If you read my June 11, 2020 blog post titled “Words”, you know my love for reading began when I was a little girl. My mom never denied me a book whether we were shopping at a department store or purchasing through the Scholastic Book Club flyers brought home from school. Some of my favorite childhood books I collected still resonate with me today. Maybe it’s because I have many great memories of reading in the hot sun on a lazy summer day, finding quiet solitude between the pages, or because the stories sometimes mirrored my childhood as I read them.
Our family room bookshelf with louver panel bifold doors housed many of my books. Beverly Cleary was one of my favorite writers. The first book of hers I remember reading was Ramona the Pest. I was about the same age as the mischievous kindergartener portrayed in the book so I absolutely could relate to her silly escapades with her family, classmates, and sister Beezus. Part of the story involves Ramona being enamored with her kindergarten teacher. As I read the story for the first time many years ago, I recall thinking about my sweet first-grade teacher, Mrs. Rogers. I absolutely loved my teacher, just like Ramona! I have read at least 22 of her books growing up and reread most of them several times. Some of my original copies grace my bedroom bookshelf.
I had quite a large collection of books but many I read were borrowed from our quaint public library located a block from the center of our city. One picture book, in particular, was a favorite that I continued to check out with my green, frayed library card practically every week. It was titled, Company Is Coming to Dinner by Myra Berry Brown published in 1959. The story was about a little boy who helps his mother prepare for a dinner party. He went with her to the “market”, helped set the table, and loved the way his mom looked in her fancy party dress. My mom and dad frequently hosted dinner parties that resembled the one in the book. I recall being recruited by my parents with similar preparations. One of my jobs was collecting the guest’s coats and laying them carefully on mom and dad’s poster bed. Years later as I was reminiscing about this title, I searched for it on the internet and purchased a very old copy (with a hefty price tag!) to have in my collection forever!
Over the years there have been many titles, storylines, and characters that speak to my conscience and resonate with me. If you’re an avid reader, I’m sure you can relate. I’m lucky to have had a collection of books at an early age that not only entertained me but left me with a permanent imprint on my heart.
Since I wrote this post, Beverly Cleary passed away on March 25 at the age of 104. I hope she knows the impact she had on my love of reading as a little girl. Ramona Quimby forever.
