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Saturday, March 06, 2010

2010: THE RETURN OF "DICK AND JANE"

I am. I was, and I always will be an avid reader. Whether it's reading my morning newspapers, or even a cereal box, my eyes are automatically focused on the printed page. The graphic above will be familiar to my contemporaries who were students grammar school during the 1940's and early 50's. Dick and Jane and their family were instrumental in teaching us the incredibly important subject of reading. How simple and quaint it was: Mother and Father (in love and married) "Puff," and their oh so simple daily adventures: "See 'Spot' run!' "Funny, funny "Spot!"
An emotional bubble rose up within me as I read this incredibly fascinating book which tells the story of the world of Dick and Jane as seen through the eyes of those of us who are now Senior Citizens. This childhood treasure became obsolete as the century developed. The book was too "sappy" for the more sophisticated teachers and parents. In the new generations, mothers and fathers had to work, mothers and fathers divorced and re-married, and society in general rendered the sweet and innocence of the Dick and Jane books of my youth. If you want a thrilling visit back to your youth, check out "The World of Dick and Jane and Friends," (ISBN 0-448-43646-9), or "Growing up With Dick and Jane" by Carole Kismaric and Marvin Heiferman (ISBN 0-06-076681-6). I'm sure you will find them at a local book store, Amazon.com. or Ebay. These volumes are nostalgic historic treasures!

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