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See Spot Run -Birth to 1980
Most of my earliest memories involve reading with my Grandmother. She had old Dick and Jane books. We would read the simple books together everyday. Each night, she would read longer more elaborate stories from a large collection of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales. She only read "The Little Match Girl" once. I told her no one ever needed to hear that story twice; it was too sad. -
Scarry Stories - 1980-1983
I read Richard Scarry stories each night as a small child. I would beg my mom or dad to read to me. After the reader left, I would re-read the stories over and over until I fell asleep. I still have some of these books. -
Green Eggs and Ham
Dr. Seuss was my first "favorite" poet. The stories did not intrigue me as much as his talent to turn a phrase. I loved his wit and ability to keep a reading rhythm. He lead me to Shel Silverstein, and the end of the sidewalk, in later years. Looking, back I believe these two (2) greats fostered my love of poetry. I still love poetry. -
Sweet and Funky- 1984-1989
Looking back, I realize the late 80's was a time when I got to do exactly what I want to do now...curl up under a blanket and read books from start to finish! I became a voracious reader. I read through book series like Sweet Valley Twins faster that my mother's purse would have liked. When I couldn't get my hand on the next book, I would read through our family set of Funk and Wagnalls Encyclopedia. Yes, reader, I am THAT old! -
Word Nerd Early 1990's
I became a real word nerd toward the end of middle school. I started reading the dictionary for fun. In high school, I fell in love with Shakespeare. Like my early obsession with Dr. Seuss, the plot often took a back seat to the author's focus on diction. His word choice inspired awe. I made a point of using "Shakespearean insults" in daily conversation. Only a true word nerd ends an argument by exclaiming, " A pox on your house!" -
Required Readings- Mid 1990's
Required reading in college broadened my horizons and completely changed my perspective. Works by Hurston, lead me to Baldwin, and Baldwin introduced me to Giovanni. I "met" authors in my classrooms; on the required reading lists. Once I devoured the first book; I would usually read the rest of the works by the same author and his/her contemporaries. -
A New Millennium - 2001-2010
Sadly, I read less during these years. I was married and began a family. For a while, my friends and I would measure our level of insanity with one simple question, "When is the last time you read a book?" Fortunately, I discover my all time favorite author, J. California Cooper. Her collections of short stories gave me bite-sized portions of the delicious diction I craved. I re-read her stories in the same way that I used to re-read my beloved Scarry stories. -
A New Hope- 2010- Present
If you cannot tell form the title of the entry I love Star Wars! I also love Sci-Fi and dystopian themed novels. Recently, I have previewed a few books for my son (a least that's what I say when I am caught reading them). The Hunger Games and Divergent series are excellent young adult literature. My family bonded over these books in the same way that my grandmother and I bonded over Dick and Jane. Hopefully, my son will have fond memories of reading with me.
