h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

BG, I'd have thought anyone would know that blue is a proper color for a rabbit. Sheesh.

Recognised a fellow spirit when we met, so long ago now

To me a house without books is not a home. I love the feel and smell of books, and an unread one is better than an unopened box of chocolates for lots of reasons

I must confess I wasn't a fan of libraries, as I always want to keep hold of any book that I really like, to read again later, and it got me fined a few times!!




Websailor

Ah. The Heinlein story was 'The Cool Green Hills of Earth'.

And Beverly Cleary. She's great. My sisters used to read her all the time. Aloud. I rolled on the floor - or, as I believe Henry said, 'died three times'.

Beezus and Ramona are terrific characters.

Hint for parents: You can find free online books at www.archive.org to load onto your readers, to go with your Gutenberg and University of Virginia gems. Saves money for those new ones.

While you're at it, check out the wonderful early TV at www.archive.org. Fun stuff.

I used to read a lot as a kid, and then when I turned about 18 I found I didn't have time to read adult books any more. I couldn't work out why, I loved reading, but it took me a lot longer to read adult books than kids books.

Then when I was finally convinced I was dyslexic I it all plopped into shape. I'd been assessed as a 17 year old, but they used the 'child' assessment and I was fine, then when I was 30 my boss told me I was dyslexic and I had to get assessed. Apparently I should know how to spell protein by now, and he said I was mildly dyslexic and my reading speed is half the speed it should be it should be for my IQ. So it did take me longer to read books with a reading age of 18 or above.

Now I forgive myself when it takes me longer to read a book, I sometimes listen to books on audio because that's easier for me. I do have a backlog of books to read, and I recognise that I have to schedule time to read them.

I loved reading as a child, i would stay up half the night reading after my parents had gone to bed. The first *book* i remember reading was an R.L.Stine Goosebumps book (probably intended for my 5 years older sister as i was only 7) I found it on the floor of my mums bedroom (i had been delivering fresh laundry) and sat and read the whole book in one sitting. From then on i read anything i could lay hands on.

I am planning on beginning to read to the mouseling before they are born. I have already said to S that there will be no TV for mouseling until they are at least 2 or maybe even 3 years old. The mouseling will not have a bedroom TV, i think having a TV in my teens curbed my reading drastically. I want my child to have an interest in books, and an imagination of their own.

mini

Praying to the choir here, but as this household is rather full of books and heavy on readning, you will not get any counter-arguments from me.

Schools required reading never changed much for me as I read loads on my own - but I do remember being impressed with the quality of writing of Danish author Herman Bang, when not even our high school Dansih teacher's working us through it detail by detail by detail could harm it to me.

Here C (daughter, 18 for those not acquainted) reads so much English now - started with reading Harry Potter once she'd read the Danish ones as she figured it would make the introduction to English easier - that it certainly helps her English grades significantly due to her vocabulary picked up from books.

We've certainly read for the kids from early on - and they luckily picked up the habit. They've never had TVs in their rooms - not as much from any higher principle but more practically "two TVs in a household must be enough". But sure enough, when they were younger, in weekends they woke up and grabbed a book until rhey had to get out of bed.

There days, to be honest, it is as often a laptop, they grab - but I'm sure they'll never leave books behind

We read to my eldest when she was small. Then, when she was four and a quarter, she taught herself to read. She came down from her bedroom one day having just read the whole of 'The Twits'. She didn't like it at all and asked me to put it on a high shelf so that she couldn't reach it.

Funny!

I don't remember what my first picture book was, but my first chapter books were the Bobbsey Twins. My mom bought me the entire set,one volume at a time. Boy, does that show my age!

Websailor, I miss you guys and would love to make another trip over. Unfortunately that isn't possible right now. But I'll be there again one of these years.

I think everyone is finding things difficult at the moment. So long as we keep in touch this way that will be great. I am not a traveller, I have to force myself to go any distance (English distance that is, not US!) but I love to read about other places and watch on TV and computer.

Thanks for the thread on books, it has created a lot of interest and it is good to know that there are many people still as hooked on reading as I am.



Websailor

>>Reading under the blankets by torch light>>

Been there, done that.

And when I discovered the 'teenage' section of our tiny local library, I was in 7th heaven

The only book I remember from the required reading is 'Lord of the Flies' - because it was so creepy!

But during my 'college' years we had a great hit with '10 top poems of the week'. So many years later, I admire our teacher for putting so much effort in.

See, we'd get 10 poems, often by 'established' poets (published) and vote. The 5 poems that got most votes stayed on the list, and a week later 5 new ones were added.

And we were encouraged to write poems of our own, because those would be included in next week's list as well.

Only once did I manage to write anything in Swedish that got on the list, but - as I think I've mentioned elsewhere - I find it much easier to write poetry in English.

I think that reading and writing are closely related - it's so much easier if you feel comfortable about both.

And spelling errors in both Swedish and English drive me nuts! Not that it keeps myself from having 'phat phingers' days....

Oh, and I 'accidentally' taught my brother to read when he was 4 (and I was 10).

We were both fascinated by nature documentaries on TV. And whenever my mother took down my father's from the top shelf to dust it off (once each week), I'd point out to my brother the various parts of the worlds that we had most recently seen wildlife from, and read them out loud.

And there was Jacques Costeau, and Jan Lindblad, and a whole bunch of other 'explorers' to follow.

And one day, when I wasn't at home, my mother took the down to dust it, and my brother started reading out loud from the various names on the map.

'Oh, how clever of you to have memorized everything Ti has told you' my mother said.

And my brother got very annoyed, saying 'I don't remember, I *read!'

My mother was dubious - a four-year-old that knows how to read?

So she started pointing out various areas on the and my brother read them out loud to her - even never-to-be-heard-of-before places - and she realized that yes, he knew how to read.

And I had no idea what I had done until decades later, when she told me the anecdote.

So glad I am not the only one that has 'phat phingers' days it I try to edit so I don't look an idiot but the odd one slips through.

I wonder how many children read under the blanket now, it was so exciting and 'naughty' , at least in my home.

Websailor

Please note that I'm not the one who coined the exprssion 'phat phingers' - but I've no idea where I saw it first...

Doesn't matter, it is such fun and one of them just surfaced I couldn't resist

Websailor

*because that's the predicted weather for tomorrow - eventually mixed with rain...

Ouch, sorry Hyp, this OTD got a bit out of hand, please carry on...

Hyp

Oh, no, please, it is wet enough already.

Websailor