The Pusher: The First Visit is Free

SUMMARY: Dad and me and big-people books and science fiction

My parents started me out very young with fairytales and magic. This one is still one of my all-time favorites.

When I was a somewhat older kid (um, somewhere between 3rd and 6th grade, but I think on the younger side of that), my dad took me to the UPstairs part of the library where all the growed-up books were and turned me loose on Bradbury and Heinlein and I was hooked from the start. He got a good talking to from the librarian about how kids would be much happier in the big beautiful bright downstairs library filled with kid-type books. Dad said I could read what I wanted to read. Thanks, Dad!

The library in question--  it's still there. I thought it was one of the most special buildings in the world!

I did love the downstairs library, too, a huge room of wondrous books. From Curious George to the (at the time) new Tripods trilogy, all good. (This article has a couple photos of the children's floor--don't recall exactly what it looked like when I was there, but I remember plenty of sunny windows.)

But upstairs had a whole lot more books with a whole lot more pages! So, shame on the librarian... and now I have several bookcases (of the 7-foot-tall variety) filled with fantasy and science fiction books. Can definitely blame that on Dad, too.

Parents' living room. There are 3 bookcases out of sight to the left, 2 to the right, and several in the family room and in parents' room and in various other rooms. Books. Lots.

Living room from the far end. Dad, disavowing all knowledge of  books. 
(You'd hardly know it...  that the cancer knocked him down completely
over the next 2 weeks and then he was gone.  Dad, who could never resist silly faces or gestures.)