Jexium Island
Have you ever had that "brain itch" experience: when there is something just hanging on to the edge of your memory and you can almost see it, but not quite -- it stays just out of focus and out of reach. It's on the tip of your tongue and drives you crazy. Unfortunately, this is an all too common experience for us. Just this evening we were enjoying dinner with friends and we hit on an old Crash Test Dummies song and for the life of us we couldn't get it out. We all gave our best bad impressions of the lead singers deep voice.
It got me (Aaron) scratching again at one of my favourite childhood books. My sixth grade teacher at Parkdale Elementary School, Vance Bryant, had read it to our homeroom class in the mid-eighties. It was this incredible story of kidnapped children being sent to live on an island in the mid Atlantic, forced to mine Jexium. Without any adults, the kids were left to build their own society and discover the mystery of how they had come to the myst shrouded island. It was unlike any story I had ever heard, or read, before. I've often looked for it in used book stores and libraries, but was never fully sure of the title or author. Tonight, after our Crash Test Dummies experience, I decided to google my best guesses at the title and stumbled upon it about 25 years later. It is one book from my childhood that I would love to read with our children. I was shocked to discover that it was only published and printed once back in 1957. I can't believe that it may one day disappear.
Do you have any favourite children's books that you hope will remain for other generations to read. Any favourite books that you think children should be reading. We'd love to read your comments and suggests!
