One of the things I look forward to most every summer is getting out on the water again. There's nothing like taking the kayak out to a lake on a hot summer day and spending an hour or two paddling aimlessly over dark water. Steve and I were doing just that last week – floating on Lake Morey in Vermont, watching loons dive – when a submerged memory surfaced:
"Steve!"
"Mmm?"
"What's that line from "The Wind in the Willows?"
"Which one?"
"You know, when Mole and Ratty are out on the water and Mole says he's never been in a boat before and Ratty says 'Never been in a – you never – well, I – what have you been doing, then?'"
"Oh. Yeah?"
"And then Mole asks if it's really as nice as all that and Ratty says something like, 'Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing half so much worth doing…?'"
"'... as simply messing about in boats."
"Yes! That."
We floated some more and then Steve said: "We should read that again."
The only thing better than lazing around a lake is re-reading a beloved children's book. When we got home, I dug out an old copy of "The Wind in the Willows" and found the passage I remembered: the picnic on the riverbank, the unexpected appearance of Otter, ("Why didn't you invite me, Ratty?"), old Mr. Badger and the odious, swaggering Toad of Toad Hall. All just as funny and just as enchanting as ever. So here's my suggestion for vacation reading – this summer, find a book you loved as a child, a book that's lodged dimly in your memory. Get hold of a copy and read it again. I bet you'll wonder why you waited so long.
And if you're looking for inspiration, this week's show, Reading While Young, is full of children's authors talking about their favorite books. I hope you enjoy it. Happy reading from all of us!
–Anne