Books...

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

- Charles William Eliot                                          

This is a lesson I want to teach my future children. I went through a stage when I was younger where I didn't like reading. I spent most of elementary school refusing to read anything that I didn't have to read for school. In middle school, I can remember overhearing one of my teachers saying that she could pick out the students who would get scholarships later on because they always had a book with them now. It was this comment, not even meant for me, that changed my mind about reading for fun. From then on I tried to have a book with me at all times. And before I knew it, I wanted to have a book with me at all times (I also pulled in a few scholarships). Now as an adult I read whatever I can, whenever I can.

Thanks to Project Gutenberg and my Kindle, I have been trying to read some of the "classics" that have been on my list.  One of those is L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. 

I am so glad that I finally read this story. Everyone has seen the movie, and it was a fantastic feat in its day, but the original story is so much better! The imagery paired with child-friendly adversity and a simple but meaningful plot make this a book that I would gladly read over and over to my children.

If you have never read the original, or if you haven't read it recently, please do so. You won't regret it.