Kevin Kager read “I Yam a Donkey,” much to the delight of Grandpa Lyle. In this story a donkey with sloppy pronunciation and poor grammar skills finds that he is talking to a yam that is vey much in favor of proper grammar. At the book’s conclusion the donkey understands he is not a yam, but also understands that he has been talking to a yummy yam. Kevin was one of about a dozen who read to Grandpa Lyle.
The man who spent 33 years graciously reading to Cook County school children had his turn to be read to, and it was a joyous event.
Young and old filled the Grand Marais Public Library at noon Saturday, December 16 to join in a two-hour celebration for “Grandpa Lyle” Gerard’s birthday.
Recently, vision problems have curtailed his ability to read, and this was a chance to read to the man who loves books and who has shared that passion by reading to kids.
In kindergarten Lyle started to stutter. A lefthander, his teachers made him write with his right hand, and, “it was hurting me,” he said.
“My mom went to the teachers and told them to let me write with my left hand, and they did,” said Lyle.
“When I got older, I started reading. In fourth grade, my teacher asked why my name was on all of the library cards in the first row. I told her my name was on all of the cards in the second row. And the third row. My name was on those cards because I had read those books. But why, she asked, and I told her it was my goal to read every book ever written.
It’s not often one can find the Grand Marais library filled with birthday balloons, cake, and — breaking every rule for a library —people reading and talking out loud. But there are exceptions to every rule and the library staff went all out to host a 93rd birthday party for Grandpa Lyle Gerard, who has read to countless Cook County school children over the past 33 years. While his eyes are failing his wit is not. As one person after another returned the favor and read to Grandpa Lyle, the room was filled with laughter and joy. “I can’t thank the library staff and all those who attended enough,” said a genuinely touched Grandpa Lyle several days after the party had occurred.
“She called me into her office and informed me that wasn’t possible. With that, she washed away my life’s dream. I cried uncontrollably. She gave me a handkerchief and was very kind to me before I went to my next class.”
He might have been stung, at first, by his teacher’s words, but he had already grown to love reading. There was no stopping him.
Grandpa Lyle taught English and a variety of subjects at St. Louis Park for 36½ years and spent seven years teaching summer school at the University of Minnesota.
For the last 40 years, Grandpa Lyle said the national reading average has been 140 words per minute. “You aren’t using your whole brain when you read that slowly. If you read faster—300 words a minute or faster—you comprehend more of what you read.”
April Gerard is Lyle’s middle daughter. She moved from Duluth a year and a half ago to help her father stay in his home. A physical therapist who works part-time at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic, April was at her father’s birthday party.
“The library staff did an amazing job. Teachers from Grand Portage, teachers from Great Expectations, Sawtooth Elementary and Birch Grove brought cards. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of tears, a lot of love at his party.
“My father turned 93. He’s losing his sight and his hearing, but his mind is sharp,” April said. “He’s an amazing man.”
Currently, Grandpa Lyle is recruiting readers to fill his place in the schools. Big shoes to fill to be sure, but it’s going well.
“I want to thank everyone who attended my birthday party. It was wonderful,” he said.
And, no, while he didn’t read every book ever written, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
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