When I was eight, my family moved to a different state. My sister and I had shared a bedroom at the old house, and we were both excited by the prospect of having our own rooms. My new room was especially interesting. A staircase and the ceiling of said staircase interfered with my closet in such a way that, inside, there was a raised platform and a slanted back, with several shelves above. My mom brilliantly placed several folded quilts on the platform, with pillows propped up against the walls. This became my reading nook.
On winter afternoons I curled up in this nook and read the Dear America series. In the summertime I read Gone-Away Lake
As an adult, I’m happy to read while sitting on the couch or laying down in bed. But I sometimes pine for the reading nooks of my youth. I was happy to curl up just about anywhere…these days, a prickly holly tree or cramped closet wouldn’t be my first choice. But then, they were nothing short of magical.
Did you have a favorite reading nook as a child?
I still have memories of my mother, who was able to stay home with me and my older sister, reading to me on the couch. It’s funny that I remember it even though I was so young.
My mother and I recently read a wonderful book from the Dear America Series – Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, California Territory 1849, by Kristiana Gregory. I’d love to read more from the series.