RIP Donald Sobol and thank you

 

Author Donald J. Sobol

    I was disturbed to learn earlier this week of the death of Donald J. Sobol, author of the "Encyclopedia Brown" series of children's mystery. 
    Sobol was 87 and died of natural causes July 11 in Miami, according to a news report I read, I never met Sobol. Didn't really know him at all and must admit that I hadn't thought about his writings in a long time. But I owe Sobol a great deal.
    Sobol's Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown sparked my interest in reading fiction. The first Brown book was published in 1963. New additions to the series became popular items in school classrooms and public libraries at the time. 
    The series featured Brown, a boy detective who solved mysteries with the help of a sidekick. The series was so popular with young readers that it was translated into 12 languages and sold millions of copies worldwide, according to a news report about Sobol's passing.
    I was in the fourth grade when I read my first Encyclopedia Brown book and became an immediate fan. I found the stories interesting, and I can recall imagining myself as a boy detective in my own neighborhood in Arlington Heights.
    There are a lot of people I can thank for helping me learn to read, most of them were teachers at Park Elementary School.
    My father, Robert Botterman, sparked my interest in nonfiction, primarily history, when I was in the third grade. He introduced me to the American Heritage History of World War II, an extensive work that featured a wide variety of photographs from the war. I was hooked on the subject right away and remain a student of that era in world history.
     Sobol's "Encyclopedia Brown" series was special in that it was the first fiction work to capture my attention and fuel my imagination. I think fiction's great appeal is that ability to engage our imaginations. 
    From Sobol's series I moved on to the "We Were There" series of historical fiction for young readers. The series also remains one of my favorites. These early readings led me to seek out authors and works intended for adults. Those works, while maybe not age-appropriate for a middle school student, further fueled my reading habit, expanded my vocabulary and gave me a lot to think about.
    My interest in mysteries introduced me to some classic characters and took me to some far away places — if only in my mind. I met Hercule Poirot on the Orient Express, Miss Jane Marple in the English countryside and Capt. Bulldog Drummond, a World War I hero and accomplished detective. 
And I met the great Sherlock Holmes, a lasting favorite of mine. I am fairly certain that I have  read (and reread) all of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
    I remain an avid reader, but today concentrate mostly on nonfiction. But whether I'm enjoying a nonfiction account of an episode in history or a work of fiction, I will try to pause every now and then to give thanks to Donald Sobol and the gift he gave to me so many years ago.