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Treasured books from childhood hard to pass on
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Published: August 13, 2008
My 8-year-old, now halfway through Book 5, has come to love the Harry Potter series.
While I'm thrilled she's reading, I can't help but feel a little disappointed that she's reading Harry Potter instead of the books I loved at her age. It's not as if what I read was written in Middle English! She isn't exclusively reading about Harry, but it's hard for her tear herself away from those kids with the wands.
I don't recall specifically what I was reading shortly after my eighth birthday, but my general recollection is of books like the "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators" series, Tom Swift and his gadgets and "A Wrinkle in Time." About then, my sister introduced me to science fiction ("The Early Asimov, Book 1" was my first, for any other sci-fi fans reading this). But no spark there yet for my daughter.
My wife feels the regret, too. Back in the day, she was particularly fond of L. Frank Baum's "Oz" series and the "Little House on the Prairie" books. No luck there, either.
You'd think that as enthralled as we were with all of the great kids' books back then, our children would be reading them at least as much as they read modern children's books. We've certainly tried to steer our daughter that way — "accidentally" leaving old copies of our favorite children's books out on a table or pulling one out and reading from it to her at bedtime. But to no avail. Next thing you know, she'll be telling us she doesn't enjoy Crosby, Stills and Nash (or Young).
I think that children just don't appreciate the books their parents loved as kids. When we're young, there is a natural tendency, even without the hubbub around Harry Potter, to prefer our own, modern literature. It could be the antiquated language and concepts, or it could be the lack of exposure.
Other than the Narnia excitement a while ago, marketing gurus seem to leave older books alone. When was the last time you saw a "The Secret Garden" tie-in at a fast-food restaurant?
Looking back, I must admit I didn't read that much of what my own father and mother read. The memory dims, but I must have felt as if that old-fashioned stuff just wasn't good enough for me. "Bobbsey Twins"? No thanks. Payback does indeed sting.
As I grew older, my literary tastes expanded to include more of what my parents liked. I have no doubt it will be the same with my kids, eventually. Good literature always distinguishes itself eventually — and, I must add, Harry Potter likely belongs in that category. And really, if she's reading, why complain?
Well, time to go read "Days with Frog and Toad" to my youngest. Hope springs eternal.
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