When I was very young, I didn't like to read. This distressed my mother. She was a teacher. And an avid reader. She had started to read when she was three. I started when I was four, but by third grade I had no interest.
Then my mother went to the school library, checked out an armful of books and commanded (very politely) that I was to read them all. To my annoyance, these books had no pictures in them, but I settled on the one by Brian Jacques. The one with the mouse wielding a sword on the cover. To my surprise there were pictures inside. Lovely little ink drawings of squirrels and badgers at the opening of each chapter. I must have finished Martin the Warrior in a week. I went to the library myself and week after week checked out the rest of the available Redwall books.
Oh, there were other books along the way. Books about babysitters clubs, and Atticus Finch, but every year there was a new Redwall book. I fell in love with reading. And then I learned to love to write. All because Brian Jacques wrote the most wonderful stories. Stories about courage, and friendship, and loyalty. And the female characters didn't sit around and wait to be saved. They could fight too.
I was very sad when I learned that Brian Jacques had died. He passed away on my birthday of all days.
Thank you Brian Jacques. Thank you bringing so much happiness to a difficult childhood. To this day, when I'm lucky enough to stumble upon a Redwall book in a bookstore, I get so excited that I have to buy it.
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