Books have been my escape from the real world, the place I go for an adventure. I’ve always considered myself to be a reader. Now the question I have been asked–why? I present to you in no particular order, the top five moments that made me a reader for life.
MY FIRST LIBRARY CARD
I got my first library card before I was old enough to sign my name on the back of it. Something about it being my own card made it special and gave me ownership over my reading. Growing up, the library was one of my favorite places to go. I would ride my bike to the library all the time, checking out as many books as I could read. I used that card until the plastic between the laminated parts started to disintegrate. Ah, the memories…
MY MOM
I would hold my mom most responsible for my love of books. (Somebody had to sign my library card for me!) As a kindergarten teacher, she knows the importance of literacy. My mom would read to my siblings and me often and even before we really knew what a book was. This influenced my love of reading and my reading ability. Thanks mom!
MY FRIENDS (Not a stock photo here folks. They are the real deal!)
Growing up, I was surrounded by friends who loved reading just as much as me! I feel like if they did not like reading as much as I did, I wouldn’t like reading as much as I do. Three of my friends were library pages in high school. Close friends influence everything about you–including your reading habits!
4TH GRADE
I remember loving fourth grad a lot, mostly due to the reading I did then. My teacher had a huge classroom library filled with all the classics–I spent much of my time in that room reading as many books as I could. My teacher that year was also a big influence as she loved books and would challenge me with a new one, better than the last. The literature read at this age is part of what makes me want to teach 3rd-5th grade!
HOGWARTS
I don’t even know where to begin here…Harry Potter was my childhood. I can’t even count the number of times I have read these books. I was the girl that waited in line for the midnight release of the next book. With each being longer than the last, long books weren’t a bad thing, they were a challenge. I don’t know much else to say, because to me, Harry Potter pretty much says it all.
Stressed, Blessed, and Coffee Obsessed 
I envy your drive for reading! Picking out a book to read is like buying a home for me. I can’t just jump into it, it takes planning and reading reviews to help me decide.
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Trust me, I’ve had some pretty big misses along the way. To me, the good books outweigh all the bad ones you had to get through to get there!
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Reading was never quite that exciting for me. My first library card probably met a similar fate as yours did however. I had to get a new on my senior year because the barcode was so worn out, it wouldn’t even scan! My mom was also a reading teacher, so I started my reading adventure really early too. Dr. Seuss was my first love. And probably will be until my first love comes along XD.
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Speaking of Dr. Seuss, have you heard that he has a new book coming out? They located some of his old manuscripts and are publishing one of them. I am excited to see what it is!
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I feel like my mom just bought that book for her classroom… No, she didn’t share either!
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Reading your story about constantly going to the library reminded me of when my sister and I would constantly be at the library wether it was for a tv series we had watched a million times or for a new book in the young adult section. I remember how excited we got when a new book had arrived in our library. I used to live in Europe so the library we had on base was very small and we hardly ever got new books in. Thank you so much for sharing and reminding me of one of the best memories I have with my sister.
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Aw, that sounds like so much fun! That’s one of the reasons I love reading so much–books have ALOT of power and hold the good and bad memories that happend between the pages.
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So it is clear, you love reading! That’s awesome! Have you ever come across a book you didn’t finish or wasn’t your favorite? What was it and why?
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There are two series that I had the intent to finish but never have–I even own them! This may come as a surprise, but they are the Twilight and Hunger Games books. I don’t even know why! It’s not like I don’t like them, they just haven’t held my attention long enough to finish one.
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It looks like you were just meant to be a reader. I think it’s wonderful how you have childhood experiences that molded your love of reading! Would you believe I’ve never read the Harry Potter books? I’ve seen all the movies and and a big fan. What would I pick up from the books that the movies don’t touch on?
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I’ve noticed that you have to accept a lot of things in the movies at face value. (I LOVE the movies, don’t get me wrong.) The books go more in depth, and explain key elements that just kind of happen in the movies. Back stories are also huge. I highly recommend the books!
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I honestly wished I loved reading as much as you did. There are times where I find a good book and I can’t put it down but rarely that happens. I have never read a Harry Potter book nor have I even watched one the movies but I hear those books and amazing. Have you come across a book that you couldn’t finish?
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