Danny Dunn, Time Traveler (#8) Journal entry 10 by darsbooks(26/16) from Reno, Nevada USA on Tuesday, February 21, 2006
I need to release this one right away! There have to be kids out there who hate history as I did. I read a lot of Danny Dunns when I was a kid. I remember being sick and reading about the homework machine and rigging up spool-pullies and thread hoping to have a page turner. Of course it didn't work out and it all fell on my face and Mom had to clean it up cause I was too sick. But at least she laughed about it all. In the Time Traveler (which came out when I was too old for kid books... or I thought I was, anyway) the main characters get to go back in time to see the home's builder and another surprise. When I got to college in my 30's I had my first GOOD history professor. He didn't assign another boring term paper. He had us choose a moment of history and place ourselves in that moment. That assignment helped a lot. Another time that history became relevant was when I got to live in an old victorian type house. It was built, according to my grandfather, about the time he was born. He was a carpenter and was able to point out the wonders of the house built before sloppy workmanship became the norm. I read all the Little House books and decided to fix up my kitchen. I hung pegboard and covered it with contact paper that looked like old newspapers. Then I hung my pots and pans from that pegboard. I thought it was really nifty. My grandmother looked at it and was appalled. She told me that they had to use newpaper to stuff into cracks in the wall and then put newspaper all over their walls to insulate from the cold. What was charming to me was a bad memory for her. But having my grandparents to ask questions about their times helped to make at least the last hundred years of history alive. Then when something earlier would come up I had only to multiply generationally to feel a common thread. Maybe Time Traveler will help someone else touch history in a more real way than names and dates. I hope so. (if you like this, read her entry for the other Danny Dunn too - cherylllr) LLR Cheryl Have you told a friend today? http://bookcrossing.com/tellafriend Archives and email list settings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BookCrossing/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
