WHEN I WAS A KID

This is not an April Fool's joke.  When I was a kid, as I remember it, there was little emphasis put on reading.  Of course, it was one of the 'three R's' and we were graded on reading skills but reading books was another thing.  We read out of readers in English class but never a novel, work of fiction or opinion.  We did have a library in elementary school and we learned to use it.  I don't recall reading a book for a class or making a book report.  As I recall, the first books I read for school were for sophomore English class in high school.

My parents never read a books.  We had no books in our house. We got the newspaper every day and that was read quite thoroughly.  For some years we got both a morning and evening paper - Cincinnati had both.  My grandfather did the crossword puzzle every day - that's where I got the bug.

Sometime in my early years, I was given a book called "Babe Ruth Baseball Boy".  I had it autographed by Ted Kluszewski of the Reds.  I was given a book another time by my uncle Earl for a special occasion  (maybe a birthday).  It was "Best Sea Stories from Blue Book" - I'll never forget - short stories.  They were good but I only read a few of them.

All that said, I think my friends consider me 'well read'.  It's easy to fool people.
*o*