Reading was a part of my life as long as I can remember! Mom says that when I was little, I read Little Golden Books by the hour. We also read magazines like Look and Life, and the Bible. Once my brothers and sisters and I started school, we read lots of books for our book report assignments. My first grade teacher gave me a copy of ANGUS AND THE CAT, which I treasured forever. The Paul Orshoski,Sr. family is pictured above in 1960. (I am holding the book of Christmas carols from which we are pretending to sing.) During the summer months, I would wait outside under the tree waiting for the latest issue of the summer edition of the Weekly Reader to arrive in the mailbox.
Sometimes as a youngster I got to go to the library in Sandusky, where I often participated in the Summer Reading Program. If you read ten books, the Librarians would come to our school during Children's Book Week in the fall, and present a certificate to all who completed the Summer Reading Program of the Sandusky Library. As I got older, I read to my younger siblings. Sometimes when reading Mother Goose rhymes to to my little sister Kellie, I would make up extra verses to "Old Mother Hubbard" just to make her laugh. When Kellie was old enough to read by herself, she would sit in a chair and read MILLIONS OF CATS to our pet cat Patches. The cat loved it!
(Though Kellie read to the cat, she is pictured above with Sam the dog.)
I have worked in libraries for over thirty years, so I have been surrounded by books for a long, long time! My favorite type of book now is biography, but of course I read information from genealogical web sites and Google Books every day. Now that I am a mom and a grandma, I have had the pleasure of reading to my children (now all grown up) and my grandchildren. Reading books is a wonderful way to have fun, learn new things, and spend quality time with loved ones. I am very thankful for books, and to my parents, who always saw to it that we had plenty of reading materials at our house. My brother,Paul Orshoski, Jr., is the author of several children's books. Check out his website!
12 comments:
Awesome Dorene and I remember you used to check out joke books to read to me! Some of my favorite memories from my childhood are with you!! :) Love you!
I love you too sis! With our big family, there is no shortage of stories about "the good old days"!!
Wonderful post, Dorene! I too loved to read and go to the library when I was growing up. I subscribed to the Weekly Reader Book Club, and remember the thrill of receiving each new book in the mail.
What wonderful memories you and your sister must share--and how awesome that your brother is an author!
Shelley,
Our parents were so influential in our growing up years...and all six of us miss them both so much!
Thanks for stopping by!
What a fun photograph at the top, there. I think it's uncommon to see photographs of families reading or singing together.
It seems that your parents had a great influence on encouraging their children in a love of reading, considering that you're a librarian and your brother's an author.
Excellent post, Dorene.
Wow, Doreen, what amazing memories you have of your early years and reading. Clearly your family had the reading gene, lol! As soon as I get done putting the COG together I'm going to check out your brother's web site. How fun to have an author in your family!
Thanks for sharing and contributing to the COG. It's always a pleasure to read your posts!
Awesome post! Lovely memories to treasure.
Lovely memories Dorene. And, your own author too?? Wonderful!
I remember getting the weekly reader during the summer too. Now I'm wondering if the author was one of the boys in the photo at the top - the little one who looks kind of mad or the other one looking over at the book. Or another not pictured.
Thanks to all for your kind words! I truly am blessed to have good memories of the past, and a brother who presently still writes!
My brother who writes books for children is the older boy with dark hair in the old family photo. His mom's hand is on his shoulder.
Dorene, great post! Reading to others always makes a special bond even stronger! Julie
Dorene, great post and I loved the pictures--- who would have thought to read to the cat. Delightful. Also, I join those who fondly remember the summer weekly reader --- I had completely forgotten about that summer joy. Thanks.
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