Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,
I have asked myself this question many times, answering it with fond memories.
What impact did books have on me as a kid?
I began to read when I was very young. It started with comic books that my parents purchased for me every week. I would pour over the pictures and try to decipher the word balloons on my own. I was purchased Little Golden Books, books based on comic book characters, and the occasional workbook. My mother was an avid reader that loaded our home with bookcases filled with books. As I began to read more, I was given my own shelf and that made me very happy.
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| One of my favorite book covers as a kid |
It was not until the early 1980s that I discovered Beverly Cleary, Lois Lowry, John Bellairs, and Judy Blume. These Yearling and Scholastic books were purchased in bulk from Waldenbooks (remember that place?) by my mother, as I entered into solo reading. My kid brain was excited to be reading over one hundred pages on my own. My elementary school librarian also joined in on the fun, recommending more books that she thought that I may like. Soon I began to anticipate book reports, especially those involving American history. My report on Ethan Allen was one of my first A's in my third grade class.
I began to take pride in finishing my books. To see the end of a book I was reading was an accomplishment to me. Accomplishment for a child is an important part of growing up. I was happy that I had family, school faculty, and friends that encouraged me to read. This boosted my confidence and led me to library trips weekly. There I would raid the kids' section and sit and read out loud in reading circles. I eagerly awaited the Scholastic Books fairs at my elementary school. I would read the catalog as much as I could, choosing which books I would buy. With my ten dollars folded neatly in my pocket, I was able to buy the latest Three Investigators books. Even then I loved mysteries. The Scholastic fairs were magical to a child who loved books. The entire hallway of my school (and sometimes the gym) was loaded with racks filled with books. It was a book store that came to your school and it was epic!
As I have grown older, my adult life has removed many of the things I used to do and enjoy as a child.Adulting can remove you from the person you used to be. We sometimes forget those carefree times when we played on the playground, watched Saturday morning cartoons, or opened a book for the first time with joy. I am happy that I am now in a place in life where going back to my childhood loves has made me a pretty decent living. I love reading and reviewing books. And as I continue this latest journey in my life, I will soon be returning to the amazing books that made me happy as a child. Thanks to Goodwill I was able to pick up many of my childhood favorites for very low prices. It will be nice to once again solve a mystery with Nancy Drew, or go to school with Ramona Quimby, or get scared with a Johnny Dixon adventure.
You are never be too old to reread a childhood favorite. Sometimes you need to be a kid to get through adult life's many twists and turns. What impact did books have on me as a kid? It took my world and expanded it in ways that I could never have imagined.
As an adult I want to thank ten year old me for being such a voracious reader. If you had not opened those books I would not be the person I am now. Thanks, kid.
How about you? How did books impact you as a child? Please let me know in the comments below.
Because there is always time to read,
Xepherus3
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All written content and logo (c) Copyright 2015 by Thomas Bahr II
All book covers (c) Copyright by the authors and publishers
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