Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Books

I would be most content if my children grew up to be
the kind of people who think decorating
consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.
~ Anna Quindlen ~


I have always enjoyed reading to my kids. Ever since Kaity was born practically, she has never been more content than to be curled up in someone's lap having them read to her. She also picked favorites pretty early on. By the time she was not much older than two she had "Curious George goes to the Hospital" memorized word for word. Rodney took a little longer but the love of reading is in his blood and now he has come to enjoy a good book as well as the next one.


We get our books from all kinds of sources. Some have been passed down, some we borrow from the library, some we purchase from the Book Barn. Some become instant favorites like "Click Clack Moo, cows that type". Some only get read once and never looked at again. Others......

Well others give you the chance to share ......wow share what? Recently a child's version of "Anne of Green Gables" made it's way to our house! There are almost no words to describe what reading it to Kaity is like. For those of you who have never looked on a book as one of your closest friends you won't understand. But for those of you who are kindred spirits and "of the race that knows Joseph" I am sure you can relate.
Most of the Anne of Green Gable books I had read to me. I was older than Kaity is now, but after dinner in Ecuador we would all go into my mom's room and she would read the books out loud to us. We went through the whole series that way. Laughing at Anne's antics together, crying through Matthew's death, cheering with her through her joys and triumphs and feeling for her through her struggles. As I sat down to read the book to Kaity for the first time I could not believe how quickly I was transported back to that room, every detail in vivid memory in my head, I could see us all lying on the bed, I swear even the smell came back to me.
I LOVE the Anne of Green Gables books. In a way they really are part of my childhood and life in a way that a dear childhood friend would be. I LOVE being able to introduce that old dear wonderful friend to my daughter and start to see them have a relationship.