Booking Through Thursday - Growing Up With Books

Today's Booking Through Thursday question is very interesting and fits in quite well with yesterday's story about the lack of reading in America. As I looked at the question, I realized that probably 25% (or more) of today's children may not be able to even answer this question in the future. I really hope there are teachers and others out there in communities modeling reading for these kids. In this day and age of public libraries and access to books, I can't imagine not reading with, or to, a child.

Well, anyway, here's today's question:

When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)



There were always books in the house when I was growing up. I don't remember seeing either of my parents sit down to read a book for themselves, but I do remember lots of time spent with my parents reading to me as a child. In fact, a favorite family story involves the time my father fell asleep reading a book to me, and my mother found us, him asleep and me reading the end of the book to him.

I was also lucky enough to have a great childhood babysitter who put Nancy Drew books into my hands one summer. I read every book on her shelf that summer, and my parents happily bought me the ones she didn't have. I still have these books for my own daughter.

I also grew up bike riding distance from the local public library. The librarians all knew my name, and I had a group of friends who would ride to the library together once a week to get new books. (And, of course, a Thrifty's ice cream cone before we headed home - I think it was a quarter.)

Boy, after yesterday's article, I feel blessed to have had so many people teach me to love reading early in my life. I hope I'm able to repay that debt with my own daughter and the children in my class.