MY Boy

About halfway up the stairs I could see the little space between his bedroom door and the hall floor.

Bill said he’d just put the kids to bed, so I expected darkness, but no, that bedroom definitely had a light on.

I opened the door and he rolled quickly to a sitting position, grinning when he saw me.

“How’s the book?”  I asked.

He’s reading the fourth Harry Potter book now.   He figures he’ll probably finish the final book some time during the fifth grade.  That sounds about right. 

I feel unspeakably happy when I see him curled up in a chair or lying on the couch or outside on one of the deck chairs, immersed in the wizarding world.  Not because it’s the wizarding world, but because it’s books.  My boy loves to read.

I was like that.  Still am, actually.  I would bring home two dozen books from the library at a time when I was a kid.  My best friend and I would bike over to the Peace Dale Library – a gorgeous old stone building that smelled gloriously of wood and books and brittle leather bindings.  Our library cards were cardstock with little metal pieces attached that had our member number on them.  When we checked books out, that little number would get stamped onto the book card, which they kept on file so they could send out overdue reminders if necessary.

Now, the library has been modernized.  It still looks the same, still a beautiful old building.  But inside…it’s too bright, it’s carpeted, there are computers and the library cards are plastic.

I know, things change.  But still…that old library had character.  You had to tiptoe around because the floors creaked and, you know, it’s a library so you’re supposed to be quiet.  Being quiet was way more of an adventure with the creaky old wooden floors.  The narrow staircases.  The heavy doors.

Sigh.

Anyway, back to my son. 

One of his friends told him “reading is boring!” the other day.  I think this was more an attempt to get Alex to put the book down and play than any well constructed argument, but regardless, I was almost giddy when Alex stuck to his guns – and his book. 

MY boy.

Comments

[Di]

Brianna is constantly reading. (She's 8.) When I try to talk to her I the car, she usually asks me if we can talk later, since she's trying to read. =) I remember having a library card like that. It was a rite of passage for me and my sisters—you could get your own library card when you could write your name.

[Sprogblogger]

I so very much hope that I'm raising a reading boy, too! I was a kid like you, (and yes, I remember those old library cards!) The library was my favorite place as a kid, and I went on to become a librarian, even though by the time I did so, it was computers and comfy chairs instead of leather and old paper. The days Henry brings me a board book instead of a ball to play with are very happy days in my world!

[steve shilstone]

Thanks for putting a smile on this old writer's face.

[Kristi Wood]

My eleven-year-old son is ravenously consuming The Hunger Games at this very moment. (see what I did there? hehe)

[judith]

OMG, I would have never ever thought about those library cards! We would protect them like they were made of gold. I remember going to the library in a taxi before my mom learned to drive. It was our main outing in the summer besides the public pool. Our library even had summer reading contests for kids. My kids are huge readers, the girl more so than the boy. Do your kids still allow you to read to them? Mine would to this day and they are grown! They say that's the best way to make a child an avid reader.

[Jen]

Love it! My boys are reading too - so nice to see. All the library talk is timely in my neck of the woods. I live near Toronto where the mayor (and his meddling brother) are threatening to close and privatize libraries! Fortunately people are being vocal in their opposition and Ms. Margaret Atwood is leading the charge via Twitter. As an aside, the Mayor's brother claims not to know who she is. Not sure how it's possible since every child in this province reads at least one of her books before graduating highschool, but I digress!

[Jayne]

Oh yes, my kids would still let me read to them. Julia more than Alex at this point, but if he was in the right mood, hed go for it.