Books and Me

When I was a very little girl my father read to me every night. I had a book of short stories and poetry that I loved. One of my favorites was "Tom Kit." It started out: "Tom Kit was the meanest kitten. He was never never good. He burned his sister's tail with matches, gobbled cookes up in batches as fast as they were set to cool....." That's all I remember except I know that I drove Dad crazy reading it night after night after night........ 

Naturally I picked up reading very quickly. I burned through books as soon as I got them. One day my father said it was time for me to join the library. He took me to the library and signed for my first library card. (In those days it required a parental signature to get one!) Wow! Talk about riches! I couldn't believe there were so many terrific books.

When I was a little older, Dad attached a basket to my bicycle, and I was expected to get to the library on my own. Every week I went to the library and came back with the maximum: five books. I would whip through those books, and get five more the following Saturday. I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on.

At the age of 12, I lied about my age (I was tall and could get away with it!) so I could get an "adult" card. That's the way the Philadelphia system was set up in those days. I came back with my bike basket full of Ernest Hemingway. and other books.  I got some sex education from those books. His short stories feature a lumberjack named Jim who really knows how to make the ladies happy!

When I was pregnant with our son, my husband and I were on vacation in London. We came back with an armload of wonderful books. We pu his books on a special shelf that was easily accessible. I started reading to him when he was a tiny infant. At first he got cranky quickly. It didn't take long, though, for the words to lull him. By the time he was walking - even before he was talking - he loved books.

Our local library had a bookmobile service. At the time the county did not have very many library branches but the bookmobile went everywhere!  I got to know the librarian very well. She encouraged the children to come in and look around. I first took him in when he was just an infant and we used that service until it ended - when he was not quite five years old. I still remember him playing with a toy truck and calling it his bookmobile!

Even though he was a good reader, he still liked us to read to him because his comprehension outstripped his actually reading skills. So at the age of 6 he was enjoying books that were supposed to be for 10 year olds! One night he came up with a great idea. How about if Daddy and Mommy each read different books, then we could both enjoy the books. (Not to mention he would get TWO books read to him!)

Although we still use our library, our home is full of books. We have cookbooks, photography, art, history, Maryland regional authors as well as some signed first editions. They are not worth a whole lot but it's fun to see authors in person. Our favorite local (Maryland) author is Laura Lippman. Although she writes in the "crime fiction" genre, her books are both literate and enjoyable. She is a Baltimore resident and her books are centered there.

After all these years I can't imagine a day without reading - whether it's the newspaper, a good book, a periodical or something interesting on the Internet. I just finished reading "The Bookwoman's Last Fling" by John Dunning and recommend that one highly. It is in the crime novel genre and, like Laura Lippman's work, is both literate and enjoyable. It really kept me guessing to the end.