What started you off Reading?

Question

For me it was the Dragonlance series, what about you?

Answer 1

What started me reading? The usual. I was fortunate. My mother read to me, my grandmother gave me picture books to read, my sister got me started off on Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Treasure Island, Little Men, and the like, and my father read with me (the same books I was reading, beginning with The Three Mustangeers by Will James, which he gave me for Christmas when I was in the third grade).

But there were discouraging factors too--things that prevented my becoming a reader: (1) Boys were not supposed to read; boys who were readers were considered "brains" (the word would be nerd now); so I had to hide the fact that I liked to read. (2) Our family was not well off and we didn't own many books--the Bible, the Sears & Roebuck catalog, Sunday School literature, my older sisters' school textbooks, and one or two books as gifts each year at Christmas--that was about it. (3) School textbooks and reading teachers were a real turn-off, especially for a boy. Hated all those drills and memorizing all those poems. No good books in a school library; teachers who did not encourage reading outside of school. (4) No friends who liked to read or who would want to talk about books. (5) Movies and radio were interesting to me, and more popular with my friends. (I grew up pre-television.)

So what really made me a reader?

One thing above anything else. The county library and a gracious, wise, and caring librarian=Mrs. Katherine B. Cox. Oh, how I wish she were still alive and could accept my heartfelt appreciation. The library was upstairs in a run-down building in the county seat of my county in rural Tennessee (Jack Daniels territory). A friend of our family's, who had boarded with us when she was a teacher in a one-room school, guided me to the library and to Mrs. Cox.

Every Saturday I was permitted to check out two books. Every Saturday (after I saw a double-feature matinee with a western and, maybe, the Three Stooges), I would climb up the creaky steps to Mrs. Cox's library. Every Saturday she would have at least two books to recommend that I consider. She found out that I liked to read about adventures from the past--wagon trains, Andy Jackson, riverboats, the Three Musketeers, Robin Hood, Hercules and the Greek gods. So she would have two more books for me to consider. But she never insisted. I could choose any book I wanted. She guided me gently and thoughtfully but did not overwhelm me. Once I wandered into the adult mystery section and came home with a book that kinda shocked my dad. I have to admit I didn't understand all that sexual innuendo. The next week I went back to wagon trains and riverboats!

What started me off reading? The usual. The three bears and the three billy goats gruff and Tom Thumb and Tom Sawyer, and Joseph and his coat of many colors.

But what made me a lifetime reader?

Mrs. Katherine B. Cox and her county library up those creaking stairs.

No doubt about it.

Answer 2

I LOVE the Dragonlance series, and have a bunch of them!
I started reading before Kindergarten, and I credit my Mom--she ALWAYS had a book in hand or nearby.

Answer 3

My parents started reading to me before I was born, and never stopped. Couple that with the fact that I was propped up in front of Sesame Street from the day I came home from the hospital and read my first word (Exit) at two because of Sesame Street, and I guess it's no wonder I'd read all the Boxcar Children books by the time I was in first grade. I loved them and I still do, and they made me wonder what else I could find in books.

Answer 4

My mom did read to me when I was little. And of course there were trips to libraries and bookstores...I think just growing up in a house with people who for the most part loved to read. I had an older sister who was always reading. And my mom of course loved books. And part of family-time was reading time. She would read aloud to me and my sister all the time, even after we were old enough to read for ourselves. It was great.

There were many memorable books I remember reading--I do remember the Childcraft encyclopedias--I read most of them--my favorite was the orange which was nursery rhymes and poetry. I loved the poem about going up and down on the merry go round. My first series that I devoured was LIttle House On The Prairie. I loved those books. I loved the tv show. I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Answer 5

This is probably the weirdest way to start reading, but when I was about 6 I started reading these ChildCraft Encyclopedias. Granted, they were written for children, but they were still encyclopedias. There were about 15 volumes, maybe 120 pages each, had stuff about animals, countries, and the like. I would read every article in them alphabetically, and I made it through almost every volume if I rememeber correctly.

Hmmm, I think I just realized what set me on my path to nerdiness.

Answer 6

The Baby Sitters Club

Answer 7

Before going to sleep, my mom would get into bed with a good book and read for at least 45 minutes. When I was in 4th grade, I joined her because I liked spending the quiet time alone with her. After around 15 minutes, we would each have one piece of beef jerky while we read. Now, my kids and I read together every night. When my mom visits us, she reads with us. Good thing I have a big bed.

My mom never censored my choices in books. It was the one thing that, despite being dirt poor, she would scrape money to buy for me. To this day, I love and respect books more than clothes.

Answer 8

I was only 6 years old (almost 7) when we moved to the United States and I had never really watched alot of the classic movies based on novels on TV or in a theatre. My teacher in 2nd grade had them in the classroom. They had some interesting pictures and titles on them so I started reading them. Some of the books were "The Wizard of Oz", "A Christmas Carol" and "Black Beauty." They were very intriguing to me and these books got me hooked!

Answer 9

School really got me reading when I hit High School. I loved "The Great Gatsby" and "To Kill a Mocking Bird." I never liked "Old Man in the Sea," I found it boring.

Then in college I used to have to ride the bus for hours, so I started reading more then. I'm a big fan of mysteries and now I write them!

Answer 10

I love learning and reading is the best way to obtain knowledge...........Theres almost something spiritual in reading because it really sticks..........Its ok to watch informative programs on television and tapes and things but theres nothing like reading a good book...........

And even for recreational purposes reading can be enlightening and very fun if you have a good imagination.............

There are many many many books I loved as a child so many I cant just choose one.............I loved when it was time to order from Scholastic at school and the contests to win books..........

Loved it!!

Answer 11

I fell in love with reading at a young age when I read "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" and as a preteen I read "The Call of the Wild." My parents always read and I developed the same love for books.