I Spy A Bookworm

A cousin asked me to get Roald Dahl’s books for one of her three girls who happens to be a bookworm and I could not be more thrilled to oblige. I love all three of her kids but I will be lying if I say I don’t have a favorite.

Nina is a precocious 9-year-old who uses big words, learned how to play the guitar by watching YouTube tutorial videos, and thinks heaven is where all the great books could be found. When she was three and a half, I took her on a shopping trip, and from morning till closing time she was the perfect companion; no complaints, no entitled comments. I can relate with her on a level different from the other children in my extended family. After all, us shopaholics, introverts, and lovers of great stories know how hard it is to find kindred spirits and when we do we value them like gold. 

Last summer, I gave her a set of Madeleine L’Engle’s Time Quintet. L’Engle was one of my favorite authors as a child and I have given her books as gifts to a number of my friends’ children. I would’ve given it to all of my cousins’ kids as well but none of them have shown any interest in reading; that is, until Nina came along. When I met her again in December, we chatted about the books like they were all that mattered. She is like a dream!

My own niece and nephews (my sister’s kids) are still too young to truly appreciate the beauty of words strung together on a page. But they are showing interest in stories, at least. The oldest boy (5 y/o) listens to me in rapt attention when I tell him tales of knights and kingdoms, the middle girl (3 y/o) has a healthy dose of imagination, and the 1-year-old, uh, has a love affair with food. For now, I could only hope that I get to share with them the worlds and realms I’ve been in and that they would someday fall in love with the characters I’ve held close to my heart through the years.

Worm (all it needs is a book. lol)