Grandma Lu had decided to spend a nice quiet day at the library. She wanted to find a good book and perhaps read part of it in the library where no television would bother her.
She looked through the shelves of fiction and non fiction books; make believe stories and true stories. What did she want to read? She passed up the mysteries because she always wanted to solve the mystery before the end of the book and found herself sometimes cheating by reading the end before she had finished the story.
Some of the folks that worked at the library knew her and softly said hello. One librarian asked her if she could help her find a book. Grandma Lu said, "No, thank you. I'm not sure what I want to read today."
She found herself sitting in a soft chair that overlooked a large part of the library. Then she grinned as she saw a sign that said, Children's books age eight through twelve. "Well I wonder what children that age are reading nowadays. Probably nothing like I did at that age." She got up and walked over to the shelf and saw many titles that she didn't recognize. Some were about space and dinosaurs. She did see some Nancy Drew mysteries just like the ones she used to read at that age. Then she spotted it; a copy of a book that she had read so many years ago. She carefully took it off the shelf and carried it to the soft chair. When she had made herself comfortable she looked at the cover and could almost see her mother and hear her voice saying, "LuAnne, I think that book is too old for you. It will have words in it that you won't know or understand." The book was called Heidi. It was the first book that she had gotten at the library before she started reading the Little House on the Prairie and Box Car Children series.
As Grandma Lu was softly turning pages and reading about the author she noticed a young child watching her. Grandma Lu loved children and said softly, "Hello!" The child's mother was watching and put her finger to her lips warning the child to be quiet since they were in the library. Grandma Lu smiled and whispered what's your name? "Joey." "Well, my name is Grandma Lu. Are you and your mom going to find a book to read?" Joey, said, "Yup. One with pictures of trucks. I like trucks." Grandma Lu smiled and said, "I am sure they have lots of books that you will like." Joey looked at Grandma Lu's book and said, "Why are you reading a book without pictures?" Well Grandma Lu kind of tilted her head to one side and said, "I don't need pictures. I use my imagination." Joey said, "What's 'magination?"
Grandma Lu patted the chair beside her and motioned for Joey's mom to sit as well. Grandma Lu patted Joey's hand and said, "Joey, do you like ice cream?" He immediately said, "Yes!" Grandma Lu said, 'Ok, Joey, now close your eyes and try to picture the biggest ice cream cone in the world. Can you see it?" Joey squealed and said, "Yes, I can and it's as big as a house!" Of course, Joey's mom told him to be quiet and gave Grandma Lu a look too. Grandma Lu said, "Joey, you just used your imagination. Wasn't that fun? That's what I do when I read a book without pictures. I can just see what the words would look like without using a picture to do it."
Joey took his mom's hand and said, "Come on, Mom. I need a book with pictures today, because my 'magination isn't good enough yet. When we get home can I have ice cream while we read a book about trucks? A book with really big trucks just like my dad drives. That's what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm going to drive a big truck just like my dad."
Grandma Lu watched them walk away and saw the big smile on the little boy's face when he found just the right book about a really big truck.
She looked down at her book and started to read. "Aah, what a nice afternoon this has turned out to be." she thought as she turned to page one of the book called Heidi.
