"Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing." - Scout Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird
In our house, full of many children and limited funds (all spent on education), there was one thing that was always free. Books.
You could beg beg beg for clothes or records or toys and pray your hardest that Santa, the Easter Bunny, or the Birthday Fairy would bring them. And they might. You could beg beg beg mom and dad every time you went into a store - "oh please please please can I have it". And you might get it.
The one place you never had to beg was the bookstore. Books were free. They didn't fall under any limit. They were "extra-budgetary" as the federal bean counters might say.
Summer evenings on Cape Cod in a house with no TV we listened to baseball games on the radio and read. Our favorite bookstore - The Compass Rose - kept us in good supply. I miss that place. It had a feel to it that no other place had.
When I went in there with my parents it was FREE.
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This is part of the DAY TO READ campaign:
January 10, 2008 has been designated as the DAY TO READ.
On that day we join the collective challenge to spend some time with our noses stuck in it. A book that is. If you are a blogger, join us by stepping away from the keyboard for all or part of the day and spend that time reading something you enjoy.
Next, report to us (check out Jenn in Holland or Gunfighter - this guy reads EVERYTHING) and others what you've read. You can do this in a dedicated post or a comment at Allison's blog--Soccer Mom in Denial--after the DAY TO READ has passed.
Post the DAY TO READ button at your blog. Pass it on! The button, the news about the day, the challenge to others to read, read, read, read, read!
Leave me your suggestions for books to read - not sure what I'm interested in? Check here and here.
That's it. Make DAY TO READ a Happily Ever After kind of event.
3 comments:
You rock. And I love how books were free in your family. I cannot buy the kids enough books.
And I plan to write about The Paperbag Princess. Could be a good book for the young'ins in your life.
Would you believe I married a man whose family feels the same way?! Always love your recommendations for kids' books!
Great post!
Also, I don't know if you saw this, and I don't know where I left it for you, but the Dealing with Dragons series would be great for your nieces, too. They're by Patricia Wrede.
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