Fiction

WCIL

(343 posts)

30. I went to a failing public school in the early to mid '70's

Mon Dec 15, 2014, 04:44 PM

Dec 2014

I started there in 3rd grade, and the teacher was so busy trying to help the other kids learn to read that I was pretty much left to my own devices. My dad started taking me to the library regularly so that I always had a book at school to while away the time. There was not a lot of money in our house, but my parents would always find a few dollars when the Troll and Scholastic book order forms came out. After that year I was so far ahead of everyone else that I was allowed to do "independent study" type projects until I went to junior high school.

I don't recall my parents reading to us, but we always had books around the house and they encouraged us to look things up and use the library. There were always books among our Christmas and birthday gifts.

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I want to start a somewhat different sort of conversation here: What made you into a book reader? [View all] scarletwoman Sep 2014 OP

A great topic TexasProgresive Sep 2014 #1

Thank your for replying! scarletwoman Sep 2014 #4

The first book I read was non fiction, history. I really enjoyed it. Love of history is in my applegrove Sep 2014 #2

History is wonderful! It teaches us to imagine a different time and place. scarletwoman Sep 2014 #5

In my family it was self defense. Everybody else was reading. Downwinder Sep 2014 #3

Well, there you go! scarletwoman Sep 2014 #6

I think that my experience is like yours. Curmudgeoness Sep 2014 #7

I think that having a parent (or parents) who read to us when we were little, is probably THE most scarletwoman Sep 2014 #8

similar history to those posts above with me northoftheborder Sep 2014 #9

Grade school and High School Book Reports fadedrose Sep 2014 #10

My mother always read to us when we were little. SheilaT Sep 2014 #11

My story is somewhat similar... llmart Nov 2014 #28

I must've been about 10 or 11 when I started to love reading. Old Crow Sep 2014 #12

I come from a long line of readers Lydia Leftcoast Sep 2014 #13

"e-books on a phone" - YES! I love that!! I've read a number of closeupready Sep 2014 #21

I was beaten so badly by my father nilesobek Sep 2014 #14

! Old Crow Sep 2014 #17

I don't quite remember the exact time. Tracer Sep 2014 #15

A writer of one of my favorite comic books wrote a book... GOLGO 13 Sep 2014 #16

Mom and Dad always read stories to us, mostly Bible stories, and we had 78 records japple Sep 2014 #18

Thank you for the thread, scarletwoman. The influence of my parents made me a book reader. Enthusiast Sep 2014 #19

My folks encouraged reading - we'd go to Waldens, and closeupready Sep 2014 #20

I was always read to as a little kid pscot Sep 2014 #22

My mother read to me. PDJane Oct 2014 #23

Our parents read to us and took us to the library regularly. oldandhappy Oct 2014 #24

Kindles and Nooks didn't exist when I was a kid. nt raccoon Oct 2014 #25

Good question! gratefultobelib Oct 2014 #26

Mom and Dad shenmue Oct 2014 #27

... Enthusiast Dec 2014 #38

Thank you Mom and Dad oldandhappy Dec 2014 #29

Another great story. Enthusiast Dec 2014 #39

I went to a failing public school in the early to mid '70's WCIL Dec 2014 #30

Books saved you! Enthusiast Dec 2014 #37

Reading is my education. Sweeney Dec 2014 #31

Thank you for sharing that amazing story, Sweeney. Enthusiast Dec 2014 #34

It is a shame for a man to act like a child Sweeney Dec 2014 #40

I just read back through this thread and remembered SheilaT Dec 2014 #32

Excellent point about comic books! My experience was much the same! scarletwoman Dec 2014 #33

I'm with you guys on the modern graphic novels. Enthusiast Dec 2014 #36

Interesting post, SheilaT. I still have a large stack of Classics Illustrated comics in a drawer. Enthusiast Dec 2014 #35

Ditto Sweeney Dec 2014 #41

Comic books Are_grits_groceries Feb 2015 #42

I read, It's Like This Cat, in the 6th grade and I never mackerel Feb 2015 #43

As best as I can pinpoint it hippywife Mar 2015 #44

I always had books hermetic Mar 2015 #45

Love to see the new responses to this thread. Thanks for starting it Ms. Scarlet! japple Mar 2015 #46

I love to see them, too. I've read every single post in this thread. scarletwoman Mar 2015 #47

Bad eyesight. anne neville Apr 2015 #48

My mom. bravenak Apr 2015 #49

Thank you so much for posting on this thread! scarletwoman Apr 2015 #50

Thank you for the thread. bravenak Apr 2015 #51

I KNOW you can do it! scarletwoman Apr 2015 #52

Thank you!! bravenak Apr 2015 #53

One book led to another Number9Dream Apr 2015 #54

It's never late to add to this thread! scarletwoman Apr 2015 #55

We must have had similar tastes back in the day. Enthusiast Apr 2015 #57

When I was little, my Dad read to us most evenings. murpheeslaw Apr 2015 #56

Another great story! Enthusiast Apr 2015 #58

I don't know what it was, exactly. ladyVet May 2015 #59