I don't know why I asked this question in my Comm Arts class today...maybe because we are back from Christmas break, and I wanted to see where I needed to start again, but I innocently asked, "How many of you got a book for Christmas this year?" No one raised their hand...hhhmmm...okay..."How many of you asked your parents for a book?" Not a hand. I don't know why I am so astonished, but I am...I'm amazed that kids don't ask and parents don't think to give books as gifts!! Buying books and reading them are so much a part of my life, I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have them! Last year my mom bought Maddy the full Puppy Place series for Christmas...and this year she bought Mads seven new books!!
I grew up in a family that embraced reading of anything! LOL...I once got in trouble in junior high for bringing an "inappropriate" book to school..thank you Sidney Sheldon! And I believe I read my first Harlequin in fourth grade. But my mom's theory was she didn't care what my sister and I read as long as we read! Every summer my mom would take Juliana and me to a used bookstore and let us get ANYTHING we wanted!! I remember carrying out FOUR trash bags full of books one summer...and after we read those, she'd let us trade for more.
Reading is something I believe my sister and I took for granted growing up. My mother used to always tell us that reading was a struggle for her as a child (Dyslexia...what is that?)...and she wanted to make sure we never struggled like she did. And I love her for that! Granted, growing up in a time where there was only two or three tv stations and static radio didn't HURT (haha)...but it really was a matter of my mom making reading important for the family!
If you were to ask me today who the bigger influence was regarding my desire to read--school or home--I would tell you without a doubt...HOME!
