Certain as a Jertain
By way of a Quora question request I found perhaps the most beautiful article in the NYTimes mobile about reading.
As a parent, who is a writer/librarian/teacher, I value reading and getting books into the hands of kids, especially mine when they were little.
I remember being the only librarian on staff who had pre-schoolers which meant I had the privilege of taking home a stack of picture books before they hit the shelves.
I would gather my brood around me on our eastern king bed with the dark blue velour blanket and read and read and read.
“You are the first children to ever read this book,” I would intone before commencing. The books would crisply creak when I opened them, they were so fresh off the press. I’m a closet dramatic and reading books in character voices is how they heard George and Martha and their pb compatriots.
My daughter (now in her thirties) tells me: “It felt like we were floating on a soft, blue ocean while you read to us.”
Reading out loud to children is important. I read out loud to my granddaughter when we are together. I introduced her to Narnia. I read to my high school students, or have a book tape read to them. They are not grown up enough to stop reveling in the joy of being read to out loud.
And so, this is my Mother’s Day post celebrating the joy of having read to my own children. We didn’t have a Streak, but we did create some memories together.
Pam Webb 