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From the time I was born until I was about 8 (1999-2007), my dad would round up the three kids and tell us stories underneath the family story blanket. This really got me interested in hearing stories which sparked my first interest in reading.
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My mom started out reading me stories from the Dr. Seuss collections and eventually had me start reading them to her to help me practice reading. Seeing the pictures is what kept me interested and helped me understand what the story was about.
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Some of my favorite books in kindergarten included:
- The Rainbow Fish
- If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
- Very Hungry Caterpillar The books really helped me start connecting and differentiating between animals and their fictional counterparts. -
2005 - 2007:
As a kid, I struggled to make the correct sounds and pronunciation when trying to speak. I worked with a speech pathologist and often practiced how to make the proper sounds. To practice at home, my mom and dad had me read them books that challenged me to improve my speaking abilities. My books of choice included the Biscuit dog books and the Clifford The Big Red Dog series. -
2007 - 2010:
My reading skills really began to take off and improve between third grade and fifth grade. I started to check books out from the library to read on my own and my parents also bought me some books that weren't available at the library. My series of choice included:
- The Spiderwick Chronicles
- Geronimo Stilton Books
- Magic Treehouse Books -
2010-2012:
Middle school is the time in my life where I came to appreciate and enjoy history. I loved learning about those who lived before me and helped build the world that I lived in. One of my history teachers in 6th grade had the class read "Who was Abraham Lincoln" when we were learning about the civil war and slavery. I loved this book and soon became obsessed with all the "Who was..." books. I went back to my collection and counted 12 "Who Was..." books that are still in my possession. -
2010 - 2014:
While I enjoyed reading and learning about history during this time, I also gained a love for books of fiction. My favorites include "Where the Red Fern Grows" and "Bridge To Terabithia." I also enjoyed reading "Fable Haven" and the beginning of the "Artemis Fowl" series. -
2012 - 2014:
My favorite teacher of all time was my 8th grade history teacher, who is the reason that I still have a passion for history. During this time, I began to read more advanced biographies that the "Who Was..." books. While I have many that I enjoy including biographies for Walt Disney, Benjamin Franklin, and Harriet Tubman / Underground Railroad, my all time favorite is "Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio." -
2014 - 2017:
High School was the best time frame in my life as far as my reading history is concerned. My high school English teachers got me hooked on advanced Dystopian novels as well as young adult fiction and fantasy. My favorite series in high school (and still are to this day) were the "Divergent" and "Hunger Games" series. I got to say, the books are way better than the movies and I am glad I read them first. -
2017 - 2020:
I'd have to rate my college reading experiences on the low end of the 1-10 scale. Probably a 2 or 3. The reason I don't enjoy reading for college is because I am mostly required to read from dry and boring textbooks or the readings are too lengthy for me. Or I'm just not interested in the material. However, I really enjoyed reading and researching for both my Psych classes and my Geography class. So there are some cases where I enjoy reading but they are few and far between. -
2018 - Present:
Back in early 2018 I began to read for fun again. I would read book after book and often spend most of the day reading when I wasn't doing school. That is still the case today. I mostly read young adult fantasy, fiction, and dystopian novels. My all time favorite author is Stacy Claflin, whom I discovered back in late 2017, and have read almost 30 of her books! My favorites from her include the "Transformed," "Valkyrie," Lost Wolf," "Gone," and "Alex Mercer" series.
