In the Before Times, while Margot was at karate I would take Mila and Ryan over to the library. We only had about twenty minutes, and they liked to use the time to play on the computers there. More often than not we left without books.
But a week or two before everything shut down, we used our library time to–gasp!–find some books to check out. Three or four for the kids, four or five for me.
It was really good timing.
I’m slowly working my way through my stack. Much slower than I normally would. I had to put “reading” on my daily list to kind of force myself to do it. Once I get started, it’s not hard to keep going; it’s just the getting started that’s hard. I can’t explain it. And now I’m way behind on my Goodreads goal to read 52 books this year.
Seeing the kids tear through every book they can find is both motivating and reassuring. The girls are both somewhere in the middle of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Mila is reading Akata Witch, which was one of the library books I picked out for myself, and a Nancy Drew book my mom let her borrow. Margot just started The Little Prince and is working her way through D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths. As a family we are reading The Scarecrow of Oz verrrrrry slowly before bed. Even Ryan “reads” books to himself throughout the day. Go Dog, Go is a current favorite.
I’m glad we have enough books on hand to have kept the kids occupied while the library was closed. I’m glad they want to read without needing to be rewarded or coerced into it. I’m glad reading is valued and enjoyed in our home all the time so that when a pandemic forces us to stay here, we have worlds and friends to visit in all these stories.
And I’m really glad the library is reopening enough for us to return what we have, and place and pick up holds. One can only reread Sideways Stories From Wayside School so many times before one needs to check out something new.
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