A friend asked me to suggest, a few books to gift to a ten-year-old. I went on a trip down memory lane. Sharing a few thoughts and books I loved as a ten-year-old and hope you will share your stories too in the comments.

I owe everything to my parents and my teachers, for teaching me how to read. This love for books would be difficult without that. When I was in standard four, my mom enrolled me in the Ram Krishna Mission children’s Library, at Golpark in Kolkata. There was no looking back. Several summer holidays spent at the library reading the books and daydreaming are my fondest memories. When I was a teenager I used to haunt the Golpark second-hand bookstores. They had the best deals for reading and buying. It was pocket-friendly, eco-friendly and hassle-free. The small amount they charged as a security deposit, covered the times you were late. The best part was it fitted my pocket money.

Then came Eloor lending library near Ballygunj station. I fell in love. Its been 6 years I shifted’to a new place and I still miss that library.They stocked fiction, nonfiction, children’s book, young adult, new selection, everything. A deposit amount of Rs 500 by my sister, had ensured a lifetime account which could be shared by family members. The reading charges were a ten percent of the price of the book and you could keep them for two weeks.N ow I don’t know what has changed, but this library business model was amazing . It was a working solution for people who liked books and also wanted to support a library .The best part were the librarians, who knew exactly where you could find a particular book.

When I was pregnant and couldn’t travel much my favorite weekend trip and sometimes biweekly trip was to the library.I always looked forward to library visits and coming back with a bag full of lovely mysteries to solve.

Today when I am not able to visit my old library, I am grateful for Amazon and the everything store, for upping the game of making books affordable and available online. Digital or prints books are all books, where someone is sharing something with you. You may be entertained or you may learn, whatever it is, it’s time well spent. When you leave your self-absorbed mind meanderings and enter into the author’s world.

Would I have been a storyteller if I wasn’t a reader? I don’t know.But what I can say is, when I see my daughter listening to my stories with eyes round and wide I am happy.

When someone says they liked what I wrote, it makes me happy. Writing itself makes me happy because it’s my chance to give back to the world of words, to the world of books, to my reader friends. It’s the readers who make a difference.

[bctt tweet=”There are many successful people who don’t read books, but most readers are successful. #Justsaying” username=”misra_amrita”]

Life’s like that when you are a reader (Inspired from readers digest)

You don’t have a good day until you have read a book.

You feel the happiest when you are curled up with a good Book for hours and the food magically appears.

Your bag will always have one Book you can read while waiting anywhere.I have read while standing at ATM queues.

While packing for holidays, even when you carry your Kindle, you will always have one paperback to read. Kindle can lose charge, but the paperback will never let you down. Imagine stuck somewhere and your brain has nothing to read? In public interest and peace for those around you,  a book must be there.

If someone doesn’t return a book you never trust them again. It’s just not done!

You hate it when people manhandle books or don’t treat them with respect.

You judge a person by how much he/she reads. This one is tricky. For the longest time, I struggled with the fact that the man I loved, only loved to read medical books, journals and volumes of scientific articles but not a recreational reader. It was a code I was worried about breaking. Then I realized, a reader is a reader and choice of material is personal! What can I say, love makes you find interesting logic.

You will be a book snob and look down on anyone who did not read your favorites. They just don’t have a good book insight, right?

You love quoting author quotes.

You underline books carefully, make post-it notes for speed reading nuggets of wisdom later.

You have a comfort genre for reading which acts like chocolate.

This reading habit may get you punished at school or college if you are reading non-text books during class hours. It’s best to not do this ever.

Don’t let your reading be a cause for your poor grades. Remember until you study and become financially free you won’t be able to afford your own reading habit.

Reading can be done anywhere, anytime.

A reader can do anything and be anything after he has read the book.

A reader will always have that one last book to read, the last chapter to finish and it’s never done!

 

What are some great Mystery books for 10-year-old Readers?

Secret Seven

Loved the shed at the end of the garden and the lemonades and adventures they had.

Famous Five

The picnic hampers adventures and Kirrin island made me dream about one day finding my Island to live in.

Five Find outers

Fatty’s disguises and Mr.Goons antiques kept me hooked .The adventures are more tricky than the above two series.

The best thing about these books is they all have lessons about discipline, good habits, kindness and being responsible without being preachy. Character development starts at a young age. Parents and schools will do their part but what they read will be life-changing. If you are shopping for Christmas gifts, then you will love gifting the series or one by one!