The Places I Can Go on the Pages of a Book

*Said in the most witchy voice one can muster...* "Are you washing girl?"

Those words have stuck with me throughout 32 years of read alouds, audiobooks, and independently read books. My mom would read my now favorite story book to me often as a child. The book, "Bony Legs" by Joanna Cole was a story based on Russian fairy tale. It's the tale of a witch who lives in the woods on a hut that stands on chicken feet. She has iron teeth and is as ugly as you can imagine! Alongside her are Sasha, a cat, a dog, a gate, and numerous other magical (and sometimes speaking) characters/items that opened my imagination to a whole different level. I have used this as a favorite book in college courses and read it to many of my classes throughout my nine years of teaching.  Any I absolutely read the line, "Are you washing girl?" the same way that my mom did all those years ago.

Do you have a story or a line from one that you especially remember as being your favorite? Growing up I was always at the public library checking out new stories that my mom would read to me and attending the Mother Goose Storytime at the local library. I used to have a picture of myself with Mother Goose and her assistant. Oh how I cherished that woman. I will find that picture someday and post it to the blog for all to see. 

I was read to daily as a child and read on a daily basis as an adult. I've grown up with an adoration of reading, libraries, book stores, the feeling of a book in my hands, the smell of the pages, and the sound of a spine cracking or a page turning. Not all children have or were able to have that luxury as a child. I think of it as a simple luxury, but to those not lucky enough to have it, it's not that simple at all. The saying that says, if you read to your child, you raise a reader couldn't be more true. Over the years I've met many people who don't enjoy reading. I later find out that they weren't read to very often as children. The connection between childhood reading and adult reading is very real. 

Thank you, Mom, for reading to me so much as a child. And for choosing such great books!