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Book lovers
“They never even thought of such a thing as having a penny. Think of having a whole penny of your very own. Think of having a cup and a cake and a stick of candy and a penny.” This is a quote from one of my favourite books, Little House on the Prairie. I don’t know why, but to this day it’s still a book I enjoy reading. Oh yeah, there’s a whole chimney full of soot in the book, smacking of racism and stereotyping. And, in light of what we know now, I should probably put the whole series in an acid-free sleeve, away from our granddaughter’s eyes, but like her granny, she loves the book. The interesting thing is, she understands the language and stereotyping used, and she gets that it’s from another time. She knows the difference between then and now. Her parents, and her grandparents, are quick to point out the unacceptable—in any situation.
My point is, and I do have one, I can’t deny my love for this particular book. I read it now and suddenly remember being the eight-year-old kid who lived on the outskirts of Toronto and who grew up going to the Bookmobile. Oh, how I loved everyother- Tuesday when the Bookmobile stopped in the Melody Road School parking lot for one whole hour. Every other Tuesday, after dinner, I would walk the five blocks with my library card tucked into the little pocket in the front of the book being returned, hoping the librarian had one of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books on her desk for me. I preferred the third book, but any one of them would make my heart sing. Sometimes, the Bookmobile Lady would put on a sad face and tell me I’d have to pick something else from the shelves. It broke my heart that someone else was reading my books, but it was with her help I discovered the beautiful world of the written word. Every other week, I was allowed to take two books home. Two books. Two books, just for me. How could a girl be so fortunate? I loved the feel of the books. I loved the smell of the paper. I loved the little pocket in the front where I could put my library card. I loved how the books looked on my nightstand. No one else in my world (my siblings) would touch my library books. In a family of seven children and one teenaged Aunty, having something just for yourself was a very special feeling. I’m sure my brothers and sisters went to The Bookmobile, but I don’t remember. The Bookmobile was there, every-other-Tuesday, just for me.
Years later I met LOML. He shares my love of books. Our home is filled with hundreds of our favourite books. Every room in our house has stacks and shelves of books. We have never said “no” to another book. We have books on just about every topic, on just about every flat surface and will reluctantly allow a “lend” or a “trade”. I have books that I have carried with me since my Bookmobile days. Our children always got at least one book whenever there was a gift-giving celebration. Long ago, LOML and I adopted the “Something to wear. Something to read. Something you want. Something you need.” Quite often the “read” and the “need” were books. And now?
Well, and now I encourage each of you to find that book that made your heart sing as a child. Take some time out of the hectic days that lead up to the holiday season. Find a quiet corner and don’t be afraid to read that book again. We share our love of books with our grandchildren. Among the ones I’ll read over and over: The Secret Garden, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, A Little Princess, Heidi, Wind in the Willows, Treasure Island, Charlotte’s Web, The Enormous Egg, The Ship that Flew and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Sometimes little eyes roll when they see me reading the old stories. Sometimes big eyes beam as the little kid asks to borrow the book for a private “look see”.
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