so darling. Hope she doesn't live too far away from you. I think it is super that she likes to read and that you encourage it. My granddaughter is 8, and we generally read together Bible stories and character building stories now. She is 5 hours away and I see her every month to 6 weeks. She also reads well. The Lord has blessed us with grands. I think you have two grandsons, and I do also. My boys are 2 and 4 and are here in our county. Take care. Vote Romney!!!! Lynette LaBay Shelton
ReplyDeleteThis post really recalls happy reading times. I also was inspired by Stevie who read like the rest of us breathe. We surely had great fun discussing the plots of new books behind her house behind the school. I hope your granddaughter not only continues to read but finds good friends to share the joys with.
ReplyDeleteHi Sue,
ReplyDeleteI was in your small discussion group at the Deermeadows Women's Retreat a few weeks ago. I believe your daughter sang at church today as you told us. Is her name Becky? Beautiful soloist!
Okay on books and grandchildren (your Charlotte is darling!): My first and only grandson (I'm a Mimi, too!) at 8 months old already loves books (to hold them, to see the pictures, to hear them read). I've read to him from birth (I keep him 3 days a week). Right now, we're reading a set of the thick cardboard Winnie the Pooh books and a few of the Bible character books for babies. I can't wait to share the great childhood books my children loved (and myself as well) for he already has a shelf full of baby's books.
As a young child, I loved to travel via stories in lands never ventured in reality. I especially loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, of which our teacher read to our class daily. How excitedly we awaited the next chapter! As a young student, to hear the books read aloud to our class added richness to our language experience not found in just reading alone.
I just finished reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Have you read it? Wonderful!!! I highly recommend it for all women.
Enjoyed meeting you at our retreat a few weeks ago! Marsha
Thanks so much for your comment, Marsha! Yes, Becky is my daughter and Charlotte's mom. They are enjoying Deermeadows so much. Hope you will continue to check in with me here and share it with your friends. God bless all us mimis
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