We have a great love for books in our house. Sure, Jacob and I have ebooks that we read -- it's nice and convenient at times -- but there is just something about holding an actual book in your hands. My love of the written word was my motivation for earning an English degree in college. Words are like puzzle pieces that have no designated connection piece -- they can be put together in many different ways to express many different things. Words can be a thing of beauty, a thing of negativity or encouragement, or even a thing of harm. Most readers would agree that they enjoy getting lost in a story, filling the main character's shoes, and leaving reality for a short while to go on any adventure imaginable.
As I mentioned before, Jacob and I have a good number of ebooks between the two of us. While this saves space and in some cases, money, we still have many actual books. Our all time favorite books cannot be contained to ebook version -- they must be held, the pages smelled as we read, the rustling sound as we turn the page in anticipation of what happens next.
I also cannot bring myself to get childrens books in ebook form. The artwork alone deserves to be held in your hands. "Fletcher And The Falling Leaves" by Julia Rawlinson is a favorite among my children. It is such a beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. The last page of the book shows the tree glimmering in the winter snow and it has a wonderful texture that my kids love to rub their hands over and feel. You just can't experience that with an ebook.
You're probably wondering why I'm writing this strange entry about books. I'm not drooling and we don't keep our books behind glass cases to display all of their wordy beauty. We just like books. Every night before bed I read to Kaitlyn, then I go to the boys' room and they read to me! The other night I sat down to read with Kaitlyn and she kept wanting to read book after book after book. I eventually had to be the bad guy and turn off the light and say, "No more. It's bed time!" She cried and kept getting out of her bed to grab books. When my boys read to me they both try to get on my lap -- I won't lie, they're both getting big -- are almost as big as me. However, the fact that they still like me enough to WANT to sit on my lap while they read to me just warms my heart!
You have the beauty of the words, the artful illustrations, the smell and feel of a great book, and a closeness and excitement that you can share with your children that is almost like Christmas morning. We can be pirates, princesses, go to outer space or deep into the ocean, we can be monsters or visit far away places. Hearing your child laugh during a certain part of a book, or gasp when something exciting or adventurous happens, or better yet, to reach then end, have them look up at you with a smile and say, "Again!" is an awesome thing.
Yes, we love books; not just books themselves but all they bring to our world. What adventure will you take today with your children?
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