My earliest books I can remember reading on my own besides picture books is The American Girl series of books. I ate those books up. If any of you know them, they include fascinating titles like Samantha goes to town or something like that. Mostly I read Felicity and Samantha, Molly was just too modern for me. I was really into pre 1900 as a child. Then, when we moved a lot during my third grade year, I read a ton of Archie comics. In middle school, I remember reading Dealing with Dragons and a sequel, which is a mystical story about princesses and dragons, definitely an interest of mine then. In seventh grade, I read some Christian fiction like This Present Darkness, Piercing the Darkness, and some horrid romance books. Then I got really into Fear Street. Ever read those? They are awful. Basically like sitting through a horror movie, which I can't do now, big scardy cat.
What was I missing? So few books. I feel like I missed so much. I want my kids to be devouring books at that age. I could have read so many of the classics like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudiced, Lord of the Rings, or Fahrenheit 451.
Anyways, when did my love for reading and books begin? It was my junior year in high school and I signed up for an English class with Blou Carmen. There were rumors she was a witch and that she had never worn the same outfit twice and that she was incredibly hard. So I was scared before the clas had begun. Thankfully I trudged forward, because that class changed my life. She really didn't wear the same outfit twice and no she wasn't a witch, just a wonderful inspiring unique teacher. For class we read Cat's Cradle, Of Mice of Men, Catcher in the Rye, and The Great Gatsby. From then on out I was hooked on reading and it also helped me decide later to major in English.
I just wish I could have started earlier, because I barely read anything as a child and I feel like I missed out on so much free time I could have spent reading. I just pray that my kids continue loving books and become little bookworms.
2 comments:
yay for reading!!
I think I was the complete opposite. But, I was home schooled and my mom gave us to choose little summaries of books and we had to read a certain amount of them and then discuss them ( pretty much like a book club would). We were not tested on them, but she definetly knew if we had read them or not, but asking us a couple specific discussion questions. I had nothing to fear, I loved reading them.
I think in 8th grade I read: The Merchant of Venice, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Tale of Two Cities, Call of the Wild, and Beowulf. She would help us through them, but it was very fun.
My bro on the other hand took the same exact classes, read some of the same books...and to this day hates reading, he only skimmed through books all throughout school, and now he won't touch a book.
That goes to show what are some people's strengths are other's weaknesses...he can pick up any mathematical equation of any sort...and many times can work it full on in his head, it is insane and I feel very silly when I have a hard time with figuring out tips!!! While in Iraq he says that to keep his mind busy he would invent equations and try to work them out! ahhh...that is madness to me, but it makes sense to him.
Uh...maybe I'll post on this on mi blog, thanks for sharing about your childhood.
ps we also spent an insanely crazy loco amount of time playing Nintendo.
reading has always been one of my constant "hobbies." i've always loved it. i had a great 4th grade teacher who became the school librarian who recommended books to me all the time. what i regret is that i didn't read very many "classics." so i'm catching up on those now.
one of my hopes is that i can fuel the fire of my children reading, too.
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