| I love to read. It's been a passion of mine since | | | | these days to find a fiction writer that I really like. |
| the fourth grade and I owe it all to Mrs. Crabtree, | | | | And last week I found a new one -- at least new |
| my childhood next door neighbor. My mother, | | | | to me though he's been around for many years, |
| brother and I moved to Raleigh NC about a year | | | | but somehow our paths had never crossed.In our |
| after my dad passed away from a sudden and | | | | local library's foyer, there is a small bookcase |
| unexpected heart attack. It left us all pretty | | | | where they keep a steady stream of used books |
| traumatized. I remember the first summer we | | | | for sale for the outrageous price of 25 cents. |
| moved to Raleigh, I was driving my mom crazy. | | | | That's where I found MATILDA by Paul Gallico. I |
| Not knowing anyone in the neighborhood, I kept | | | | picked it up a couple months ago figuring one day |
| bugging her to be my playmate.Evidently, Mrs. | | | | I'd get around to giving it a try, which I did about |
| Crabtree noticed this and took pity on my mom. | | | | a week ago. Bear trap time again. I found the |
| As the children's librarian for the Raleigh library, | | | | storyline to be quirky, humorous and refreshing. |
| she knew the solution. One day there magically | | | | (Matilda is a kangaroo who becomes an amazing |
| appeared in our living room a tall stack of books. | | | | middleweight boxing champion.)And the best of all |
| My mom encouraged me to give them a try, but | | | | good news! Gallico has written at least 18 other |
| I had no interest in reading at that point, so they | | | | books.I borrowed THE MAN WHO WAS MAGIC |
| sat on my bedside table for about a week. Finally, | | | | from the library this past week and finished it in |
| desperate for something to do, I picked up the | | | | less than 48 hours. Tonight, I'm going to give |
| top one. It was like a bear trap snapping closed | | | | MANXMOUSE: the Mouse who Knew No Fear a |
| on me. In over 45 years it's never let go. Mrs. | | | | try. In my 5 minutes of research -- ( that I did to |
| Crabtree knew what a young boy would love, | | | | write this personal reflection, I learned that Gallico |
| and provided me with a steady stream of books | | | | died in Antibes on 15th July, 1976, just short of |
| -- Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine, Black | | | | his 79th birthday. A couple other of his well |
| Beauty, Tom Swift and...Well just about anything | | | | known books include THE SNOW GOOSE and |
| related to Tom Swift I loved.I share this now | | | | MRS. 'ARRIS GOES TO PARIS. No doubt I'll get to |
| because one of the things I most love is to | | | | those in due course.)Thank you Mrs. Crabtree, |
| discover a new author, fiction or nonfiction, it | | | | wherever you may be. You started me on a |
| doesn't matter. I love all of it, but it seems harder | | | | habit over which I'll never get. |