Robin, over at Pensieve, was contemplating the topic for next week's Fun Monday and put it to a vote. Shoes won, and that will be fun, but I am a book-a-holic. Not a recovering book-a-holic, an enjoying-it-to-the-hilt book-a-holic.
I started thinking about my favorite childhood book and could not stop at just one.
As a kid, I read a lot. I was the youngest child and my sisters were considerably older than I was. I was a late in life child for my parents and I think they were done before I came along. Not whining, just explaining.
Anyway, when I was 8 or 9, our neighbor was injured in a construction job and his wife had to go to work. This was in the day when this was NOT the norm. Lucy decided to go to nursing school and my mom, her BFF, went also. My dad was a functioning alcoholic (you knew there had to be psychobabble in this somewhere, didn't you?) so I just sort of escaped into books.
I had read everything in my school library and in the children's section of my local library by the time I was in 4th grade. I was at the library and picked up some book that our librarian, Mrs. Emily Shortell, did not think appropriate. She guided me to 
which is the first historical novel I ever read. I was hooked. I skipped history class my senior year in high school every day except for tests and passed with an A-. I attribute this entirely to the amount of history that seeped it's way into my brain from the novels of Irving Stone.
which is the first historical novel I ever read. I was hooked. I skipped history class my senior year in high school every day except for tests and passed with an A-. I attribute this entirely to the amount of history that seeped it's way into my brain from the novels of Irving Stone.And to Mrs. Emily Shortell...a truly great librarian.
My other bestest book tomorrow....
5 comments:
You've just let me know the topic for the next fun mon. I voted for books so maybe I will run some posts on books I still have from my childhood back in the 50's.
I read a lot growing up too and still love books. I never read any of Stone's books though.
I might just have to post the first book that I remember reading in grade school that truly touched me. I still have it in my bookcase.
I never read any of Stone's books, but I will have to check one out. :)
I read and both my kids love to read. :)
It is great to have a great librarian. :)
chrisb - my grandson is just discovering the Beverly Cleary books; Ribsy and Henry Huggins and such. It's great to revisit them.
karmyn r - please do post it! It's such fun going back sometimes.
debs - you are right about the librarian. Heaven only knows how much trash would have gone into my brain had she not protected me.
Emily Shortell was the librarian who helped me a lot when I was a kid in Fairfax. There couldn't have been another one with the same name. Did I know you?
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