When I first learned to read just before I started Kindergarten, I was enthralled with it. I picked it up really quickly and really enjoyed it. Whenever we would have visitors come over to our house, I would say "hi," and then I would say, "can I show you how I can read?" I was very proud of my newest accomplishment and wanted to show it to anyone possible. This habit went on for about two years. By the end of the first grade, I had read nearly every single Junie B. Jones and Magic Tree House book there was to read. After this, I think I became bored with reading, and it wasn't quite as exciting. It seemed that there wasn't ever a book that was entertaining enough to capture my attention. I wouldn't ever finish books all the way through for a while. This went on from about second grade to about seventh. This is really devastating because I missed out on so many great novels that I wouldn't even give the time of day.
Then the summer after seventh grade, this bad attitude towards reading started to change. Three of my cousins that live all over the U.S. had a little trip with my grandparents at the end of the summer. We did all sorts of things like hiking, swimming, crabbing, and even white water river rafting. My grandma and grandpa thought it would make things more fun if we all read a book and then discussed it on our trip. All four of us are girls, so they thought it would be fun to read something dramatic like Gone with the Wind. I wasn't too happy about this idea at first because I took one look at the size of it and wanted to give up. The whole thing cover to cover is nearly 1500 pages. In the beginning, I thought that every second of the book would be painful, so I had to make myself a chart that said I would read 35 pages every day to finish by the time we had the trip. It turns out that I didn't need the schedule at all. The second I picked it up, I was completely in love with it. I would lock myself up in my room for hours and read 200 pages straight. It has the most capturing story line that keeps you guessing throughout the whole novel. I fell in love with the characters because they were so complex, and it was a mystery to see what they would do next. I learned a lot of important lessons from that book, and I am grateful that my grandparents challenged us to read this classic novel.
Ever since then, I decided that I would give books another try. I promised myself that I couldn't stop after the first 20 pages. This was one of the best choices I have ever made. There are so many great stories out there that I had no idea even existed. A big chunk of the last year or two has been spent reading in my window sill and making up for lost time. There isn't anything quite as enjoyable as wrapping up in a blanket and having an adventure by diving into a book. I have loved the books that we have read for Honors English, and I plan to take Honors English throughout high school. I am so happy that I decided to give reading another shot, because there are so many great things in my life that come from the wonderful of books!
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