500 books will make or break you.
Heard a report on the radio that just by having at least 500 books in the house, your child will be a good reader. You don't even have to be a reader yourself, you just have to have a lot of books around to give the sense that books are important and part of your life.
Growing up, I remember having books read to me. Mostly by my older sister. Occasionally by my parents (my dad did a mean Bears On Wheels). I don't recall actually seeing my parents reading a ton of books although I knew they did read and they always stressed how important education was (oy, the college lecture when I was eight, I will never forget).
But we had loads of books in the house. A lot of photography books (my dad was a professional photographer for seventeen years), a lot of nature books and magazines, a lot of religious books, a lot of family history books, and A TON of picture books and novels that my mother picked up at thrift stores.
When there was nothing to do and no one to play with and I'd already used up my tv hours for the week (three, in case you're wondering*), well, the only place to turn to was the bookshelf. I read books I didn't even want to read simply because there was nothing else to do! Sometimes they became favorites. Sometimes not. Linnets and Valerians, a favorite TO THIS DAY. The Life of Harry Houdini, not so much. Not that it wasn't interesting, but...yeah.
So, I'm thinking the "At Least 500 Books" theory is legit. It worked for me, anyway.
*"Gilligan's Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, or Saturday morning cartoons? Mom and Dad, don't make me choose!"
Growing up, I remember having books read to me. Mostly by my older sister. Occasionally by my parents (my dad did a mean Bears On Wheels). I don't recall actually seeing my parents reading a ton of books although I knew they did read and they always stressed how important education was (oy, the college lecture when I was eight, I will never forget).
But we had loads of books in the house. A lot of photography books (my dad was a professional photographer for seventeen years), a lot of nature books and magazines, a lot of religious books, a lot of family history books, and A TON of picture books and novels that my mother picked up at thrift stores.
When there was nothing to do and no one to play with and I'd already used up my tv hours for the week (three, in case you're wondering*), well, the only place to turn to was the bookshelf. I read books I didn't even want to read simply because there was nothing else to do! Sometimes they became favorites. Sometimes not. Linnets and Valerians, a favorite TO THIS DAY. The Life of Harry Houdini, not so much. Not that it wasn't interesting, but...yeah.
So, I'm thinking the "At Least 500 Books" theory is legit. It worked for me, anyway.
*"Gilligan's Island, The Beverly Hillbillies, or Saturday morning cartoons? Mom and Dad, don't make me choose!"