National Book Lovers Day
What book made you a reader?
My friend, Amy Young, (https://www.messymiddle.com) is an encyclopedia of helps for writers of all abilities. More importantly, she is a woman of God with messages for people of all beliefs. She’s a former missionary who heads up a ministry for multi-cultural workers. We joke that I am NOT her intended audience, but I subscribe to all her lists. I initially did so to learn from her writing structure and engagement ideas. I didn’t expect to grow spiritually from her writing.
Every summer Amy presents a reading challenge. This summer required reading seven books from twenty-five categories. One was “A book you read as a child”. Coincidently, my eyes fell on a stack of “antique books” I had been trying to decorate with. Over the years I have collected beloved childhood books like The Bobbsey Twins, original Nancy Drew and biographies from the “Childhood of Famous American’s” series. The book that made me a reader was a 1948 copyrighted book by Janet Lambert. Lambert wrote a series of books about a family of four army brats who grew to be military heroes, a Broadway star and the youngest, Tippy, suffering through high school. Living in the shadow of Tinker Air Force Base with base privileges, loving musicals and suffering through high school, the book was totally relatable!
I found Miss Tippy in an antique store several years ago and snatched it up, never intending to read it. Amy’s challenge made me pick it up. The setting, the costuming, and the plot are so archaic compared to today’s manuscripts. Janet Lambert couldn’t sell this today. It was a treasure trove! Tippy’s clothing transported me back to grade school, I, too, wore plaid jumpers and saddle oxfords. My “curse” vocabulary mirrored Tippy’s, drat it. I remember taking the first polio vaccines, in the school cafeteria. Tippy and I curled up on the same floral divan with a lemonade in those days. Her world mirrored mine.
What book made you a reader? In honor of National Book Lover’s Day, pick up a book you read as a child and read it again, ( even if you have to visit an antique store). I hope you are as surprised and delighted as I was!
