Posted on November 11, 2010 - by Marlene (aka Marlo)
Passion First
I have many passions in life. One of them is reading. I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember, which is really strange since I don’t recall ever seeing my parents or siblings read. After my children were born, I wanted to share my passion for books with them. I remember holding a paperback in one hand while I rock a baby in the other. Poor baby had no clue what was going on, but my children got used to see me with a book. When they became able to sit on my lap, I taught them how to hold a book with both hands.
The first books had more images than words, and as they grew older, the balance shifted the opposite way. When they were little, I’d read each of them a separate story in bed. It was my special one-on-one time 
with them. Later on, they were allowed to stay up an extra hour if they use that hour to read in bed. I knew I’d hooked them on reading when they turned their flashlights on and hid under the blanket once their hour was up, to be able to finish a book.
Books entertained them in long car rides, in camping trips and cold winter nights. They went through many reading phases and genres. I never stopped them from reading whatever they wanted. I figured it was more important that they learned to love to read. Sometimes they picked a book for the cover, sometimes for the title, sometimes for the blurb. Sometimes they like them, and sometimes they didn’t, and ended up not finishing the book. In my opinion, it was all good. As their passion for reading grew, their taste developed, and they became more “picky” on what they read.
During their youth and teenage years, books have been their favourite birthday/Christmas gifts. Twenty years later, it’s mostly books that I still wrapped at Christmas.
Do I have titles to recommend? Not really, but I still have all their books store in a dozen huge plastic bins lined up under the stairs or in closets. My children warned me not to give any books away. They want them for their o
wn children. They may need a few bookcase with them.
Me, I’m looking forward to the next generation of little hands grabbing those same books. So, give your children, or grandchildren, a book… and watch their imagination soar.
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November 11, 2010
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Kav said:
Sniffle. I don’t know what it is about sharing our ‘book heritage’ but I’m getting all emotional as I read these blogs. LOL.
Marlene, I’m so impressed by your idea to allow your children to stay up an extra hour if they were reading in bed! Brilliant incentive. I’m going to share that with every parent of a reluctant reader I meet from now on.
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November 11, 2010
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Dawn Ford said:
Marlene,
I always thought reading, no matter what the book, was important too. I have 2 big boxes of Dylans books that he left. I have already got out 2 shelves full for his younger brother. It’s a great thing to pass this heritage of love for the written words on as you go.
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November 11, 2010
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Brenda Anderson said:
Sounds very familiar, Marlene. My children never lacked for books as preschoolers. They didn’t take to reading right away, though. For each, it took a particular series for them to discover the joy of reading. My youngest, now 14, didn’t like reading until about (2) years ago. Now, I never catch any of them without a book.
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November 11, 2010
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Regina Merrick said:
Hehe! We have one closet upstairs with a huge plastic crate in it. Every time we have to clear it out – like when they redid the adjacent bathroom? – my husband would say, and what’s in THAT bin? It’s books. It weighs a TON, and can NOT be picked up. My kids did let me get rid of books that they didn’t have any sentiment for, but those? Those are the special ones. Children of an English teacher and a Librarian don’t have a chance, do they?
Thanks for sharing YOUR love of books, Marlene!!
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November 11, 2010
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Lynn said:
Marlene, what a wonderful heritage you passed on to your children. I loved to read and did the same with my children, only a little differently. When they gave me a hard time about going to bed (their excuse being they weren’t sleepy) I would tell them they had to go to bed, but they could read. Quite frequently they were still reading when I went to bed. I also still have all their books, as well as more bought for the grandchildren, who are developing a passion for reading.
Lynn
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November 11, 2010
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Kim said:
I remember flashlights and reading under the blankets so my parents didn’t know I was still up past my bedtime. It’s a wonder I didn’t suffocate under there considering I often awoke the next morning with the imprint of book pages on my cheek and a weak flashlight somewhere in the bed with me.
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November 11, 2010
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Marlene (aka Marlo) said:
Dawn, Regina, Lynn, I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one with boxes of books stored away.
Kim, no one mentioned the imprint?
Brenda, better late than never.
Kav, when it comes to reading, all the tricks are allowed LOL
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November 12, 2010
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Lorna said:
Marlene, the gift you gave to your children was priceless!
We did weed our abundant reading library last year and passed on some to my niece and nephews. However, my kids couldn’t part with their favorites and I didn’t make them. Emma used to sleep with books. She loved them that much.
It’s funny that you said you still will be mostly wrapping books at Christmas. Me, too–except for a book for my son. He’s not a huge reader –yet. We’ll win him over in time.