I started reading books when I was about eight to ten years old. My
earliest memories of reading books include my Dad - he would buy stacks
of Chacha Choudharys, Champaks, and Tinkles and hide them somewhere at home. Every time me or my brother did something constructive (could be as
simple as walking on my Dad's back for five minutes) he would produce a
book with a flourish, make us yell and scream for it a bit and then
leave us in peace to read.
When I look back and think
about my childhood, I am sure it wouldn't have been the same if all
those books weren't in my life. I cannot imagine a world where I didn't
know Chacha Choudhary and Sabu, or Billoo and his famous
hair which always hid his eyes. I cannot imagine how it would have been
if I didn't know who the Famous Five were, or how the Secret Seven won
their battles. Half my childhood was spent in that world, a world where anything could happen - it was my
world. Thus said, I want to stress that this habit of mine never
adversely affected my studies. If and when my grades suffered they did
because of various other reasons ;-)
I know several
people who won't let their child read any book apart from what is in
their academic syllabus. Maybe it is because they feel their children
might score better if they spent the same time doing some math sums. I
want to say to you, don't rob your children out of the incredible joy of
reading. While they might enjoy watching the occasional Tom and Jerry on television,
the happiness a kid gets when he reads a Tinkle, or a Calvin, is
unparalleled.
For all you parents who might not be able
to afford the costs of buying storybooks, that is what second hand
bookstalls are for. You can easily get Tinkles, Amar Chitra Kathas,
Chandamamas, etc. for as low as 10 rupees per book.
Perhaps this activity can be on your To-Do list for this weekend.
