When I was younger, I believed the books I read held magic between the pages. When I read my imagination came alive and played every book I read like a movie inside my head.
I rummaged through all the books on the school shelves until I had read almost all the ones that interested me. I used to ride my bike uptown to North State Books (without my parents permission...because that was half the fun) and I would lose myself between the stacks searching for that one book or books (depending on how much money I had saved and was burning to spend) that stood out and seemed to call my attention the most, like it was calling out to me. (cheesy, I know) I would search until I found that book that would basically scream my name as I neared it.
It was in that book store that I discovered the real story of Peter Pan making it one of my favorite books then and now. It was there in that book store that I came across a book that on the outside looked simple and boring with nothing but a blue cover with Pride and Prejudice printed in silver on the cover. I'll admit I only bought it because I wanted to walk out of there feeling like a little smarty pants but it turned out to be one of my best purchases. I was only 10 and had to look up every other word in the dictionary and every place mentioned in the encyclopedia...and I still barely understood what was going on. But I finished the book knowing it was a love story and I reread it a few months later. Though I still had to look things up and hardly understood the story, I grew to love the book and it's still my favorite. I continued to reread this book until the day it all made sense (YEARS later of course)
Reading that book sparked my interest in the classics and added a new determination to my reading. My next classic was Jane Eyre. After that, Wuthering Heights, The Catcher in The Rye and Moby Dick. All books I barely understand the first (and second and third) time I read them but came to love over the years. I kept it simple as well with books like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, A Wrinkle in Time, Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and a little Dr. Seuss and some R.L. Stine.
My point is kids today don't read like they should. As much as I dislike the whole Nook and Kindle deal (I prefer a real book in my hands...I think having the book plays a big part in the magic of the book/story) if they get kids and some adults reading again and out from in front of the TV and video games then so be it. If it weren't for high school English classes forcing the students to read certain classics, I'm sure they'd know nothing about them otherwise. But I guess they can always google it and get the plot summary.............the generation of short cuts.
Books have always played an important roll in my life and always will. No matter how hard life gets I can always pick up my favorite book(s) and know there will be a happy ending waiting somewhere between "Once upon a time..." and "The end". My books are dependable when the world isn't.
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