I’ve been a reader my entire life. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that reading as much as I did growing up helped my writing get to where it is today. Without reading, you’re not going to learn.

It’s why I mentioned Ray Bradbury’s quotes about libraries in an earlier column.  In one of the quotes, Bradbury said he is completely library educated.  Libraries and books are integral to everyone. My day job is at my local library.  Before I worked at my library I had the pleasure of working at RJ Julia Booksellers.  I’ve always loved the printed word, so much so that I’ve been writing longer than I’ve had a camera in my hand.  

These are my three favorite children’s books of all time:

Reading as a child helped me in many ways:
–Reading transported me to a safe place, just as writing did as I grew older.
–Reading was my friend, as I’ve been an introvert as long as I can recall.  Just click the previous link and you’ll see my columns at Wisdom and Life on introverts.
I’d rather curl up with a book or spend my alone time writing then being out with people i don’t know.

–Reading and writing have been my friends long before I had people friends.

I’m not saying any of this to garner sympathy.  I love the way I live.
–I love coming home and finding no one here.
–I love the freedom I have.  
The freedom to read when I want,
The freedom to write when I want.
The freedom to do what I want when I want.

So, I bet you’re wondering when I’m not only getting to the subject of today’s column, but what the column’s subject is.  Well, reading is the subject, more specifically, three of my favorite children’s books of all time:
Tuck Everlasting
A Wrinkle in Time
Charlotte’s Web

So do these books stand out to me?  The first two books have time as one of its major subjects. If you’re a long time reader of Wisdom and Life then you know I have an interest in the concept of time.

–That you can’t change anything without affecting everything else about your life.
–That time doesn’t really exist. That it’s simply a construct of humankind.

It’s why the first two books resonate so deeply with me. In Tuck Everlasting, there is the concept of aging and immortality. Sort of a retelling of Ponce De Leon and his search for the fountain of youth. I’ve sometimes considered the idea of immortality. Which is another reason why I connect with Tuck Everlasting. My writing will create the immortality I sometimes think about.

A Wrinkle In Time is another favorite. I’ve been fascinated by time and distortions in it for a long while.  I often find myself considering ACTUAL wrinkles and tears in the fabric of time itself. Which is why Madeleine L’Engle’s quintessential book has resonated with me.

And Charlotte’s Web?

That doesn’t fit in with the above two books at all you may believe. You’re right. However, Charlotte’s Web has long been a favorite, even before the Tuck Everlasting and A Wrinkle in Time.  Can’t really put a finger on why this particular book has been so deeply important. All I can say is that it is my favorite children’s book of all time.

What are your favorite children’s books?

Be Happy!  Be Well! Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris

Once you realize that life is eternal,
That our souls our eternal,
That we return to light and physical over and over;
We then lose all our distress
We then lose all our fear of dying.  For there truly is no end.