FUN BOOKS

AT 60* I have reached the age when it is permissible to read children’s fiction again. You can’t do it in your teens because you’d be humiliated by your peers. Then you go to college and have to read Important Books, books that teach Big Ideas, but aren’t all that pleasurable to read. Next you’re starting in a career and have to confine yourself to Professional Books. Then suddenly you have children who demand you read aloud Lumpy Lewie and the Gooey Kazooie at bed time every night for 47 weeks. When the kids get old enough for the good children’s books, they can read for themselves and would resent it if you trespassed on their particular favorites. When they finally leave home to go to college and you could at last get hold of the children’s books for yourself, you have to worry that the kids might come back from college (where they have been reading Important Books with Big Ideas) and catch you with the fun stuff. That would confirm their view of you as hopelessly weird. Finally you reach the age when it is safe to read what you want, but you’d better do it in hurry before you forget how to read and the only stories you’ll hear are the ones your great-grandchildren read to you like Dumpy Dewy and the Zooey Gablooie which they will read over and over again, but that won’t matter because each time you’ll have forgotten you’ve ever heard it before. Sit back in your rocker, Grandpa, and I’ll bring you a nice bowl of gruel.

In any case, this old codger came back from vacation with several nice books for children and young adults which I am enjoying thoroughly. This is only between you and me, though. Not everybody sympathizes with my taste in literature. The last time I mentioned a Harry Potter book in a sermon, a member groaned, “Oh, no!”

The first fun book was a gift from my cousin, The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg. The author manages to tie together several short stories she had written in an artful way. The characters are fifth-graders who are bound together as an Academic Bowl team. Now I happen to like fifth-graders. I used to teach a fifth grade Sunday School class. Kids that age seem to be interested in everything and have becoming themselves interesting. They can relate to adults without the surly attitude of teenagers who regard adults as adversaries. It’s intriguing how the four children in the story are tied together and how their teacher happens to pick them to be on the academic team. Mystery: they call themselves “The Souls.” Hmmm. And they have tea together. What book with tea in it could be bad?

Second fun book, Holes by Louis Sachar. I read a bit of this one once in a book store. The basic plot has to do with a boy who has been sentenced to serve time at Camp Green Lake which is nothing more than a nasty desert where the lake dried up years ago. Ever day each boy has to dig a hole five foot deep and five feet around. There’s a back story that intrudes bit by bit and finally explains how everything is connected and why they boys have to dig holes. Another clever story.



Third fun book, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . People know this from the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but I’ve never seen the movie, either the one with Gene Wilder or Johnny Depp. The book is a hoot. I don’t think anyone could have captured the nuttiness of this book. I was born to soon to be caught up in Dahl’s many, many humorous books, but I mean to make up for that. I’ve read The BFG, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, and I’ve seen a British televised version of Danny the Champion of the World. Absolutely no profound thought in any of them, although all the rotten kids get their comeuppance in the Chocolate Factory.



Fourth fun book, Pirateology. This is one of a series of books that has all sorts of neat stuff in it. Like it has a real compass in the cover and genuine plastic jewels inside the back cover, and maps, and a bag of fake gold dust and other keen stuff. Now, these books usually sell for $19.95, but I found it in a resale shop for $1.00. Just couldn’t pass it up. Funny, when I was a kid, I was never into pirates, but now I have a costume and eye patch and everything. And I can say, “ARRRR!” real good. And I wrote a skit that has a pirate in it (not to mention a witch and a wolf). AND I know all the words to “Never Smile at a Crocodile,” but nobody wants me to sing it.

The last book is more than a fun book. It is a SERIOUS children’s book. Actually it is a collection of fifteen children’s books from around the world. The Best Children’s Books in the World reproduces the entire original book with illustrations in the original language and provides a translation in the margins. The illustrations are amazing. Here’s a picture of the dragon and his wife from Dragon Feathers.
And the weirdest illustration is the Hamesh Mechashefot Halchu Letayu (The Five Wacky Witches) from Israel.



I’ve been having fun. Hope you’ve had some fun on your life-travels. May the Lord bless you on your journey and greet you on your arrival.

Wayne


*I know a lot of my friends say 60 is nothing at all, but this summer someone mistook me for my sister’s father. My sister is only three-an-one-half years younger than I am. If my Dad were still alive, he’d be 87. My garsh! Do I look that old? Just when is that whippersnapper going to bring me my bowl of gruel? I can’t be wasting time waiting around at my age.

W.


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