Dear Friends

Do you have a book that you read as a child that is like a dear friend to you?

Recently my son brought home a Scholastic Book Club order form from school. I am having a hard time encouraging him to read and enjoy it. He reads quite well, several grade levels above his age group, anyway, but he is not interested in it. So I looked through the book order and spent $130 on lots of age appropriate chapter books and nonfiction picture books that I thought he might like (and my other children too).

One set of books that caught my eye was the complete Ramona Quimby series by Beverly Cleary. Those were my favorite books as a child, and I couldn't help myself. Even though I have mostly boys and my daughter is a long way off from reading chapter books, I went ahead and ordered it.

The books came and he brought them home from school. I helped unwrap them all from the plastic and reorganize our bookshelf to fit the new ones. When he left for school the next day, I couldn't help myself. I pulled out those Ramona books and started reading.

It was like visiting with an old friend. I knew Ramona like I knew me. I was Ramona Quimby growing up in a lot of ways. I even felt like I looked like her with short brown hair and brown eyes. I loved to draw and write and read. I loved my new pink eraser I got for school.

I loved re-reading my Ramona books. I had many other books I loved throughout my childhood and adolescence, but those Ramona books were my first love of reading. I hope my daughter enjoys them as much as I do.