# Special Childhood Memory About Reading?



## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

I am putting this in the book corner, but not sure this is the right place.

I have loved books and reading as far back as I can remember. I grew up in a small rural town in the south ( 1 redlight small). I stared the first grade with 18 classmates and 12 years later graduated with the same 18. I also graduated from the same high school that my Grandmother and Mother graduated from. We had a small library in both elementary & high school. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of summer when the Book Mobile would run it's route through Marengo County stopping in each little community. I would be so excited I couldn't sleep the night before. My Mom, Grandmother, siblings and I would walk to the elementary school where the Book Mobile would stop every Thursday, and we always got there early. I would spend at last an hour in the Book Mobile, looking, touching, and smelling the wonderful books. I would handle them as if they would break. The books were such a treasure to me then and they still are. The only difference is I am reading from a kindle, I wonder what Ma-Ma would think of that? By the way she was still reading with a magnifying glass at age 95, hope I have some of those genes. 

Anyone else want to share a story? Feel free to move Bets, now I'm thinking it may need to be Not Quite Kindle.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I have one specific memory.  I was grade school age.  I was sitting in a big green naugahyde (sp?) chair on our enclosed front porch.  I was reading a book about Jane Addams and Hull House.  Our beagle was laying in the chair with me with his head on my lap.  (Chair was big enough for the two of us.)  I was holding the book in one hand and stroking his "licorice button nose" (as my Mom called it) with the thumb of my other hand.  I remember that so well.  It was some time during the mid to later '50s.  Wish I could go back to that dog, book, and chair (in that order of importance).


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## Teninx (Oct 27, 2008)

It had to do with getting into my mother's library when I was ten and selecting "Rabbit, Run"...Been an Updike fan since then


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

My favorite memories are of laying a towel down in our driveway and settling down for a long afternoon of reading and napping.  I loved the way the concrete driveway was warm under the towel and would always put me to sleep sometime during the day.  I don't think my bones would take even an hour on concrete now!

Another good memory was a trip to the library.  My mom would let me stay as long as I wanted.  Discovering new books is still one of my greatest pleasures, but back then I only got books on birthdays or Xmas. Otherwise, if I wanted a book it was the library or nothing.  I can still remember discovering that there was more to The Wizard of Oz, Dr Doolittle and Mary Poppins than the just movies.  OH, and Big Red, A Wrinkle in Time, The Black Stallion.....

Man!  Thanks Linda for taking me back there.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

OK.  Why are the first three posts being shown as edited by Pidgeon?


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> OK. Why are the first three posts being shown as edited by Pidgeon?


Linda missed a letter in "childhood" when she typed the name of the post. I changed the title of each of the posts so it was spelled correctly.


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## Angela (Nov 2, 2008)

I grew up out in the country with very few neighbors and no friends my age (mostly boys younger than me). Summer days were spent playing in the woods, riding bikes up and down country roads and reading!! Reading was my escape from boredom. Every 2 weeks my mom would take us (me and little brother) into town to the library and to buy groceries. Didn't care much for the grocery store, but I loved the library! My favorite day was when my mom convince the librarian to let me check out more books than the limit! I was 10 and it made me feel so grown up! By the end of the summer I had run out of books to choose from and she started letting me choose from the adult section. I couldn't get enough! My favorites as a pre-teen were Agatha Christie mysteries. This was after I had been through all of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and another series about a family with lots of kids that I can't for the life of me remember what their name was (Holiday, Holloway, )... anyway... I loved reading so much, that I would read anything I could get my hands on... if it has words, I would read it!


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

These posts are making me feel all warm and fuzzy! Life was so much simpler then.


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## Susan B (Oct 27, 2008)

My favorite memory was during the time I was hooked on the Norse myths. I,was by that time, a proficient reader but I still wanted my Mom to read to me at night. Mom would do all the voices and I'd lay in bed just listening in complete fascination as she made all of the characters come alive. I recall hoping I would be able to do that when I had kids. I did read to them and try to do the voices but they were never as good as my Mom had done.


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## quiltlvr (Oct 28, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> Linda missed a letter in "childhood" when she typed the name of the post. I changed the title of each of the posts so it was spelled correctly.


Did you ever read "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss? available on kindle, you might like it!


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## Lynn (Nov 4, 2008)

I remember the thrill of getting new books at school when they would have book fairs. My parents always let me get a couple every time. I also remember that one of my punishments for misbehaving was to be sent to my room - that only lasted until my mother figured out I would just go and read while I was supposed to be reflecting on my behavior.

Lynn


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## cush (Oct 27, 2008)

One of my most vivid memories is a long car trip in 1948 or 1949 from San Jose California to Grants Pass Oregon in our 1939 Buick.  I was 9 or 10 and, avid reader that I was (and am), I had equipped myself with a paperback (I think) copy of Bram Stoker's "Dracula".  I proceeded to read this in the back seat during our all day long trip north on US101.  By the time we had reached San Francisco I had scared myself thoroughly but couldn't put it down.  The way it was written, as if it were a factual story, was so convincing that I was pretty much convinced that it was true.  A thoroughly good, scary read, especially when you are 9 or10!  By the way, SusanB, who posted above, was along for the ride and was probably 3 then.


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## Susan B (Oct 27, 2008)

cush said:


> One of my most vivid memories is ga long car trip in 1948 or 1949 from San Jose California to Grants Pass Oregon in our 1939 Buick. I was 9 or 10 and, avid reader that I was (and am), I had equipped myself with a paperback (I think) copy of Bram Stoker's "Dracula". I proceeded to read this in the back seat during our all day long trip north on US101. By the time we had reached San Francisco I had scared myself thoroughly but couldn't put it down. The way it was written, as if it were a factual story, was so convincing that I was pretty much convinced that it was true. A thoroughly good, scary read, especially when you are 9 or10! By the way, SusanB, who posted above, was along for the ride and was probably 3 then.


Funny..I don't remember that trip...ha ha.


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## Geeky Girl Karin (Nov 7, 2008)

I remember the bookmobile coming to school once each quarter. A note would go home to our parents a week before reminding them about it and my parents always gave me some money for a book.We would be called into the bookmobile in small groups and my friend Jane and I would buy the next two Encyclopedia Browns (or whatever series we were reading at the time) and then share them. It was great.

I also remember reading by flashlight at the bottom of our linen closet...laying on top of a big warm quilt.

One very specific book memory my husband and I both share is that we read a story about a little kid who lived in the woods, quite happily in the roots of the giant redwoods. We both remember him cooking acorn pancakes. Neither of us can remember the title or author, unfortunately -- I would love to find that book.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

I remember sitting in my great grandmother's rocker by our fireplace, with a fire in it, in the winter reading while it snowed outside.  We had a big bay window in our living room so it was like being out side watching the snow.  I read all the Nancy Drew Mysteries and every biography I could get my hands on, if I ran out then I'd read my parents books and they had a lot.  I was a bookaholic, my mother's description, even then I never passed a bookstore and still don't even with my Kindle.  Before I could read I used to beg my parents to read to me, I got to the point I knew the books by heart and would tell them if they missed a word.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Linda Cannon-Mott said:


> I am putting this in the book corner, but not sure this is the right place.
> ....


I think it's a fair fit here--so many of the memories are tied to a specific book!

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I remember Book Fairs!  I ordered ALL the books, I was so excited.  My mom narrowed it down to 2 or three.  I used to go to the library and come out with a huge stack of books, maybe 20?  maybe in the 3rd grade?  The librarian asked me if I would read all of those.  My father said, "Yes, she will."  I even read the cereal boxes at breakfast just to have something to read.

My earliest books that I remember were Dr. Seuss.

Betsy


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## Jen (Oct 28, 2008)

My first memory is early in elementary school when I was moved to the 'advanced' reading group, probably first grade.  I felt so cool.  I remember all of the book fairs, trips to the library - I especially remember friends knocking at my door wanting me to come out and play, but all I wanted to do was stay inside and read.  I'd try to think of some excuse, but a lot of times got talked into going outside to play.  Those are great memories too, but I can definitely remember being upset that I wasn't home reading.  I think I read every Nancy Drew, VC Andrews and Stephen King by the time I finished middle school.


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Geeky Girl Karin said:


> I remember the bookmobile coming to school once each quarter. A note would go home to our parents a week before reminding them about it and my parents always gave me some money for a book.We would be called into the bookmobile in small groups and my friend Jane and I would buy the next two Encyclopedia Browns (or whatever series we were reading at the time) and then share them. It was great.
> 
> I also remember reading by flashlight at the bottom of our linen closet...laying on top of a big warm quilt.
> 
> One very specific book memory my husband and I both share is that we read a story about a little kid who lived in the woods, quite happily in the roots of the giant redwoods. We both remember him cooking acorn pancakes. Neither of us can remember the title or author, unfortunately -- I would love to find that book.


I remember that book. If I recall correctly, it was made into a movie. Looking.....


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Geeky Girl Karin said:


> I remember the bookmobile coming to school once each quarter. A note would go home to our parents a week before reminding them about it and my parents always gave me some money for a book.We would be called into the bookmobile in small groups and my friend Jane and I would buy the next two Encyclopedia Browns (or whatever series we were reading at the time) and then share them. It was great.
> 
> I also remember reading by flashlight at the bottom of our linen closet...laying on top of a big warm quilt.
> 
> One very specific book memory my husband and I both share is that we read a story about a little kid who lived in the woods, quite happily in the roots of the giant redwoods. We both remember him cooking acorn pancakes. Neither of us can remember the title or author, unfortunately -- I would love to find that book.


Found it!









My Side of the Mountain


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

My most vivid childhood memory about reading takes place in a small rural town (a bit larger than one redlight small, however) in Michigan where I lived from 2 to 23. My mom was always diligent about reading to me as a child, so by the time I entered grade kindergarten I was the only one who could actually read a book from cover to cover. 

We had recess inside a lot because of the awful weather in Michigan. I was always more of a bookworm than a social butterfly, so one day instead of running around with the rest of the kids, I was sitting on this big carpeted block in the middle of the play area reading a book. I don't remember which book, only that it was a childhood book with bears in it. 

The teachers aide came up to me and asked, "What are you doing?"  

"Reading." I answered. 

"Can you tell me what this says?" She pointed to a line on the page I had open, and I read it aloud for her. She flipped a few pages then asked me to do the same. I did. She smiled and walked away, letting me read my book. 

Later in the day, the P.A. system crackled and I heard "(My real name) please come to the principal's office." 

The kids started laughing and pointing at me, making that throaty "ummmm" noise that means, without question, 'so-and-so is in troooooubbble!" I was horrified, I'd never been in trouble in my life, I was a goody-two-shoes teacher's pet! 

Nevertheless I walked down to the principal's office, wondering if I was going to get detention, or get expelled, or even be told what I did wrong to be called down! I walk inside, and the principal, a nice woman with fluffy black hair, hands me a little piece of paper. 

I hadn't been in trouble at all, I had gotten an award! It was a certificate that in retrospect looked a lot like my high school drama award or my G.E.D.. It said "SUPER READER" in big letters, and she explained that it would be displayed with the rest of the awards and acknowledgments for a week or two, then I'd get to take it home. 

I met her again, later on in life as a surly teenager, and she remembered the award and how nervous I'd been when I walked into her office for the first time. It was a really sweet moment.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

No one moment stands out to me because my nose was always in a book.  If I didn't have anything else to read, I read my schoolbooks.  We always got our books for the next school year ahead of time, and by September, I had read all of them.  Even the math books.


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## Linda Cannon-Mott (Oct 28, 2008)

Nice story Mikuto.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I remember finishing *Charlotte's Web*. I was visiting my aunt and uncle in NYC. I was sitting in my cousin's bedroom in a little slip-covered chair, covered in a floral chintz, my legs curled up under me. I finished the book, closed the cover and then burst into tears and cried for two hours.

L


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## Geeky Girl Karin (Nov 7, 2008)

Jesslyn said:


> Found it!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I can't thank you enough for figuring out which book it was. I ordered it as a surprise for my husband's stocking. (Sure hope he's not reading these boards!) LOL

That was very nice of you, thanks again!


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

Jesslyn said:


> Found it!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You know I was _just_ thinking about that book the other day, and I remember not ever quite understanding why the boy ran away to begin with, since it's not kindlized, I don't plan on getting it, so can somebody remind me why he ran away?


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## Jesslyn (Oct 29, 2008)

Geeky Girl Karin said:


> I also remember reading by flashlight at the bottom of our linen closet...laying on top of a big warm quilt.


This made me remember....When I was in 3rd grade I had to get glasses. My father was mad because my parents constantly caught me reading under the covers w/ a flashlight and he thought the glasses were a result of that (I also think it had something to do with the whole 'girls who wear glasses' thing). I will never forget my eye doctor frowning and telling him that reading in the dark definately wasnt it; that eye strain in that sense was a myth. If I couldn't make out the words because it was too dark-I wouldn't be reading.

As I triumphantly grinned at my dad, he then said "Its probably just too much readin, period. The human eye just wasn't made for small print".

Need I say that he remained at the bottom of my most favorite person list for years?


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