A couple of weeks ago Flavorwire.com posted an article about favorite childhood books and what they may possibly indicate about the reader. Clearly this was done for pure fun and entertainment, but it caused me to think what if you were not a "reader" in your younger days? What if half of the books listed on the site were read within the last four years as an adult? (I will not reveal my age, but we will say that its not born yesterday and not older than dirt. Somewhere in between.) Should one suppose that my childhood was less than exciting since nothing can be said about me through my reading habits, or lack of, in my childhood? I would grudgingly admit that i missed out on great stories as a child. Having said that I do recall a few books that stood out to me as my favorites.
Snow-White and Rose-Red, the German fairy tale about two sisters who befriends a bear i when he appears on their doorsteps on a cold winter's night. The bear is really a prince who has had a spell placed on him by a wicked dwarf. The spell is broken once the bear has killed the dwarf. As luck would have it, the prince has a valiant brother who marries Rose-Red. Snow-White marries the Prince/Bear. What does this story say about the reader? Frogs turning into princes is boring. Bears are much more appealing. Go the non-traditional route to get what you want.
The Ghost of Saturday Night should be a spooky book, right? Nope. It's about Professor Pepper claiming to raise a dead outlaw live on stage. Opie, smart little boy he is, thinks there is something strange about the whole event. On the night the dead outlaws is raised, the town's bank is robbed. What does this book say about the reader? The readers is not one to believe everything that is advertised. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is!
Beverly Cleary's books were wonderful. Mitch and Amy is definitely a childhood favorite of mine. The story is about siblings Mitch and Amy who are very different and argue about everything. Things change when a common enemy, Alan begins to make their life a little uncomfortable for their tastes. Once they decide to join forces, it is Alan who begins to understand what it means to be humiliated. What does this say about the reader? Hey, the only person who can get away with making my sibling's life miserable is me! So back off buddy!
To think of it now, my childhood wasn't so boring after all. These wonderful stories taught me very valuable life's lessons. First, find your own path to finding what you want in life. Second, use critical thinking skills when deciding what's true and what's false. Finally, the family bond is stronger than anything the world can throw your way. Hope your favorite childhood books says something positive about your past.
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