Confessions from a hardcore nerd:
The level of nerd I achieved when I was a little kid is astounding. I would read fact books on different topics like dinosaurs or human anatomy. I used to practice memorizing the planets in the order of distance from the sun. I also thought that having a complete set of 1990 World Book Encyclopedias was the epitome of book bling. I remember when my parents bought them and it was A Big Deal.
World Book 19.31
I used to pick a letter and just read random articles from it. Sometimes I would make study cards from articles I would read. Seriously. I didn’t realize that a) other kids weren’t doing this and b) that it was strange in any way. While my peers were honing their coordination skills and activating vitamin D production in their skin (known in the vernacular as “playing outside”) I was inside coveting my gold leaf encyclopedias like some kind of tiny Asian hobbit hoarder. The books look new but believe me, they were loved.
Vivren 
i continue to be amazed by your quest for knowledge. and the quest of Little Viv for knowledge. no wonder you are way smarter than i am. i did, though love those Encyclopedia Britannica ads. i was always mad my parents wouldn’t get a set. i read Encyclopedia Brown. does that count?