We were at the Aurora Public Library checking out several items. Matthew had his books and DVDs, and I had a nice selection of books as well. I handed the librarian my library card, and she scanned all the DVDs.
Then she asked if I had a child’s card for Matthew, which I did. She suggested using the child’s card instead of my adult card, since the penalty for overdue children’s books is just 5 cents a day, compared to 25 cents for adult books. We’re usually on time with returns, but you never know what might happen. After all, we’d already made one small mistake by bringing in an empty DVD case.
I liked the suggestion, but it only applies to children’s books, so I started to separate my books from the pile. The librarian assured me that all the books I had were indeed children’s books. I looked up and said, “Oh, I guess I am reading children’s books.” “That’s fine,” she replied, smiling.
“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”
Jacqueline Kennedy
So, I am reading children’s books—and really enjoying them. I must have read over 20 books by now, and I haven’t found a bad one yet (meaning, I read the first page, and that was it).
By reading children’s books (or more like young adult books), I’m compensating for the years I missed out on reading during my teenage years. When we came to this country, I was 14 years old. Within a week, I started high school in grade 9, second semester. I did well in math and science, as they seemed very universal at the time, but English—well, I had a lot to learn.
I remember that when I finally started to read and understand well-written stories, it was in my third year of university. It was such a relief to dive into an exciting book between my engineering and very technical exams. At that time, they were books for adults.
Now, having the opportunity to spend time with Matthew and read so many books for him, I’m also given a chance to step back in time and finally catch up on the books I missed during my teenage years.
COMMENTS
Marvin said: February 4, 2012 at 00:58
“How fun!”
Lorraine said: February 20, 2012 at 09:37
“Nice story. Where are you from?”
Anna Lozyk Romeo said: February 20, 2012 at 10:21
“Lorraine, thank you for your comment. I am Ukrainian born in Poland.”
