Do You Remember Me?

            I ran into a wall made of two people as I scrambled at the juvenile fiction area shelving books. The smiles on their faces were a bit different. The one on the teen boy’s face was a bit shy yet sincere and eager. The mother’s smile was shy and friendly with an expression telling me I should know her. Yes, indeed, I knew her and her family. Just last week, the boy’s older sister and their mother came to the library asking about books for teens. Actually that’s not the first I met the family. About a month ago the whole family, parents and siblings, came to the library and asked similar questions. At their first time they asked about learning language. So I took them to the 428’s area. That’s our first encounter.

            “Do you remember me?” The boy quietly asked me as I smiled at him and his mother. Instead of a direct answer I said “Did you read the books your sister checked out last week?” “Yes.” “I like fantasy, mystery, historical books. And my reading level is about 2^nd to 4^th grade.” We took tour of the JF area. “Look at the labels on the spine. They tell you what kind of book it is about.” “My reading level is about 4^th grade.” The boy reminded me of his reading level. “The JF area is your level, basically speaking.” Then I shared my own personal experience learning the same language.

            First one has to know one’s interest and hobby. Starting from something a person is familiar with and truly likes is a better way to build a habit of reading. Once a person knows what s/he enjoys and likes then we move to next step: to find a productive author. The reasons are: same vocabulary will repeat itself in the author’s works. This way a person learns a new word without reciting or checking up too often a dictionary. Naturally as one goes on reading books by the same author one gets to know words repetitively used. Similarly one will subconsciously remember and learn grammatical patterns. In addition, a series motivates and encourages a person to have the urge and desire to further read about what’s next in the books. Once a person attaches to and has feeling toward the protagonist the reading habit is building without any extra effort.

            Not only did I want the boy to improve his language skill I also wanted him to have a healthy reading habit.  “You don’t drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there.”—Edwin Louis Cole. How to help a person to make progress at improving language or anything that person wishes to gain? One has to change and remove the mind set that one is learning and sharpening the language skills. If one allows himself/herself to stay at the stage of learning a language, the chances for one to enjoy reading are numbered and limited. If human beings thought they could only walk on the solid ground, there wouldn’t be airplanes, shuttles, or other aerospace equipments.

            As we stood there at the JF area, I asked the boy to provide me a list. What I want on the list are things he likes, enjoys, and has interest. The mother smiled at me approving and then I gave her a mission: to go home, look around her boy’s room and help him find out what he likes. Together, I further explained, we are going to target something right for him and help him make progress. Besides fiction, I would like him to read some nonfiction. Who knows which would give him a better chance to be proud of himself and make huge progress? Don’t limit or exclude anything. 

            Tapping the four books we found at the JF area I repeated the need for me to have the list next time when they come to the library. Then I said my goodbye. I stayed where I was for I spotted a lady at the same area listening to my conversation with the family; she was there the whole time I was talking to the two.

            “What can I do for you?” Smiling I approached the lady who looked very friendly with a ready smile on her pretty face. “I have a first grade boy who likes to read chapter books. Any book you would recommend?” From that question we talked and searched the shelves. It turned out she has two boys at the ages of 6 and 7. “Yes, I am occupied all the time.” She smiled and I nodded my head for I told her I have two boys too. After some questions we found some books for her to take home. “Wait here.” Jogged to the science area I fetched some books about rocks and gems for she told me her boy likes rocks. “It won’t hurt to read some nonfiction books. Especially something the boys like.” “Right.” 
             As we talked standing there in front of the “readers’” area, I further shared with this nice lady my own experience. “Check out some pictures books and have bedtime story with your two boys. Sometimes it is the stories that might inspire your boys. Sometimes it’s the way or your tone you tell the stories that would interest them.  After reading the books my boys would ask me to tell them about my own childhood. Who knows what those story times would bring out? You might have an artist in your family. ” “We might already have a geologist at home. Oh my mother and father told me this story at my childhood, something like that” said the lady with a smile. “Yes, something your boys could pass to your grandkids” I smiled at her. “Good luck and let me know if these authors help, ok?” We said our goodbyes at the children’s area.
            How I wish every patron be patient with me as those two mothers. The public library is a place for answers and questions. Answers when a person is looking for information and knowledge. There are answers for a person’s requests for opportunities, potentials, and the future. As for questions, after reading or studying books, one might find some answers, good ones as well as those with question marks. Questions help a person grow and glow. The hunger and thirst for answers drive a person to go extra mile looking for answers to satisfy one’s needs. The same drive allows a person to go beyond the horizon and see a bigger picture.

            Do you have a question? Or do you have a dream? Come to the public library. Your dream starts @ your public library.