I have always LOVED books. Well, not always. I can remember my mother making me go to the library to check out books. Then, sitting on my bed for what seemed like forever 'reading' the book. I was daydreaming about doing anything other than reading that book. I wasn't a quick reader and that really made me dislike books. Even through high school, I remained steadfast on my stance that reading was not a good choice for free time. But, something changed when I went to college--yes, it took that long. I remember calling my brother to talk about declaring a major. I told him that I had chosen English. The first thing he said to me was, "You know you have to read books." It was no secret that my love for soccer out shined my love for school work. But, I knew that English was right for me. How I knew that, I did not know.
This is where my love story begins. I devoured books, some more pleasant than others but couldn't believe what I had missed out on all those years. And as I moved from college to graduate school for elementary education, I began to fall in love with children's books. My teaching career brought me the opportunity to make book choices that pulled students into reading. I wanted to see them turning the pages with an anxious furry, a desperation to find out what was next. I loved teaching Language Arts and knew I had to move into that direction in my career. In my application for my reading program, I had to describe myself as a reader. On a scale of 1-10, I would have given myself a 12. I never left the house without a book in my purse and used any opportunity: red light, line at the bank, an unnecessary trip to the DMV (okay just kidding) to read a page, a paragraph, or just a few words. This is the love story I want my children to know. It's a love that in the end will leave a person's heart and mind filled with imagination, questions, loyalty, and pure bliss.
