between you & me (vol. II)

After a week of consideration, I've decided to change the name of the Friday Confessions series to "Between You & Me." I think this gives it the more personal feel I was looking for, and doesn't sound as looming as a confession. (Or maybe I just have a guilty conscience.)

At any rate, the concept is the same, the name has just been changed to protect the innocent. =) Ok, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Confession #2:

Just between you and me, I played hooky from an afternoon of work to see this author speak at the GRPL.

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Don't recognize him? That's ok. I'm sure you know his most famous creation.

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Yep. I skipped out early from work to see a children's author. Marc Brown, to be exact. Not only that, I stood in line for an hour for him to sign my battered copy of Arthur's Eyes. I was the oldest person there who wasn't a parent. True story.

I loved the Arthur books as a kid. He was kinda awkward and nerdy, I was (am?) kinda awkward and nerdy. We're two peas in a pod, Arthur and I.

I also loved the TV show. My TV time was limited as a kid, but I was a PBS junkie. Seriously. Wishbone, Sesame Street, Arthur, ZOOM, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood...I loved them all. (I'm a huge proponent for educational programming, specifically the kind funded by viewers like you.)

In his talk, Mr. Brown stressed the importance of reading, and its impact on the lives of children, as well as adults. I truly believe being a lifelong reader has opened doors for me that I never could have imagined as a kindergartner clutching a stack of library books to my chest. Reading has not only taught me to think critically; it has given me an imagination.

Marc Brown and Arthur have encouraged children of all ages to put their noses in a book, but they have also taught us to not keep them there. Take what you've read, and use it. Put it into practice. Make dreams reality.

Arthur is teaching generation after generation the value of reading, imagination, and tolerance.

Not bad for a nearsighted aardvark.

Marc Brown & me

Thanks for the life lessons, Arthur, er, Mr. Brown. You have the gratitude of generations of children around the globe, myself included.