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Giles Andreae Books
The catchy stories and wordplay with the addition of the colorful illustrations were captivating for me as a young child. My older sister and dad would read his books to me and it is the first memory I have of reading. -
The Classics
The classic books by Dr. Seuss, "The Little Engine That Could", "Blueberries for Sal" and "Make Way for Ducklinglings" became a household staple and became my favorite books to read before bed. -
Reading with Dad
Around this time it became a nightly tradition for my dad and me to read chapter books before I went to sleep. We would trade off reading aloud, and this is was one of the first times reading didn't feel like a chore for me. -
Audio Books
As I got older, reading became less fun and more of a requirement because I was a slow reader and I would get distracted easily. It was not until my reading tutor told me about audiobooks that I began enjoying reading again. Reading along with someone allowed me to still develop my reading without the struggle of not knowing how words sounded, and being confused about what I was reading. -
Percy Jackson Series
In Middle School, I fell in love with Greek mythology which led me to read Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. With the aid of audiobooks, reading these stories brought me into the world of the characters, where I could imagine what each character looked like and what the setting was like. -
The Glass Castle
In my Freshman year English class, the first unit was on memoirs. The first book we read was The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and I remember being completely engulfed in the book. It was so powerful to me that I cried multiple times reading it. The way she wrote it was so raw and genuine. -
My Favorite Book of All Times
In the summer going into my Junior year of high school, I read a book both my sister and my mom recommended to me, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It was from a perspective of a dog, which intrigued me. This book made me laugh, cry, and made me not put it down. -
Women Writers in Literature
During my senior year of high school, we had the option of taking three elective style English classes, one of which was called Women Writers in Literature. What made this class so interesting was that we read pieces by women of color. In my past English classes, we had little opportunity to read pieces by people of color, so being able to read about their experiences or read from their perspective was eye opening.
