My Library Family

by Cheyenne McConnell-Sawyers

Many people when they think of their reading experience are haunted with memories of bad grades and the many hours that they spent trying and failing to sound out words correctly. However, when I think back on how my love for reading began I can’t help but smile. My passion for reading was nourished by two inspirational librarians, Mr. Wally and Ms. Heather.

When I was seven years old I begged my mother to get a better variety of books for her to read to me at our nightly storytime sessions because the pages of I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch were starting to look so mangled that the words would have been unrecognizable had I not memorized the story. During our nightly storytime session my mother would read to me one of the books I was gifted from family members that were always ready to be read by my bed before she fluffed the blankets, whispered “I love you forever I like you for always as long as I live my baby you will be,” and kissed me goodnight. Instead of buying more books she took me to the public library and changed my life forever.

When I first walked into the library I immediately felt an icy fear creep into my mind at the sight of the monstrous bookshelves. I was so scared I couldn’t move. After a few minutes of me standing frightened, a nice lady came over and asked me if I wanted to see the kids’ room. I didn’t know it then but that woman, Ms. Heather, would become more than just a nice lady. She would become a second grandmother.

In the kids’ room I found three tables with books for kids along with rows of shelves filled with kids’ books. However, perhaps the best thing in the kids’ room that first time was the other librarian Ms. Heather introduced me to, Mr. Wally. He was an older gentleman who always had a smile; he spoke with a stutter, but that didn’t stop him from inspiring everyone with quotes. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met. Mr. Wally and Ms. Heather talked with me about what my favorite books were and what I liked to do; at that time, I liked watching the tapes of “Raffie.” He was a pleasant guy who sang on tape while playing guitar. I had only seen one tape of his before at my grandma’s house. I thought it was just something that grandma had. However, Mr. Wally pointed out that the library had what seemed like a whole wall of these music videos. Ms. Heather and Mr. Wally helped me decide which tape to check out first. That day Ms. Heather gave me my first library card which I thought was a special club just for people who liked Raffie. 

After that first visit I got to know Ms. Heather further. She was this blonde lady who always wore a sweater. She had the greatest voices for storytelling; She could make what seemed like any character’s voice in a story. I returned to the library twice a week at that time because I loved her and Mr. Wally so much.

As I got older Ms. Heather would suggest books that she thought I would like. I would read every day just to be able to talk to her about those suggested books. When I was middle school age and toiling through difficult homework, she would always help answer my questions. I remember many times I wouldn’t be grasping the subject and she would make a great story up to explain it. She made reading Romeo and Juliet simpler to understand for the test. I wasn’t able to do a lot of normal kid things, like climb trees or ride a bike for fun. I have a disorder that causes constant broken and fractured bones, but Ms. Heather let me help with storytime activities for the younger kids who were learning just like I had about the library. Ms. Heather put me in her skits to act out books. She made a great Big Bad Wolf to my Little Red Riding Hood. Ms. Heather never turned me away because I had casts or said I couldn’t help because she was afraid I would fracture another bone. She would just say “Well this new cast adds drama to the story today” as she hugged me. I will never forget her teaching me the love of all books no matter what genre they were. She instilled the saying “It doesn’t matter if it’s not your type of book. It’s worth reading because someone thought it was worth writing.”

Mr. Wally was always right there too in the storytime activities making the books realistic as “Chef Wally.”   He loved to bring the weird foods like green eggs and ham to real life for children, so, he would make them. He would put on a little skit himself pretending to drop the egg while he made the green eggs and ham. He didn’t just perform to bring books alive; he would have book debates with me or what he and I would call “The Meeting of the Minds.” We would discuss different points and perspectives we had about a book we both read. I remember one conversation we had about the poem “The Raven” by Edger Allen Poe. Mr. Wally said, “It is all just a dream. No one was actually at his chamber door; he was just imagining the rapping.” I replied, “It was more than a dream; it was Lenore. She came back for him, and it was sweet of her.” That was the most memorable debate because from that day forward every time either one of us heard someone knock on a door, we would say out loud, “Is it you Lenore?” Mr. Wally taught me that every book has a set word count. He also taught me that the words may be written in ink, but we all read the words differently. 

Another interesting thing he taught me was that everyone has a different perception, of those set words. As Ms. Heather never turned me away for my disorder of broken bones. Mr. Wally never had a shortage of websites and books to turn to for more medical information or more writings to read for our debates. He was the one who recommended I read the book Handle with Care by Jodi Piccoult. He wanted me to know that I wasn’t alone. What he didn’t realize was that with my adopted library family that he and Ms. Heather were, I never felt alone. I will forever cherish and remember the influence that each of them had on my love for reading.

Nanny McPhee said, “When you need me but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me but no longer need me, then I have to go.” I had Mr. Wally to influence my dreams and goals in life. I will forever carry his memory in my heart. I still have Ms. Heather to inspire and cheer me on from afar in my academics today because I still need her. I hope that everyone has their own versions of Ms. Heather and Mr. Wally, to nourish their reading for them like Mr. Wally and Ms. Heather did for me.