In Celebration of the Printed Book

Yes, I know you've all heard about Kindles, E-readers, and various electronic devices on which you can read printed material and even (amazingly) full-length novels. And maybe someday they will develop a feature where you'll be able to sign them electronically: "Love to Dear Shantal on her 6th birthday from Aunt Lucille, June 14, 2014." But do you think Shantal will cherish and keep that electronic reader on her bookcase until she grows up and goes off to college, and eventually packs all her things and moves away? Yeah, me neither.


But a book - an actual tangible printed book - is something you keep. Or you pass down to a friend. Or you donate to a school or library where it will be enjoyed again and again. Or you tuck it away for later. Or you pack in a box, and that box gets moved around, or passed down, or sometimes lost. Until somewhere, way down the road, someone opens that box and pulls out long-forgotten treasures.


Such as the ones below, that I found in a box of books I was going through to sell at a garage sale:

BAMBI, by Felix Salten, first published in 1926, translated from the German. I grew up with the Disney movie, but I've never seen the original book.

THE PEARL, by John Steinbeck. I remember reading this in high school or college, long ago. It meant a lot to me then, and I will definitely re-read it.

OLD YELLER, by Fred Gipson, the book which inspired the wonderful movie.

Sell these books in the garage sale?? Oh no. I am so excited to find these! They are old, with yellowed pages, obviously read and loved in the past. I am not sure where they came from, or who read them in the past. But you can be sure I am reading them now - all these years later!

I have nothing against electronic readers. Reading is good, period, and obviously we read things in lots of formats (including blogs like this one, on the internet.) But BOOKS.

Oh, give me an actual printed book that I can hold in my hands and carry around any day of the year.

In fact, I am opening an old one right now . . .

He came into the world in the middle of the thicket, in one of those little forest glades which seem to be entirely open, but are really screened in on all sides. There was very little room in it, scarcely enough for him and his mother.

He stood there, swaying unsteadily on his thin legs -

What experiences have you had with e-readers vs. printed books. Thoughts? Comments?

Do you have any old books that you will keep forever and ever and ever?