Of Blanket Forts and Books

It's official.  The kids went back to school this week.  The air has that crispness in the mornings that we love, but also secretly kind of dread, because we know what's just around the calendar corner.  I won't go into it here.

Even though I am long out of school, this time of year always brings me back to those first days before the start of a new academic year.  The anxiety dreams before school started-I can't find my locker ANYWHERE!  I am late for ALL my classes!  My alarm never went off, I am LATE FOR SCHOOL!  I didn't sign up for any of these classes, WHERE IS MY SCHEDULE?!  Lots of variations on the panic dream. And of course, just lots of stress in general, from "Who will I be sitting next to?"  to "I hope everyone likes this John Travolta folder." I think that sense of anticipation which gets so ingrained in you as a child that you can't  help but feel it still as an adult when September rolls around.

For myself, and many of my colleagues here at the library, reading was (and is) a great escape from a stressful world.  We all have that one favorite book memory, the one that can take us back in time to lying on the bed reading late at night, or making a fort out of blankets, with a glass of milk and some cookies, and a good book.  Someplace to hide from the world and enter a new one.  I asked some of the staff here what their favorite childhood book memories are, and the answers follow.

The 'Golden Stallion' series by Rutherford Montgomery. "I had a Breyer horse collection lead by my own Golden Stallion, a dashing palomino, and his mare buddy, Trey Spot, an appaloosa also from the
series. I spent many hours in horse fantasy with my pal who had her own favorite Breyer, Black Stallion. Golden and Black had many adventures together."

 'Daughter of the Mountains' by Louise Rankin.  Momo's treasured Lhasa Apso Pempa is stolen by traders travelling the Silk Road into India.  Momo follows them, trekking through Tibet, Nepal,
Bhutan, and India to find her beloved dog.  "I was absolutely fascinated by the exotice locale.  And I also wanted very badly to drink some butter tea, and acquire a golden Lhasa Apso for myself. I'm still on the lookout for a prayer wheel."

'Black Beauty' by Anna Sewell.  "Not only did I love the book, but my grandmother would tell my sisters and me stories from the book if she was babysitting for the evening. I still remember  listening to Grandma as she regaled us with Black Beauty's adventures."

"Here is my favorite book when I was very young (Rabbit Hill).  I loved animals for as long as I can remember (like a lot of people; nothing special there).  I remember little Georgie rabbit getting hit by a car, but recovers, and the book has a happy ending for all the animals.  Just resonated with me."

Other staffers mention 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L'Engle, the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew Mysteries, and the Happy Hollisters.

And finally, here is a story that a staffer related to me.  The other evening, 2 staff members were talking about how their absolute favorite childhood book was "Anne of Green Gables."  A child came up to the desk with some books to check out, and one was "Anne of Green Gables."   When she was asked if she wanted to check it out she replied,http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/5-steps-to-building-your-own-epic-blanket-fort#4j501y0 "No, this is my own personal copy."  So good to know that another generation is discovering these wonderful books, and making their own memories about them.  I hope she went home and built a fort to read it in.

Click here for ideas for your own blanket fort! http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/5-steps-to-building-your-own-epic-blanket-fort#4j501y0