Doing our part.

[thudpucker]

I'll tell you some of my story, and you'll see why I feel the way I do about Reading and younger Boys mostly, but Girls as well.

I lived on a Farm in Southern MO till WWII ended and we went to Seattle as soon as we could get seats on a Train headed west. Most all the Seats were taken up with GI's headed to the Western Ports to finish off the War with Japan.

Into the 5th Grade went this "Two Room" school house kid. Missouri Accent, wearing Farmer-hauls and Brand New Shoes. I was ridiculed till I almost couldn't stand it.
Then the Teacher wanted me to read Shakespeare! What a mindless glob of tripe that stuff is! I was about to rebel and go into the ranks of the Juvenal authorities.

The 5th Grade Teacher was good, and right on the job. She took me to the Library, got me some books by Altsheler that were far more exciting than "Crapsphere".

Sea stories are much like that. "whaler ship Essex" and a myriad of other sea stories are captivating to a kid. Sea Mysteries of missing ships and lost treasure are like Gold to a young boy's mind.

I believe its a way to take the kids away from the "Thumb Pecking" toys and back to reading for the future of Education.

You guys have those Stories. Just think of the number of "Short Stories" a kid could have, as you guys UN-wind your youth in print.

Write them up. Make a Folder in your PC calling it; "Tall Tales".
If nobody else ever sees it, your great grandchildren, or your great grandchildren s, great Grandchildren will be thrilled at what that old man did.

Someday you'll have the opportunity to send your stories to a Writer. A young College student or an old New Reporter who's retired.

For all the young boys who were "ME" in 1945, get involved.

[Dirteater]

A wonderful thought and idea Thud
and a cool little story in itself really.

and of course, a great idea.

enlightening ...
thanks Thud.

[hoytedow]

Here is a starting point.
I am a lubber myself.

http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/ope...tml#post506568

[Dirteater]

Thanks Hoyte

thought I'd make my little entry.

[hoytedow]

Everybody join in.

[Fanie]

Well at age twelve I probably read all the books I could find. Of course didn't know about Mayfair and other similar mags back then, which just goes to show how incomplete one's education can be eh

LOL, old dogs can learn new tricks

[Wayne Grabow]

When my children were young, my wife and I wanted them to get interested in reading, feeling that, with a love of literature, they would educate themselves no matter what the quality of classroom instruction. So on Friday nights we would often end up at a bookstore. My daughter loved the children's books of animal stories and fairy tales, but my son acted bored in the children's section. On a hunch, I led him over to the adult history section. That evening he brought home three non-fiction history books, and from then on he was hooked on reading. To this day he is an avid reader; has a master's degree in foreign affairs and international economic policy, and works as an analyst for a international company. My daughter won an award in school for her creative fiction writing and is now in marketing. Amazing what a difference a love of reading can make.

[michael pierzga]

A good Christams present for readers who like the sea is The Ocean Almanac by
Robert Hendrickson. All the great sea stories and marine trivia.

[hoytedow]

When I was a Kind I lived in a little town with nothing to do but read or ride bike or hike the hills. The town didn't even have a library but thank God the bookmobile came to town every Saturday. For me it was like the ice cream truck. It opened my world to have access to the works of Daniel Defoe, Sir Walter Scott, Washington Irving, Guy Du Maupassant, O'Henry, Twain, Poe and countless others. I combined walking the hills with reading. I would find a nice shady patch of moss on a boulder, or sometimes I would go up into one particularly large oak tree and settle down with a book. With the town down in a valley it was like a solar oven at times but up on the hill I could feel the breeze as I turned the pages. Quietly reading up there, sometimes the only way I would be noticed by passersby would be if I dropped the occasional cookie. My favorite at the time was the chocolate covered graham cracker.

[thudpucker]

I read some of those same books Hoyt. I had an illness that would keep me in bed for a week some times and I read myself to sleep constantly with those same authors.

True History was my favorite back then. WWII ships at sea. Sub's and the Rescues of downed pilots.
I'm already feeling sorry for Kids who have not learned the great pleasure of Reading.