Where would I have been without them? Dick and Jane, Baby Sally, Spot, Puff, Mother and Father–they people the paper back books of my first readers and I remember them fondly. They were good friends.
“Oh, oh. See Spot. See Puff. Oh, oh.”
Such simple little sentences, but leading on to other, bigger, greater things–the lovely gift of reading. Because of these childhood friends, I learned that by opening the pages of a book, I could be transported to anywhere in the world, or out of this world. I could learn things. I could travel. I could have such fun experiences, and, later on, I could write my own books. Wonder of wonders.
Of all the skills a youngster can learn, to my way of thinking, reading ranks at the top. It is a gift, a lovely thing that will stay with a person all his life. It is not only fun, it is necessary. And, not only to learn to unlock those mysterious-looking letters on a page, but to love doing it. Reading is not a chore, it is a wonder and a blessing.
It has been a long time since I became acquainted with those three children–Dick, Jane, Sally, but I’ll never forget them. They gave me a wonderful gift–the lifelong love of reading.
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