Once Upon A Time There Were Books

I was watching tv. 

Not really. I was reading a book. 

Thomas and Katarina were watching tv. 

Then I heard it. 

The commercial that broke my book loving heart. 

It struck me to the core.

It crushed me.

"Once upon a time there were books...now there's VReader"

The the only sound that could be heard in my house and possibly the surrounding county was....

!?!?!?!?!?!?What!?!?!??!?!?

That is me screaming.  Some of those question marks might represent profanity.

Also, Thomas may or may not have had to restrain me from throwing things at the tv.

~For the purpose of this post I will not bore you with my feelings about this product that I have obviously never tried. It might be a wonderful tool to get your child interested in reading. I'm thinking that it will probably get your child interested in playing the games included. 

~I am restraining myself right now from commenting on the fact that it certainly doesn't have any advanced books-although it is supposedly suitable for kids up to age seven. 

~Do you see how I am keeping myself from discussing how it could possibly promote laziness and non-learning when kids can just click the "read to me" button instead of doing the reading themselves? 

~This is not me telling you that I fear that dancing cartoon characters with every word takes away from the imagination experience kids (and adults) get from reading books. I will not allow myself to use phrases like "slippery slope" or "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" when referring to the VTech V.Reader, but only because they seem too nice.

Instead, I am going to talk about that line from the commercial. 

"Once upon a time there were books....now there's V.Reader" 

It makes me sick to type that. 

I love to read books. 

Seriously. I LOVE books. 

Not just the reading of books. I love the feel of a book in my hand. I love the smell of a book. Books have their own unique smell depending on the binding and type of materials used to make them. Old books are especially delicious (to smell, not eat). I love the feel of pages, the sound of them turning. 

When I get a new book I always do the same thing: 

Hold it.

Feel the weight of it. 

Turn it over and inspect the outside cover.

Pet it.

Open it up and caress the pages.

Inhale. 

Start reading...from the first page.

Sometimes when I pass by a bookshelf I can't help but pet my books. Run my fingers across them. Smile lovingly. Think about who I might want to loan a certain book to, or what book needs a re-read. 

I am an only child. When I was growing up, books were my friends. They were my escape from bad places. They were my teachers. They were my inspiration. As I read, I stretched and grew and expanded my mind. That has never changed.

I have taught Katarina that books are a precious gift. Being able to read them is a privilege that not everyone experiences. I have stood in the bookstore with her and seen her pick up two different printings of the same book, touch the pages and inspect the binding to make her choice.

A few weeks ago when Thomas noticed me smelling a book we had a conversation where words like "clinically insane" were thrown about. Then a little voice from the backseat piped up, "I've smelled my books. The American Girl ones smell the best. I think it's the shiny paper". That is my daughter!

Once upon a time there were books....and we all lived happily ever after.

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