Monday, November 10, 2008

Droughts, Drums, and Laura Ingalls

I love to read. I have from the time I was ... well, truly as long as I can remember, I have always had a book at hand. And in the car. And in the bathroom. From Stephen King to Faulkner, Picoult to Bradbury, Sanford to Steinbeck, I love it all.

At one of our recent book club meetings, instead of choosing a book for all to read (like we normally do), my friend Shannon asked everyone to bring her favorite childhood book. In trying to decide on which book to read, my husband commented that I had an easier time choosing names for the children than I did in picking out my favorite childhood book. But there's Laura Ingalls, I said. So choose that, he said, perplexed. I laughed at his simplicity. But then what about Walter Farley? Anna Sewell and the amazing Black Beauty? The Shark in Charlie's Window?


Please, I chuckled, you cannot be serious in thinking I really must choose only one. Did it have to be MY favorite or could it be a favorite that I read to my girls, like Too Much Noise, or Ming Lo Moves the Mountain, or Leo the Late Bloomer?

I did finally choose to bring The Secret in Miranda's Closet, because it had a huge impact on my life, as big as the others. And I knew Shelly would bring the Little House series.

So I was baffled by the Peanut's library choices this past week. Probably 'baffled' isn't even strong enough. I know that my Peanut does not fit snugly into any stereotype - she marches to her own drummer that sometimes I am pretty sure toured with Pink Floyd or the Refreshments - but even this was unexpected:


Yep, Droughts. A uplifting tale with twists and turns and a sweet heroine. But, just in case this is a tad on the serious side and she needed to lighten it up, she also checked out:



Perhaps she is just a John McPhee in the making. Or perhaps she is ... weird. Either way, I am so happy it makes me wiggle that she loves to read as much as I do. I have to tell her to put the book down when it is time for bed, to leave, to eat, to bathe. It causes me physical pain to have to tell her this.

I am putting out my first question ever, since it appears that people actually read this (w00t!):

What did you love to read? Do love to read?

5 comments:

Katie said...

Droughts and Earthquake? Does Peanut know something the rest of us don't? Promise you'll email me when the Apocalypse begins.

I do love to read, truly. It has been pushed to the side lately, and mostly what I read now is out of necessity. 'What to Expect when you're expecting' Blah.

My absolute favorite book from childhood is 'The Hobbit'. I've read it dozens of times.

Real Live Lesbian said...

I LOVE to read! And always have. When the reading thing didn't get me out of chores, I relied on wet fingernails. But I could always read with wet nails! ;)

I loved The Hobbit, too. It was enthralling when I was ten!

Tiff said...

I love to read also, when I was very young I would read goodnight moon over and over and now my neice who is 4 makes me read it to her over and over, its the same book too very worn but still just as good. I also loved reading all the little house on the prarie books.

Karen said...

Judy Blume and C.S. Lewis were my favorites.

Katie Mihalak said...

Oh Rikki that is just too much. We know I haven't read a book since I was probably Taylor's age so I am not in the mind set to tell you which is my favorite Children's book but I lol'ed at her library choices. Oh my gosh.

Wait - my favorite childhood book was calle Rich Cat Poor Cat. I have a tattere copy of it.

And by the way - my Austin loves you. He is so sad when you are not at school.