Isn't your tagline sweet!
"I wish this had been the case (in the Washington State school) where I attended seventh and eighth grades."
Well, make up for Lost Time now, FRiend. I'm sure people here could suggest a list of books you may have missed out on in your youth. :)
Actually, I had seen the movie, but didn't read the book until I was in my 40's. I think I appreciated all the delicious undertones of it all the more as an adult. ;)
I'm pleased to say that I have been doing just that for a couple reasons. I really did miss out on being herded into good reading pasture as a child and youth; I love literature (good lit); I mentor a fifth grader and have been seeking juvenile book recommendations. So for the past several years, I have been reading classic juvenile literature and listening to audio books, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and ... Huckleberry Finn, and Uncle Tom's Cabin, where dialects figure prominently.