Books - Books - Books!
I spend a lot of time these days expounding upon my own political expectations/disappointments, etc. Sometimes I like to regress to another plane.... one a bit more calm and collected.As a kid growing up in Pekin, Illinois....many many years ago....I was not faced, of course, with the many offerings to today's youth. We did not lock doors...I often left home in the morning during the Summer months and did not return until time for supper. No one worried, no one cared. We were in a safe, secure, TVless time period. I had nothing to do but summerband.....kick-the-can games, and lots of daytime tree climbing and useless things which managed to occupy our time.
Then about age 10.....I discovered the Pekin Public Library.
WOW!!!!
What a treasure trove of things to read and digest. Soon I was checking out 14 books at a time (the max allowable) from the children's department in the downstairs of the old library building. I read each and every book I checked out. I returned within a week and checked out 14 more. I was on a roll.
At some point, and I am not sure the age....possibly 12(?) the children's librarian told me..."You have read everything we have....you need to move upstairs to the adult section!" I was in shock.....
I climbed the stairs, and I found a veritable treasure-trove of things. I read "Animal Farm" by Orwell.....I found the "Lord-of-The-Rings Trilogy!"; I located the Asimov Trilogy.....I was in heaven.
To this day I read.....sometimes not the most popular things, but LOTS of things.
I have been most pleased that at least two of our children have developed readers among our grandkids! How nice!
A teacher-friend of mine once offered: "Teach a kid to read, and get them interested, and they will succeed in life!" I truly believe it is TRUE!
Teach your kids to read....make reading interesting....TV/Games/etc. are nice diversions, but reading is still the KEY!
Duke
posted by Duke of DeLand @ 6/01/2007 12:20:00 PM
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