This book that I have been reading over the past few days brings back such memories of my first experiences in reading for pleasure that it surprises me I haven't read it since the 1950s.
I tried to explain to Emily how hard it was to be a preteen growing up with a love of reading but being relegated to the children's section of our public library.
I guess our librarian at the public library was a nice-enough lady, but she didn't exactly contribute to a good feeling when we visited the little white building behind our elementary school. She stood guard over the adult section, and it was impossible to venture out of the children's section without getting the eagle eye or warning that we weren't allowed to go in that section. What were they hiding?!
There was very little to be found between Winnie the Pooh and Earnest Hemingway. I had read all the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books and children's classics. In fourth grade, my teacher saw a book on my desk and picked it up and examined it a long time before she gave it back to me and said she thought that book was too old for me. I can't remember the girl hero's name, but she was a teenager in the story. One book from the series was entirely the story of how she wanted a puppy and all the roadblocks that came before she could get one. There were chapters of her standing longingly outside the pet shop looking in the window at "her" puppy. Somehow she was allowed to get it and named it Tuck, or Tucker, because there were plenty of dogs named Nipper. Nip and tuck? That was a little lost on me, but obviously it made an impression because it's the only thing I remember out of a series of books. I'm sure there was an after-school job and girlfriend misunderstandings but nothing about boyfriends or serious problems - like racism or poverty - to upset us. We just weren't supposed to know certain things until a certain age, I guess.
I'm not sure how I got access to the adult section or when, but I was a rule follower, and it was on the up and up when I did. One of the first books I checked out was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It was written about the time I was born, but it took place around the turn of the century. Having just finished it today, I remember descriptions of how much harder life was then than it was even in the 1950s as far as schools and the way children were treated, life during and after the Depression, WWI and WWII - so many things. Even with the sadness throughout the book, I had to have loved learning things about real life and things that weren't much discussed when we were growing up.
Parents were pretty much busy trying to work day and night to feed their families and pay the rent, and there wasn't a lot of coddling of children. Descriptions of the schools were so sad to me because that's where I was the happiest, learning and discovering and having mostly kind teachers. I can't imagine teachers who punished children for being poor and caused so much pain by blaming them for their situations. Of course, it went on when I was in school but to a lesser degree and even now but more subtly. Even though we had very little, we were sent to school clean and with our homework and kept our mouths shut, but I do remember that there was a very distinct class system, and even I noticed the differences in the way some children were treated.
One thing I did identify with but to a lesser degree was the chapter on vaccinations - the reluctance of parents to want to subject their children to unknown poisons but not being able to send the children to school without them. It was a scary time for all of us because nothing was explained to us. We were just lined up on "shot day" in that long hallway smelling of alcohol and fear and pain. The injections never hurt as much as you thought they were going to, but there were sometimes kids who passed out and always the chance that you would embarrass yourself by crying. And never given the chance to make your own decisions!
I'm so glad I found this book after all these years. I've tried and sent back to many books lately that just aren't readable to me. It's also surprising there is an audio version, and I loved hearing the various accents of the first-generation Americans. I see that there was a movie made from the book too. I'll probably not be able to find it, but I'll do a good search and see.
This is the first weekend of the new year, and I'm wasting it in a lovely way. I had to go to the office this morning and get the new rent portal straight. That new method of payment along with a new checking account number was driving me crazy. I kept receiving notices that my rent payment was declined, but it wasn't hard to solve, so maybe I'm on the verge of having that headache gone.
The girls were able to spend the whole afternoon here yesterday since it was early release day. They were so excited because they had a "project." Gray and Kate had given Carly a craft kit for Christmas, and Carly admitted she was having a hard time getting into it.
The worst things about opening one of these kits is all the confusion. I had already opened this one and found the things they needed and made them little work stations, but there was immediately cries of "I want the ducky." "I want the bunny." I wrote 1, 2, and 3 on pieces of paper to see who got to choose first, and however it went, they were all happy. Gray and Kate also were given a kit too at home, so if they didn't get their first choice, there would be another chance.
The pompoms were made by winding yarn around the tines of a fork. I know they would do a better job on the second try, but it was a little hard to understand. Anyway, we got an orange one for the goldfish, a white one for the bunny and a yellow one for the ducky.
I went back just now to get a picture of the fork method and ended up making one of my own, using probably twice as much yarn. If they get back into it, I'll have to remember that.
They were pretty patient sharing the one tiny bottle of blue and sticking the little bead eyes on and then punching out the little accessory pieces. I hope they had fun. I know I had fun listening to their comments. Carly: My bunny looks like the Abominable Snowman. Gray: After 2 minutes: I'm done. Katherine: After 15 minutes: I need to add some spots to my goldfish and put him in a clear cup like an aquarium. And I've lost my head fin, but I can made another one and color it orange." Miss perfectionist.
They set up a gallery and took some pictures. I'm sure they did a better job than I could have. I remember trying to make my own pompoms years ago when I made baby bootees for gifts, and it was hard to get them looking round. Here are some pictures though. I had a great time even if my tai chi back was still aching and I had to find the ice pack when it was all over.
I think they were watching cat videos - one thing we all have in common.
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