"Oh, the places you'll go......"

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” ― Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood

     My love affair with books began when I was three years old. My family owned several sets of The Encyclopedia Britannica, easily accessible on two carved wooden shelves in the living room. They were useful building blocks. My beloved Fisher Price Little People had amazing suburban homes and clearly defined neighborhoods with two car garages. Stacking books on top of each other may have been my first experience with playing Jenga. How high could they go without toppling and hitting my big fat preschool noggin?
      My actual love affair with READING however, began while looking at the pictures in books and using my imagination to create endless adventures. (assuming you are near my age) Who doesn't fondly recall Richard Scarry's Busy Town, Dr Seuss, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Billy Goats Gruff and Mr Pine's Purple House? What's that? You say you have never heard of Mr. Pines Purple House? Well, let me enlighten you. It happens to be the very first book I learned to read all by myself. "Mr. Pine lived on Vine Street in a little white house. "A white house is fine," said Mr. Pine, "but there are FIFTY white houses all in a line on Vine Street. How can I tell which house is mine?" Will Mr. Pine find his house? What happens? How does it end? Sorry, you will have to buy the book! I am eternally grateful to Mr. Leonard P. Kessler and (my family of course) who had to endure the one hundred and eighty two recitings thereafter. Since that first encounter I have never stopped loving to read and believe it or not my comprehension has actually advanced following that initiation into the literacy league. It cannot be stressed enough to children of all ages that reading will develop a sense of curiosity compassion and understanding of the world even if you seldom venture off the front porch of your home on Vine Street.