My favorite book from childhood is Helen Keller. That isn’t the actual name of the book, but it was something similar to it. Or maybe the name was completely different. Whatever the case, the book was an autobiography written, I think, by Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller’s teacher. Or was it written by Helen, herself? I really need to look this up. The point is that this book was a game-changer for me. I must have read it a thousand times. On the back cover was the alphabet in braille. I tried to learn it to no avail. (To no avail…that is an odd expression.)
Helen Keller was a miracle. What she overcame is beyond what I can put into words. The book served me well in adulthood, as I discovered, not by choice exactly, that I am able to connect with children with disabilities, particularly severe autism. I was direct support for a nonverbal, often violent six-year-old. He and I bonded quickly, and he responded to me better than anyone else. Why this happened, I attribute to Helen Keller. Or perhaps my fascination with her had something to do with my natural ability to connect with people who cannot connect with the world.
I was a loner as a child, always off in my own little world. I guess on some level, I related.
Must I choose just one book? The Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling was one of my favorites. The cover of the book had an illustration of a jungle with eyes peering through the darkness. I remember a tiger climbing out of the page. This image was ripped straight from a memory I had when my family drove through the southern countries of Africa. Mostly, the landscapes were savannahs, but there was a place (Botswana, I think) that looked JUST LIKE THAT COVER. Obviously, there weren’t any tigers, but in my mind there could have been. Everything scary lurked in the dark behind the tangled branches. I read some of the book, not all, but Rudyard Kipling, I felt, was a kindred soul.
Busy, Busy Town was another that I loved. I liked how all the different kinds of animals played different roles in the town. Everyone had a job to do, and they all did it with smiles on their faces. Indoctrination? Eh, maybe. In any case, I was introduced to societal norms in a utopia. The colors were bright, and everyone was happy. I wanted to live there. In a way, I still do.
I also had a record player and a vinyl that had all the Peter Rabbit stories on it. The Tale of Benjamin Bunny was my favorite. But I’m not sure that records count. I think they should.
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