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My First Book
The first book in my reading journey was "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and it introduced me to the concept of reading in an enjoyable way. I learned all the words from hearing the story long before I ever began to read it with my mother. She would later buy me many books and I think she is who shaped my love for reading more than anyone else. -
Learning to Read
The first books I actively learned to read on my own were read during Kindergarten. I learned how to read Mercer Mayer's "Little Critters" book series. This series was important to me as both a learning experience and finding my enjoyment in reading. -
My First Wall and How Language Can Be Playful
The first book series I encountered that I struggled with was that created Dr. Seuss. With his books, language was silly and playful but a young me didn't understand the use of nonsense words. It wasn't until later that I understood the way those books helped develop my literacy skills. -
Reading for Fun
When I found the Magic School Bus series, I fell in love with it because of the science it taught me. I loved things like dinosaurs and planets as a child, and this book series (and T.V. series) helped encourage me to develop my reading skills to be able to learn all I could from the books. I was at this point finally reading for fun. -
The Revelation of Imagination
With the Magic Tree House Books, I learned how vivid my imagination was, and it was at this point I grew to appreciate Dr. Seuss too. I was able to go on adventures and really appreciated the escape that books allowed me. This series was a turning point for me and my love for reading blossomed with these books. -
Falling for Fantasy
Harry Potter was my first foray into Fictional Fantasy, and this book series was a gift from my mother for my 10th birthday. Since reading these books, I have not once returned from my imaginative love of fantasy. -
The Grandest Adventure
This book and the sequels that followed (and continue to be written) have formed my favorite book series. The story Paolini tells is one that spans the various age ranges I've lived through and tells a story that is deeper and more sentimental every time I read it. From Middle School until even today, this book remains the most captivating series I've ever read and has inspired a deep love of reading in me that burns ever stronger. -
Discovering Books Through Movies
When I first saw the Lord of the Rings movies, I loved them enough that my immediate thought was "I need to read the books," so I did and I can say through my personal experiences that the movies never quite match up to the books. This marked a point in my reading life where I enjoyed reading enough to prefer it to other activities like movies. -
Discovering Life through Literature
Reading Animal Farm as a high school student was very heavy and impactful for me. My teacher pushed us to understand the deeper mechanisms of the story beneath the superficial aspects involving simple animals on a farm. It was with this book that I really understood the importance of literature. -
Childhood Reading, Adult Understanding
Moby-Dick is a book that I read as a child and enjoyed, but read again as an adult and fell in love with. When I read this book, I understood the text but didn't understand the complexities or intricacies of the literature. As a testament to how far I came since "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," reading and truly understanding Moby-Dick serves as the temporary conclusion to my writing journey.