THE PLEASURE OF READING

I remember summer fun as a child always included the library reading programs. Afterward we got to stop off at the Boy's Club and swim before getting on the bus and heading home. I always got my gold stars for completing the required number of books read over the summer break.


What is the very best book you ever read as a child?
Did you love reading?
My favorite author....Gertrude Chandler Warner who spun the fascinating Boxcar Children Series.



Visit the Gertrude Chandler Warner Museum and Website



Violet, Jessie, Henry and Bennie: The Boxcar Children who were orphans and making their way in life via freight trains, scavenging food, clothing, housing and other necessities and above all sticking together. Oh how I longed to take to the road with them. I did.

I think the main reason I glamourized their lifestyle was because it was so close to my grandfather's way of living. My grandfather whom I lovingly referred to as Grandpappy was an alcoholic drifter, completely irresponsible though loveable who traveled across the wide open spaces of our country working Pitch and Win Shows on the midways of the county fairs and tent circuses.

I came from a long line of readers. My momma loved reading detective magazines, was a total whiz at crossword puzzles and games. She read fiction mostly.
Her grandfather was a reader of all things non-fiction and historical. He was a brilliant man and gifted in math. My mother's aunt, Anne read stacks and stacks of books each week. She was a single woman. I guess they referred to that back then as a "spinster", but reading took her places she could only experience in books. She was a clutterbug and her bedroom was filled to the brim with stacks of books on the floor, dressers and chairs.

I have always loved reading and read most all genres. I cannot remember a time when I have not had a library card regardless of where I lived or how new I was to the area.

My oldest son is a reader and one of my grandsons loves reading. My one and only first cousin on my momma's side of the family is also a reader.
So while not everyone in our family reads, the reading gene has not missed a generation of folks loving the written word.

However, now I have my Kindle and I haven't gone to the library. The art books are not so much available yet in Kindle and I just haven't bought any in quite awhile, and it's probably a good thing because it is sooooooooo easy to click and purchase from your little Kindle. Not a good thing I think!

Because of my love of reading I've traveled places I will probably never see, learned about being a better person, learned many homemaking skills, fed my family much tastier meals, dressed better and dressed my family with little money, learned to decorate my home, learned tolerance for others, made some money, been able to converse with ease, grown close to God and His word, developed talents, become wiser to the world and because of reading my world has grown leaps and bounds as I have so many girlfriends, sisters and fellow bloggers all over the world who influence and motivate me.

So now your turn. What did you read as a child and how has it influenced you as an adult?