I love the eight year old maturity and curiosity that I see in Ezra's eyes. It takes me back to Mrs. Beekman's class. It takes me back to the very first time I laid eyes on the book, Cheaper by the Dozen. Aunt Jackie had recommended it to me in a little talk that we had. She was feeding my voracious appetite for books and I was so glad that she did. It was a book that I could relate to. The realities of the uncomfortability and cultural misplacement of being part of a big family was embraced and expressed, so beautifully for me. I fell in love with the Gilbraith family.
Coincidents of the relationship between reading and reality started to happen. I had no sooner completed the book that in the SRA reading Lab a portion of the book came up as part of my reading log. I had already read it in my head, but now, another voice was reading the book to me on the tape and I followed along with greater intensity, because of the familiarity of the information. I felt like I was a part of their family. I felt that my father was not the only "strange bird" extremist, with controlling ways. I felt that someone else had been where I had been. This was part of my relationship with the world at age 8.
