How Calvin and Hobbes Taught Me How to Read,
or, 5 Reasons You Should Read with a Friend
By Joe Krall
At Wednesday night Bible study, I could count on two things: hearing the Scriptures taught, and reading Homicidal Psycho Jungle Cat or Something Under the Bed is Drooling or some other volume from the Calvin and Hobbes canon.
I was eleven. I loved reading. I loved tearing through big books, as fast as I could, barely grasping the words before my eyes. Anything on a “recommended reading” list went on my reading list – and if they were listed at “middle school” or “high school”-reading level, that just made them a bigger prize in my eyes! I opened a book and left my house, my family, and myself behind. And having moved to a new state in the middle of the school year, I knew that I could count on books – they were my gateway to escape the world.
Or so I thought. Calvin and Hobbes was different. I made my first friend in Indiana because he was reading Calvin and Hobbes and laughing to himself. I came over and sat next to him and looked over his shoulder.
And the beautiful thing is that the pages were big enough to share.
Pretty soon, I was laughing too – in fact, we were both laughing together, and running around, beat-up copies of comic collections in our hands, showing cartoons to our friends and siblings and bothering our parents with “Look! Read this!” (and proceeding to read the comic strip out loud).
Calvin and Hobbes did not get me any points on an Accelerated Reader quiz, nor did I get an A for writing an essay on Bill Watterson’s duo. But those comic strips started teaching me how to read in community, sharing the joy of reading with others in a simple, accessible way. I have not forgotten the lesson: reading is not merely an escape into my private world. A book is a “secondary world” (as Tolkien said), open to everyone – and the gateway is big enough for two, three, or a whole community to come inside together.
The next time you read something, get a friend and read it together. Here’s five reasons why.
CLICK HERE to continue reading on Page 2…
IMAGE CREDIT: Cover detail from The Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book
 Reading for the Common Good From ERB Editor Christopher Smith "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities and the life of the church." -Karen Swallow Prior Enter your email below to sign up for our weekly newsletter & download your FREE copy of this ebook! |
Understanding Christian Nationalism [A Reading Guide] |
 Most Anticipated Books of the Fall for Christian Readers!
|
 Hilarious One-Star Customer Reviews of Bibles |
