Library Book sand Reading

I love reading, absolutely adore it. I could read before I went to school (not trying to sound like a smart arse ) I think I just KNEW somehow the delights that books would hold for me. I started school in the January, as my birthday was in November - everybody else had started in the September and had already made their friends, so I felt a little left out of things at first.

I sat there for the first few weeks, pretty quiet in class. It was a lovely old fashioned village school and the head mistress lived in the school house which was attached.

Mrs Davies my teacher seemed a large lady to a little squirt like me and I couldn't understand why she spent every morning going through the alphabet with us all, getting us to repeat the letters and then sing them all together. I stared at the book rack in the corner and wanted to go and explore but that was only allowed on Friday afternoons.

Mrs Davies had given me a book to learn to read, but it was too easy and I put it in my desk and didn't look at it again. She shouted at me one morning and I couldn't understand why? She was cross because I hadn't taken the book home with me to practice reading with my mom. I didn't say anything, just burst into tears and went and hid at break time in the cloakroom behind the coats. When I was eventually found I was told off again and made to sit in the corner, behind Mrs Davies desk. I didn't like sitting there facing all my class mates who were pulling faces at me, so I turned away. On top of a pile of books and papers on the desk was a much more interesting looking book than the baby one I had been give, so I gently edged it over to me and quietly turned the page and started reading to my self. I lost my self in that book and didn't hear Mrs Bloomfield the juniors teacher come into the class. She must have spotted me in the 'naughty 'corner and asked Mrs Davies what I had done, then she saw me reading the book from Mrs Davies desk and she gently asked me if I liked it. I liked her, she was gentle and smelled of lavender. I said I did and she asked me what the book was about. I told her the part of the story that I had already read and she glanced at Mrs Davies. Then Mrs Bloomfield asked me if I would read her the page that I was looking at, so I did.

From that day I was although I stayed in Mrs Davies class for another 2 years, I was allowed to choose books from the Juniors book rack, and not the infants:-)

I have never lost my love of reading, never will do, so the first thing that I do when Himself is sent to a new site, in a new area is join the library. They are such a useful place ! For a book-a-holic its like being let loose in a sweety shop, all these new things to try. Plus as well, I can usually access the internet there, often free of charge if I want to check emails or surf the web. Most libraries will order books for you if there is something you want that they dont have and also there are DVD's to hire.

Another useful thing is the local information, whats on, where to go, doctors, etc. The librarians are always helpful, and if they cant answer a question, you can be sure they will always try and find the answer elsewhere.

So, I would advise anybody to join their local library, it is such a useful resource and its free in most cases!! A godsend in these cash strapped times, especially when a book-a-holic needs a fix.!