RebeccaWe all had those favorite books as kids. The ones that we could read over and over and never get tired of. Recently, while I was teaching a class, I was telling some of my students about a few of the books that I read as a kid that inspired a lifelong interest. While I was in fourth grade, one of the assignments that we had was to read and write a book review. While in the school library, I found “Cleopatra: Sister of the Moon” by Margaret Leighton. This one book ignited something, and spawned the lifelong love of Ancient Egyptian history that I still have.
So I took a chance, got online and FOUND IT! I was so excited! I wanted to re-read it and see if it was still as good as I remembered as child. While many years have passed, I still enjoyed curling up with that book and reading it again. It was as though I had taken myself back in time, and discovered a new book that I still enjoyed (okay kids, this is where I will cue you to watch the book club, as this book will make an appearance at some point).
But it got me to thinking, what books did we enjoy as kids that we might still enjoy today? Did it inspire you to delve deeper into a subject that you still read today? As I said above, this one book got me interested in Egyptian history. I have found and read books, started learning hieroglyphs (much harder than I thought, but still interesting), and began playing with my own ideas on some of the mysteries surrounding the history that many take for granted.
I know I ramble, but the point is, children can discover lifelong loves in books that they will remember. My youngest son is obsessed with the Alamo. It is to the point right now that he tries everything he can to get there. “If I do my chores, we get to go see it” or “If I don’t get in trouble for a month, can we go to the Alamo”? My oldest is more interested in Pompeii than the Alamo, but the same want is there. The want to visit and learn and explore. While these places are not close (and Italy is a little outside my price range right now), I want them to continue to enjoy learning. Right now, we can explore through books and documentaries, but now we have goals. We have added these places to our bucket lists, and continue to live through books.
But we have the My Military Savings Book Club, which features both an adult and kid read each month! How much fun is that!? Find new books and maybe rediscover some old favorites at the same time!
What were your favorite books as a child?
