One of my favorite memories from childhood was crawling up on my mom’s lap in our big recliner and listening to her read to us. I can distinctly remember her reading E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web,” and “I Was So Mad,” which was one of the Litter Critter books by Mercer Mayer. The sound of her reading helped pull my young mind into those stories, bringing the pages to life.
A well-read story can be the height of entertainment. It can help listeners more fully connect with and understand a story. A reader can deliver the humor and the pathos in ways that draws readers into the story on a more emotional level. It also can be interesting to hear how another person interprets a character’s voice and compare it with what you might have heard in your head. Sometimes hearing someone else read a story can totally change your perspective.
It’s not surprising that our story times for babies and toddlers are so well attended. They help children discover a love of books and they provide them with entertainment that stimulates their imagination and cognitive skills. But why should the kids have all the fun?
Please join us at the Columbia Public Library on Thursday, March 15 starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Children’s Program Room for “Story Time and Discussion for Grown-ups.” We’ve invited some folks who know how to add a little drama to a story to come read some short stories. We’ll follow each story with a bit of discussion.
In the meantime, if you’re interested in listening to some stories, don’t forget that the library offers many wonderful audiobooks in multiple formats: CD, Playaway (MP3 player) and downloadable (via Overdrive/Libby, Hoopla and RBDigital). Here are few audiobooks we recommend checking out:
“The Shell Game” by Janet Evanovich (Overdrive/Libby): This short story shows how FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare and con artist Nicolas Fox met up.
“Matchup” by multiple authors (CD): Readers who enjoy suspense will love this collection of short stories written by eleven of the world’s best female thriller writers paired with eleven of the world’s best male thriller writers.
“Dancing Barefoot: Five Short but True Stories About Life in the So-Called Space Age” by Wil Wheaton (Hoopla): The popular self-proclaimed geeky blogger shares stories heartwarming and funny stories on love, life on the Web, and the wackiness of Hollywood.
“American Classics: Selected Shorts, A Celebration of the Short Story” by various authors (CD): Eight short stories from authors including Edgar Allan Poe, Eudora Welty, Amy Tan, and John Cheever.
Image credit: Joe Mabel, Elliot Bay Books via Wikimedia Commons (license)
