Books

I've always been a reader. The first word I remember being able to read was the word "AND", which my 1st or 2nd grade teacher wrote on the chalkboard. After my mother died I lived with my great grandmother for a time, until my dad remarried, and she liked to read to me from the Bible. While living with her I was given many children's books, including a number of the Little Golden Books.

My favorite children's book was "Tawny Scrawny Lion"! It starts out:

"Once there was a tawny scrawny lion who chased monkeys on Monday—kangaroos on Tuesday—zebras on Wednesday—bears on Thursday—camels on Friday—and on Saturday, elephants!"

Very elementary, yes, but by the time I was in 3rd grade I was reading material normally given to junior high pupils. I was mainly interested in scientific subjects, such as astronomy and dinosaurs. I really didn't care for the "Dick sees Sally run. Sally sees her dog run." that was on offer at that age. I was so disinterested in that drivel that my teacher thought I couldn't read well enough to be advanced to 4th grade, so was going to fail me. But my stepmom came with me to school for a conference about this, and brought one of my favorite science books, about astronomy. She had me read out of the book to the teacher, which apparently surprised her, and so I went into the 4th grade.