I smile thinking of the the love affair I had with books as a child. My earliest memory is a Christmas book my mom bought me. I loved the story, THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. The pages were brightly colored, and I adored it. I was in Kindergarten, and not really reading yet. But, I told my teacher I had this beautiful book at home, and that I could read it. I was obviously confused between reading and having memorized the story. She invited me to read it to the class on a Friday. Before I knew it, I was sitting on this little stool, reading from memory the lovely story, and using different voices for each character. My mom was in local theater, and my favorite thing to do was go to rehearsals with her. So, I knew all about stage presence. 
Before I knew it, the first and second graders were filing in later that day. And then, I was doing repeat performances the next week, for those who might have missed it the first time around. I can only guess what the teacher told my mom about it all. Mom always smiled whenever she repeated the story. And I do remember sitting up there, and READING to the children. And how several teachers stood at the back, so it must’ve been my first sold-out crowd.
My next vivid memory is toting home 3 library books every Friday after school; those green Nancy Drew hardbacks. I remember the librarian looking over the rim of her glasses and questioning the amount, wasn’t it a lot to read in a week? We only had library day once a week. I never told her I was always done by Monday when I came back to school. I could devour them in a weekend. And I did, by flashlight after “lights out” had been announced, once, twice, three times and counting!
Because I was such a voracious reader, I’d pick up anything. My mom’s Agatha Christie mysteries, and her Reader’s Digest short story club books that arrived in the mail were all read. She finally enrolled me in a YA book club, and I’d read those. They were award winning stories, and I had a glorious canvas to nurture my passion. She did hide her Kathleen Woodiwiss novels from me, but that’s another blog. 
Liz touched on that in an earlier blog, and man did that bring back memories.
Writing and reading were two of my favorite things to do, and still are. I was a dreamer as a child…still am. And looking back I was really blessed, we had books in the house! I’m happy to say, the love affair continues today. I have my book clubs, and online sites where I can feed my book-lover’s soul. I buy our grandchildren books. My daughters received tons of them growing up. Luckily, they adore them to this day, and it’s not uncommon for me to stick them in stockings at Christmas.
What are your early book memories? Can you close your eyes and see them? I can, and it never fails to make me smile. 
Wow! LaDonna, I bet you were so cute as a child reading your story with the different voices. Too bad that wasn’t caught on tape.
This post brings me so many good memories. I’ve talked before about my brothers, sisters and me (5 kids total) sitting around my mother as she read fairy tales to us. A mobile library used to stop a block and a half from our house. I can remember taking out a stack of books, mostly fairytales. Nancy Drew was a big favorite with me. When I ran out of my books to read, I’d read my mother’s. And I won’t even get started on comic books, lol. That would be a whole ‘nother blog.
Because of the financial situation of my family (we were rather poor), books were a rare commodity in my house growing up. Still, I managed to get my hands on countless comic books (grandma read them), Black Beauty, Readers Digest and Golden Books. Then I discovered the library! OMG, I was in absolute heaven. I read every horse book I could find and never stopped reading from there. I devoured books by the bagful. I used to get the same look by our librarian when I’d check out a dozen books at a time. I don’t think she believed I ever read them and used to quiz me on them once in awhile.
Forgot to say that I loved your story. I can so totally picture you doing that. It must have been quite a hit.
Wish I had that particular performance on tape too, Edie! LOL. I just remember feeling “fearless,” and riding the excitement of sharing my beautiful book.
How lucky a mobile library came to you! Would’ve saved me from the clutches of that glowering librarian who thought I checked too many books out.
My mother always took out a stack of books, lol. The librarians must’ve figured like mother like daughter. At my library, I often see kids at check out with stacks of books. (Yay!) So you’d think that would be a common sight.
Cracking up about the librarian guiz, Liz! Man, what in the world was wrong with some of them back then? And I’m glad you enjoyed the story. And ya know, as a kid I always thought things were tight because my mom made my clothes. She loved to sew, and put her personalized name-tags inside. My dad could make a dollar stretch, so I’ll never really know how things were financially I guess. But we had food, clothes, and books in the house. In my eyes, all was pretty okay.
Edie, I love that your mom took you to the library! I only had access to the school one, but made sure my daughters had regular library days. It’s so fun to share that way. I even visit it with my grandchildren once in a while.
Marguerite Henry and all of her horse books!
Oh my goodness, LaDonna, I love this post! Thank you so much for sharing such great memories!
The summer before my fifth grade school year, I entered my local library’s summer reading contest. Read like crazy. Every day–and most nights.
I won the contest and I was absolutely thrilled.
The best part? Well, this summer, I was visiting my mom and that same library was having a 25 cents sale–and by that, I mean you could shove as many books as you wanted into this large plastic bag and only pay 25 cents! So, of course, I had to go to the sale. And even though that summer reading contest happened more years ago than I’d like to admit to, the books I read then were at the sale! (And I’m talking the EXACT books here!) I grabbed several familiar children’s ghost stories and werewolf tales. I’m going to save them until my Jack is old enough for them–and then I’ll tell him just why those books are special to his mom.
Karin, sounds like you and Liz loved horse books!
My SIL loved them too.
Cynthia, so glad you enjoyed. And you won a library contest? Way to go! My last job was working at a library. Big surprise! And, the summer reading crowd was my absolute favorite. So many kiddies, so many smiles, and stacks of fun books. And that 25 cent sale sounds like a steal.
How wonderful that you found some old favorites, and going to share them with Jack. He’ll love them, I’m sure.
I read fairy stories and books about bunnies who could fly with their long ears, and The Wishing Chair, and The Faraway Tree when I was little. Nancy Drew, horse books (mostly set in Wyoming, if memory serves) and everything I could lay my hands on when I was older.
LaDonna, I can just imagine you reading to your packed audience. I memorised Roald Dahl’s adpatation of Cinderella and was called to perform every now and then
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I have such fond memories of some books, like Cynthia I buy them when I see them and keep them aside for my kids. I can’t wait until they are old enough. My 5 yo is loving The Wishing Chair and The Faraway Tree now, and it is such a trip down memory lane for me. Love it!
Michelle, your magical books sound so fun! What cute titles too. I’ll have to look them up for my grandkids.
LaDonna,
My strongest childhood memories are of laying on the floor with my brothers and sisters while my mom read to us every night. I don’t actually know how long it lasted, just that I really looked forward to it.
But the very strongest of those memories are when she read Charlotte’s Web. Because at the end, when Charlotte died, she was crying so hard she couldn’t even read. And my sister and I were just bawling too (although I’m not so sure we would have found it so heartbreaking if my Mom hadn’t been crying so hard) And when my dad came in, to see what had everyone so upset my brother tells him, and in total seriousness,–I don’t think they know its not real,that it’s just a book. And my younger brother pipes up– yeah, or that she’s really a spider. lol When my mom picked another book to start reading to us, my brothers refused to participate unless she promised not to cry again.
I think half my childhood was spent in a library. I checked out pretty much all the books in our gradeschool library. And during the summer, once a week we’d head down to the local library and check out piles of books.
You can add me into the the ones who read all the horse books. Horse and dog books were my favorites. Although I did read Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boy books too. . .
Ah, you bring back memories Ladonna. And that is such a cute image of you sitting there performing for an audience.
Maybe you can use different voices for your different characters when you do your first book reading of Butterfly Wishes. Just think, that early performance in grade school was just practise for you.
LOVE your story, Theresa. Boys are such philistines, aren’t they, LOLOL.
Theresa, you made me smile! And I agree with Michelle on the little boy thing.
Little buggers all the way!
Sounds like we all toted books home from the library. Can you imagine if we’d all lived in the same neighborhood? There wouldn’t have been any books available for everyone else!
And somehow, the thought of reading BUTTERFLY with an animated face and character voices scares the bejesus outta me! Innocence is truly golden.
Michelle,
Total different mentality there, that’s for sure. I remember after my mom finished the book, my sister wouldn’t let anyone in the house kill a spider, she’d rescue it and take it outside. So ofcourse, my brothers had to go out of their way to hunt down and kill spiders, then bring the poor squashed corpse to her.
LAdonna,
I don’t blame you about being scared to read Butterfly aloud and act out the different voices. That would scare the bejesus out of me too.
Some things are so much easier as children. We used to put on neighborhood plays, and it never worried me about getting up infront of an audience and making a fool of myself.
Maybe we tap into some of this childhood bravado ever time we sit down to put ours words to paper (or screen)
LOL, Theresa, sounds like a plan! Childhood bravado here we come.