I have always been a reader. My earliest memories are of my dad reading "Custard the Cowardly Dragon" to my brothers and sisters and I (there were a lot of us...if you haven't read this to your children, please do!). My mom, a teacher herself, let us choose; we could lay down for a nap every afternoon in the summer or read her Child Craft Encyclopedias. I chose to read the "encyclopedias" especially the one with the short stories and poems in it. I was the kid who always read the most books for Accelerated Reader and didn't do it for the prizes. I have always read and still do.
Reading is my escape. Forget TV. Forget the Internet. I can't use my imagination with those medias. They are way too limiting and therefore boring. When I read Caddie Woodlawn and Jacob Have I Loved you can bet I saw myself as the main character. I lived with the Box Car Children in every place they found themselves and Nancy Drew didn't look like the girl on the cover of the book, but surprisingly like me. I could and still can if I'm able, drown in a book for an entire day.
I find that you can divide people into two groups--people who read and readers. I am a reader. It isn't something I do, it is something I am.
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I just looked over at the bookshelf... lo and behold, there are the Childcraft Encyclopedias from my childhood. :) "Stories and Fables" and "Make and Do" were my favorites. My niece loves the animal one.
ReplyDeleteI refused to read "Jacob Have I Loved", but I still own a copy of "Caddie Woodlawn." Amazing book that sucks you in!
Your words resonate with my reader core. :) The book becomes a complete part of you, and you of it, when reading.
"I am a reader. It isn't something I do, it is something that I am." Very powerful words! Can I add your words on a poster to hang in my class room! Seriously...what a great way to explain who you are and what you love. I, too, know exactly what you are talking about when you say those words. And, it makes me feel badly for those who never get to experience what so many of us have experienced when it comes to reading. Sometimes, there is no better feeling! :)
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