Do you remember the first book you ever read? Not a book that someone else read to you—I heard hundreds of books read to me by my mom, grandparents, and my older sister, Bonnie, before I learned to read one myself. But what about the first book you actually read on your own? I think mine was this one:
I was introduced to Dick, Jane, and Sally in first grade, and their story intrigued me. I admired pretty, well-dressed Jane the same way I looked up to my older sister. Adorable little Sally reminded me of my baby sister, Peggy. Like them, our family also had a dog—theirs was named Spot, ours was Lady. I didn’t have any brothers, so I always had a bit of a crush on Dick—he was my first fictional, romantic hero. (Although, at the time, I was convinced he and his sisters were real people. I think all writers hope their characters will spring to life in readers’ minds.)
The book’s setting fascinated me. In the illustrations, the story’s background always seemed so much neater and more perfect than the setting of my life. I was a bit envious of it, to tell you the truth. (And I still love a novel that takes me to an exotic location or time period, don’t you?)
In true 1950’s style, the children’s mother always wore a dress, their father usually wore a suit. The “plot” of the first few books were told mostly through the illustrations. Without them, the dialogue and narrative were pretty stilted, consisting mostly of simple words like “oh” and “look” and “see” repeated endlessly. (Today, I prefer reading novels with a rich, lush vocabulary and vivid descriptions.) Even so, I was hooked on that book!
I came across Dick, Jane and Sally and the memories they triggered while researching my newest novel, “The Wish Book Christmas.” I was looking up everything about life in the 1950’s—fashions, cars, toys, Christmas trees—and somehow I ran into my old friends. Instantly, I was a kid again, sitting at a splintery wooden desk, quietly flipping ahead to the next chapter in the lives of Dick, Jane, and Sally. (I had to flip ahead because the other kids in the class were reading much too slowly, and I needed to see how the story ended. That’s another great quality in a novel, isn’t it?)
It’s MUCH too soon to start blogging about Christmas, (even though I’m told “The Wish Book Christmas” can now be pre-ordered and will be out in September) but I wanted to show you the novella’s very 1950’s cover. I’m thrilled that it has such a nostalgic feel to it. (And the little boy admiring the tree could be Dick, right?)
We’ll talk more about that book and our Christmas memories as we get closer to the actual holiday season. But for now, I would love to know if you remember the first book you ever read—and how it affected you. What was it about the story that was most memorable to you—the plot? The characters? The setting? Or maybe it was the way it showed you something about yourself or your life? I would love to hear from you!
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Like you the first book I read myself was Fun With Dick and Jane. I devoured it and haven’t stopped since. Thank you for sharing this wonderful memory. Blessings
Happy reading!
I, too, grew up learning to read in first grade with the help of Dick and Jane. Educators call the style basal readers by the way. I learned that when I began work in the administrative offices of an elementary school district. All I knew was they were entertaining stories that I enjoyed. Little did I know the repetitive words were teaching me how to read. When my family adopted a kitten, of course, her name was Puff. I have a couple of those books on my shelf that I found on eBay. Thanks for a precious memory as I wake up this morning!
I remembered they had a cat but I forgot its name. Puff! Thanks for reminding me, Pam.
I made a typo in my website addy: pamelasmeyers.com
I had to look up the title because I could really only remember one of the characters – a Panda. Sun up by Margaret Early. I’m pretty sure this was a book we had in kindergarten to teach us how to read so the words were pretty repetitive. I’m still like that today – drawn to the characters more than anything else. Buffy and Mack – a panda and a rabbit, although I can’t remember which was which. LOL
What a fun memory, Joy.
I remember Dick and Jane in the early school grades, too! I must have read other books before this, but the first book I distinctly remember reading was A Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. I especially like the poem about having to go to bed while it was still daylight in the summer–I identified with wanting to stay up. We also had a number of Little Golden books around. I enjoyed revisiting them with my own children.
Yes, I loved revisiting favorite books with my kids, Barbara. And now my grandkids!
Fun with Dick and Jane would have my first “read it myself” book as well. And I absolutely love the 1950s feel of your new book cover.
Thanks, Robin. They did a great job.
Thanks for the memories. Fun with Dick and Jane and the family was my first reader also.
They felt like family, right?
I too first read with Dick and Jane. I have fond memories and definitely nostalgic feelings about them whenever I see one of the books. When my reading really kicked in, I was a bit older and it was all the horse books in the library. Black Stallion books, Chronicles of Narnia (because of The Horse and His Boy), and so on. I haven’t stopped reading since!
Those horse stories were great favorites of mine, too!
Lynn,
I remember learning to read with “Dick and Jane” in first grade, too. Thanks so much for the memory!
You’re welcome! It’s fun to remember, isn’t it?
Yes, Dick and Jane books. Our first grade teacher had a giant copy of our regular sized books. We sat on wooden chairs in a semi-circle around the teacher. Such sweet memories!
Such innocent days, too. I wish my grandkids knew Dick and Jane.
Dick and Jane books were a huge part of my childhood, Lynn. Loved them. Another highlight was when my elementary teachers would distribute the Scholastic books order forms. Oh joy, oh rapture! Mom and dad would match whatever amount of money I’d saved and I would to town ordering books priced at .50 or .75 cents. My how times have changed. THANKS for the great post!
My first book I read was the same. I thought it was great that I could read a book. My Mom and sister loved to read and I wanted to be like them.
I honestly don’t remember my first book. My mom read tons to me, and I started reading very early and never stopped (I’m told I got determined to read for myself around age 3 when my Grammy sent me a VHS tape tape that taught reading.) so maybe it was a little too early to form a solid memory of whatever my first book was. XD