“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” – Emilie Buchwald
I have never known a writer who was not also a reader. My sister and I have always loved books. Our first library was the book mobile, a truck packed with books that came through our neighborhood once a week. The most memorable library growing up in West Virginia was in the basement of the fire station. Our mother, writer and reader that she is, always made a great effort to put books into our hands.
Reading teaches us writing. The love of reading starts early in our lives modeled by those closest to us, usually our parents. Can you remember how you learned to love books?
Who read to you?
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be –
I had a Mother who read to me.
Strickland Gillilan (1869–1954)
From The Writing Sisters with Thanks to Mom
I was lucky to grow up in a family (or maybe it was the entire country) where people liked to tell stories. But at night, my mother read to me, and by day, she bought me any book that caught my eye. I’m still a book-a-holic, and my husband’s eyebrows crawl up another millimeter every time I walk out of a bookstore.
Yes , bookstores are a weakness for me too. Fortunately we have a good library which keeps me supplied!
I think this is a common idea but it isn’t my personal experience. I only owned 2 or 3 books as a child, had never heard of public libraries and wasn’t read to. I discovered children’s literature when I got my first job, in a library. But talk about making up for lost time! I worked my way through the entire children’s section before moving on to the adults’ books. I was a literature graduate, but I only really discovered reading for pleasure in my twenties.
I love your input on this. I think that that close bond that comes through sharing a story is a good way to get children interested in books, but as you reminded me not the only way. I don’t any writer that hasn’t developed a love of reading. I heard a children’s book writer, Avi, say that writing is creating reading. Sounds like you developed that knowledge of reading as an adult. Intereting.
Such a cute, cute picture, great quote, and a good question. I would have to thank my sister for reading to me. She was the first and then some of my fabulous elementary school teachers.
Hi Gwen! Love to see your gravatar pop up (although one of the writing sisters has a small fear of monkeys). We are eagerly awaiting the release of your book. Keep us posted. I had great teachers who read to me too. I’ll never forget Mrs Wiley reading Wheel on the School.
My mom read to us and both my husband and I read to our girls even when they were in high school, when he liked to read science fiction to them. I still enjoy reading children’s books (at least classic ones) and have kept ours for the day when I can pass them on to our girls. I hope some day to be able to tutor adults who can’t read, because without reading, not only are our lives more difficult, they’re much less enjoyable!
I still like to be read to. Maybe why I love audio books.
I’ve become a convert to audio books, too. Every time I’m in the Naperville library, I look at the clearance cart and have gotten a lot of $1 books on CD, which are perfect for traveling back and forth between Cleveland and Naperville.
Oh the bookmobile! What excitement there would be when it pulled into the neighborhood. My fondest memories include the times my grandmother read to me. Now I take my 2-year old granddaughter to the library for story time and we check out new books to read together. I hope she will remember these times and know the pleasure of a lifetime spent reading.
Great memories of book mobile day!
I LOVED the bookmobile. I used to ride my bike on the country Wisconsin roads to get to the bookmobile. The hightlight of my summer!!! Thanks for brining back that memory!
Holly
Miss that!
I totally agree I think the passion to live in a book transfers into wanting people to live that passion from the work of our hand.
Thanks, great thought.
Growing up, books were my grand escape–they’re still a vacation I can hold in my hand!! I dream of being as great as the authors I favored.
I love that: “a vacation I can hold in my hand”. Well put.
We lived on a farm and we all worked hard. Reading was considered frivalous. I would sneak away and hide with a book or read at night under the covers with a flashlight. I had some great teachers who read to us and instilled a love of reading. My grandmother, who lived in the city, took me to the library when I visited her. What a treat, all those books lined up! Now I have almost as many books of my own in my house. My grandchildren call me “The Book Grandma” because I always show up with a book when I visit them.
I love the idea of “The Book Grandma”! It is not just parent’s who model reading – grandparents do too. Nobody could read the three little pigs like our Grandad.
We lived in the country and seldom got to go in to the town library, but I read anything I could get my hands on. My folks bought me Trixie Beldon mystery books; and every Christmas, everyone in the Sunday School got a book as a gift. I would read lots of places, but a favorite was upsidedown in the overstuffed chair. I guess the words went to my brain faster!
I would try that upsidedown reading but I don’t know if I could get back up!
As a teacher, my greatest challenge is to show fathers that whether they read or not will influence their son – whether he will or will not read. The correlation is very strong.
That’s interesting. I had not thought of the importance of men modeling reading for their sons. There is such a richness added to life by reading – my husband is a avid reader and both of my sons have grown up to be readers. I can see the connection.
I don’t remember if I was read to but I’ve had a life long love of books and reading. Both my parents were big readers so maybe that’s where it came from. I read to my kids when they were little and I’ve read to my grandson who is now almost 11. My grandson loves books and I am grateful for that.
I like your blog! Joanne
Thanks, Joanne. Love your comment.
My mom was big on encouraging my sister and I to read. She made up bedtime stories and would change them as we demanded.
When we learned to read, she let us choose one book each when we went on weekly shopping trips. We ended up with a ton of books and read them all.
I was SUCH a blessed child–ALL of my elders read to me! And we had the greatest bookmobile lady who came around every two weeks out to our farm eight miles outside of town!
Reblogged this on Writing Sisters and commented:
In every writer’s life there is someone who has gone before them to show the way. We are thankful for our mother, Betsy Byars, who showed us through example the dedication and hard work necessary to become a writer. We are reposting from March 19 in her honor. Happy Mother’s Day. Laurie and Betsy