Flashback Friday: Books, Books, Books!

         Today, I am joining in on the fun with Mocha With Linda and participating in Flashback Friday.

Did you like to read when you were a child?  I ADORED books!  BUT...I enjoyed my Mother reading to me more than I enjoyed reading to myself.  My dear Mother read to me just about every single day!  I was fascinated with the pictures as well.  I loved the colors on each page, and especially the expressions on the faces of people and animals. 

 What were your favorite genres, books or series?  I mostly had Little Golden Books and Tell-a-Tales Books.  I also had some 'big' books of Bible stories, Richard Scarry, and Mother Goose.

 Did you read books because of the author or because of the title/plot?  I honestly didn't even consider that Someone had written the book.  I just loved the title and the actual story.

 Did you own many books?   I owned several, not like hundreds or anything, but I had a good collection.

 Did your school distribute the Scholastic book orders (or some other type)?  I loved Weekly Reader.  I know we brought home book order forms, but can't remember which company.

 Did you visit the library often?  I visited the one at school every time we were allowed to , but I don't remember visiting a public library until I was at least 12 years old.

A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg and The Twelve Blessings of Christmas are excellent Christmas books.

 Was there a summer reading program when you were young, and did you participate? I don't remember one. 

 Do you have any particular memories of your school libraries?   There were pictures around the top of the wall of all the United States Presidents.  I loved the smell of the library.  I remember the round tables in elementary and the colorful orange chairs.  

 What were your favorites and least favorites among the classics (the ones high school English teachers assign!)?  I enjoyed reading Our Town in Literature class.  I honestly didn't enjoy Shakespeare, but Mrs. Wright even made Romeo and Juliet not so painful.  

 If you didn't like reading, do you like it more today than you did then?   I do enjoy reading more now than I did as a child.  As I said, I adored books, but had rather be read to than to read it for myself.  When I got in upper elementary school, I didn't read alot of books except for the ones we read in school.  I went through the magazine stage in Jr. High.  I read Tiger Beat, Seventeen, and Teen magazines religiously. 

I read a little here and there, but it was not MY HOBBY.  Then, for my 28th birthday, my Mother-in-law gave me The Covenant by Hilda Stahl, and Va-La...I've bought books and read ever since!  We now have a library/office which I really have to control myself, or I'd stay there all the time.   I have a very nice collection of books.  My favorite authors include:  Elizabeth George (Christian writer), Helen Steiner Rice, Elisabeth Elliot,  Hilda Stahl, Janette Oke, Lori Wick, Lori Copeland, Max Lucado, Emilie Barnes, Al & Joanna Lacy, Beverly Lewis, Stephanie Grace Whitson, Kim Vogel Sawyer, and Robin Lee Hatcher.  I enjoy reading about the United States Presidents and their families.  I have several books about the Bush family.

I still have my first grade readers (Tag) and several other readers from school.  I have kept ALL of my children's readers.  Most of theirs are from A Beka.  My first grade teacher, Mrs. Judy McCreary gave each of her students a Tell-a-Tales book for Christmas.  She gave me Lazy Fox and Red Hen.  She signed the inside To: Liesa  From: Mrs. McCreary    I have that book displayed with my children's books in my library. 

My dream is to write a book someday.  Maybe one of these days, I'll have my own book displayed in my library.   Writing a book is one of the two things on my Bucket List. 

I cannot say enough about GOOD books!  I do not enjoy reading books on gadgets or computers, or screens.  There is just something about holding a book in my hand.  I highly recommend reading to children.  Even as babies, my children enjoyed the soothing sounds of me reading to them.  Oh the things we can learn, the stress we can relieve, and the encouragement we can obtain simply by reading.  A few of the books I read to my children are Mother Goose, Curious George, Winnie The Pooh, Good Night Moon, Corduroy, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?, Five Little Monkeys, I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, Little Golden Books, Weekly Reader Books, etc.  As a young girl, Noelle loved Nancy Drew books, Mandi series, Little House series, Christy series, Anne of Green Gables series, and Sarah Plain and Tall series.  Cale read more biographies of baseball players, etc.   He had still rather read true stories of missionaries.

The MOST important book I've ever held in my hand is God's Holy Word, The Bible.  God's book is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.  I am convicted, challenged, inspired, helped, and comforted when I read it.