"The Wizard of Oz is one because... "

When someone says "summer", images of my childhood summers come to mind. Walking to the dairy after swimming at the pool to get an ice cream cone, playing Barbie's in the grass with my neice all afternoon, laying out on the patio of my parents' apartment reading books from the library.

I was first introduced to the wonderful world of reading when I was gifted a large, beautiful Fairy Tale book with large, ornately colored illustrations for each story. As a third grader, I had never really thought of actually using my reading skills for anything other than reading in school. The illustrations of the book drew me in to the world of every tale--the princess who had an ogress for a mother-in-law, the cat that could talk and run in human boots, the prized white stagg that only the King could hunt, the gems that came spilling out of a young womans' mouth simply because she said kind words. I savored every story, imagining myself there as the hero or heroine.

About the same time, someone thought that I needed to round out my reading material and gave me a simple, illustrated version of The Iliad and the Odyssey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iliad The book looked old fashioned and uninviting to a young "princess" like me, but desparate for new adventures, I began reading it. I found it to be full of fighting and stupid behavior on the part of men and hardly any girl stuff in it. It didn't keep my attention for long. One day, my dad came home with 2 books from the university library. One was a 2" thick book about Irish fairy tales (fine print, no pictures) and the other was titled The Patchwork Girl of Oz.

I didn't care what size the print was in the fairy tale book, nor did I even notice until later, that it didn't have pictures. Reading it consumed every minute I could find. I even read in bed, by the light of the moon coming in from outside my window. A whole world of make-believe and magic was opened to me. Fairy rings and mischievious brownies. There were rules about how to relate to humans and how some of the fairies would lure humans into the forests and lakes only to see them be caught in a snare or drown in the lake. What a strange place, this Ireland. I wondered if any one had ever really seen a leprechan. (Aside from Sean Connery in Darby O'Gill & the Little People.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7WaKOvirvQ&feature=related (By the way, listen to the crickets!) I didn't realize until I was an adult that my celtic roots were actually beginning to awaken with these tales from the Emerald Isle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland


Now for the Patchwork Girl. Ah, now that REALLY gave me the reading fever! I could relate to the Patchwork Girl. She was giddy, slightly airheaded, but would occasionally come up with some really good ideas. I thought her dress and the way she was constructed was cool use of fabric. Oz was a fabulous place. A place I definately would want to live. I was elated, when I wolfed down this book, to find that it was part of a series..... and so the appetite grew. I had to read every book in the series, beginning at the beginning with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. (No, it's not like the movie with Judy Garland.)

As part of required reading in Junior High, I had to read To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird I never understood Atticus' problems, but his daughter had great summer adventures. The images I conjured in my mind from reading what she did and where she went still linger in my memory as if they were my own. For a long time, as an adult, I couldn't remember how those images got there. If they were really mine or if someone had told me theirs.

The hot, lazy days of summer. Lemonade. What were the neighbors doing. Doing nothing in particular. Oh, what joy. I wished many times while my children were growing up I could do that again. Fortunately, I have been able to the last several summers. Doing nothing in particular, watching a summer afternoon "B" rated movie, eat watermelon till I feel like I'm going to bust, go swimming, watch fireworks and, of course, read books. I think everyone needs to have several months of vacation every year. Make time for yours.