Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer
My Nephew Inspires New Thoughts About My Own Youthful Reading
Earlier this summer, my young nephew told me he had a movie (on his iPad) that he wanted me to see.
“You’ll like it,” he said. “It has aunts.” (It took me a moment to understand that he was not touting the presence of “ants.”)
As I settled next to him on the sofa, I discovered that the movie in question was “James and the Giant Peach.” I had never seen the movie, nor had I read the original book, by Roald Dahl, on which the film is based. (Just a few minutes into our viewing, I was compelled to check with my nephew: “You’re not suggesting that I’m like THOSE aunts, are you?” ;-))
So when this precious child celebrated his birthday last week, I presented him with not just the video game he requested, but also a copy of Dahl’s book. (I refrained from sharing, just yet, my discomfort with Dahl’s anti-Semitism.) And as I thought about the books that my nephew most enjoys reading (or having me read to him), I had an epiphany of sorts: (more…)
