Appreciating the Magic of Books
December 12th, 2007
Mindy Klasky
Guest blogger Mindy Klasky is the author of six fantasy novels, including the award-winning, best-selling The Glasswrights’ Apprentice and numerous short stories. Her latest novel, Sorcery and the Single Girl, is the second book in a series about a love-struck D.C. librarian who discovers she’s a witch. Ten percent of proceeds from the sale of Sorcery and the Single Girl and Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft, will benefit First Book.
Last month, the Klasky clan gathered for Thanksgiving. I got to spend a week with family, eating too much, relaxing from the clamor of work, and catching up with everyone - including my eighteen-month-old nephew, Jake.
When Jake was born, I declared myself to be his “book-aunt.” I celebrated his arrival with a dozen gloriously-illustrated picture books, art that I knew he was far too young to appreciate, but which I had to share with him. As he’s grown older, I’ve supplemented the gorgeous books with more practical ones - a bath book (made of waterproof material) and a few dozen board books.
Jake is not quite speaking yet. Like many babies his age, he’s been taught basic sign language, for “more” and for “please” and for “eat” and for other necessities. He lives in that wonderful but frustrating world of comprehending the majority of what is said to him, but he is not quite able to verbalize his responses (beyond single-syllable grunts that we family lovingly declare to mean one thing or another).
And yet, Jake loves to “read.” He will spend literally hours sitting on someone’s lap, turning the pages of his books and pointing to various items in response to questions. “Where is the baby?” “Where is the red fish?” “Where is the lion?” “What does the lion say?”
Jake’s attention span is astonishing - he regularly outlasts his readers in his love for books. When no one is available to point to pictures and ask questions, Jake will entertain himself, turning pages in silence and clapping over the old friends that he finds in illustrations.
I watched Jake over the long Thanksgiving weekend, and I realized that this world needs more Jakes. It needs more readers, more people who understand the unique, captivating power that exists inside the pages of a book. And I’m glad that First Book exists, to spread that special type of magic.
Happy holidays, all!
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
2 Responses to “Appreciating the Magic of Books”
Leave a Reply
Please note that everything you enter here (except your email address) will be publicly visible on the internet. If you wish to contact us privately, please use the Contact form that is linked at the top of the page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Larry Michael Lounsbury Says:
December 18th, 2007 at 4:25 am
It is so uplifting to know that there are always a new generation of kids who enjoy the adventures of reading.
Jen Says:
December 18th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
Thanks for sharing such a sweet story about Jake, Mindy! It just goes to show that you can start “raising a reader” early on!