BOOK MARK ... Cathy-Emily's Book Chat

Introducing a new on-going feature: Cathy's Book Chat.

Books. I love them. I love reading; I can and will spend hours in a library or book store. My first trip to the public library occurred when I was approximately four years old. My parents were regular patrons and I will always be grateful for their introduction to such a worthwhile community facility and encouraging what would become one of my most cherished past-times.

The children's section was downstairs and I remember descending those stairs with a sense of anticipation. The librarian read me a Curious George story. I was completely captivated and enthralled: at the facility, at Curious George, but mostly the possibilities the library afforded. Here was a treasure grove of options; the limitless amount of accounts, tales, adventures, descriptions of characters and the complexities of their lives all within a welcome reach. It could be as simple as the Man in the Yellow Hat or as complex as Sybil, a cookbook with wonderful photographs of salad making, a volume of Canadian poetry, or how to change your brake fluid (you ask your Dad!).

Some of my richest and most contented memories of my childhood involved a book or series of books. On birthdays and holidays, I was often the happy recipient of volumes to the Thornton Burgess collection of animal stories. Each volume featured a story about a different forest animal. I loved those stories and knew all the characters by heart (Sammy Jay, Danny Meadow Mouse, Reddy Fox, etc). Even when I wasn't engaged in reading them, I still amused myself with these books. Each shiny hard cover was a different colour and I used to build towers arranging them in colour groups and building little forts, dreaming about the next one I might receive.

In grade six I was placed in a class where independent reading was encouraged. Each month the teacher would take four different students to the public library and each child would select 10 books for the classroom. We could then chose a book and subsequent self directed language arts activities related to that book. We were also encouraged to chose titles from other sources as well. I read Charles Nordhoff's Mutiny on the Bounty, followed by Men Against the Sea, and finally Pitcairn's Island. Huge wordy tomes especially for an 11 yr. but I was fascinated by references to wormy cheese, thirst-crazed men reduced to drinking their own urine, and exotic natives interacting with English seamen. I also recall reading a book translated from German about the day the Americans dropped the bomb of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As an activity for the book I chose to write to the author and did receive a letter back in German. I still have the letter. I read a vast variety of books: Nancy Drew, or better yet The Hardy Boys, Doc Savage, Golden Magazine, books about ghosts, books about fairies, sci-fi, newspapers, Mad magazines, cookbooks, poetry, National Geographic, etc.

When I began babysitting I borrowed profusely from my employers. I read through Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries, the typical Harlequin romance novels, Ian Fleming's James Bond series, Agatha Christy's Hercule Poirot mysteries, whatever was available and caught my eye.

While I was taking Children's Literature at SFU for PDP one of professors required us to read several children's books and young adult novels. He maintained that he seldom read 'adult' (and please I am not referring to porn here) literature anymore; that he simply found it too dark and depressing and found it much more interesting reading literature aimed at youth. I have to agree that some of the most wonderful books I have read have indeed been written with this age group in mind: Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, The Series of Unfortunate Events, The Secret Garden, etc. I love the imagination, the creativity, and ability to transport oneself into a realm where magic is a very real component and fantasy is tangible.

It is with this thought that I want to share with you the latest book I am reading: Darkwing by Kenneth Oppal. (http://www.kennethoppel.ca/home.htm)
Corey first introduced this particular series of books to me by this Canadian author several years ago: Silverwing, Firewing, Sunwing. All three novels feature bats as the main characters and are unique, interesting, and very entertaining. Corey and his classmates loved them! LOVED them! They discussed them endlessly, reread them, discussed them some more and encouraged others to read them. Darkwing takes place in the Paleocene Era (65-55 million yrs.ago) and features prehistoric-type bats. Some of the main characters are undergoing evolutionary changes which is one of the key elements to the story. Fascinating book. I encourage anyone from 9yrs. and up to read these stories.

This will become a regular and on-going feature of this blog: I will share my feelings about a book I am reading and invite your comments and thoughts on it as well.