Books, Authors and Life

I’ve written before that I am a voracious reader, that I love books. Their weight, their smell and most importantly, their ability to give some respite from being a mother of four.

This love wasn’t innate, that’s to say; I was NOT born with the love of books.

In fact, I was a slow reader. Very slow reader, sluggish even. The words did not come easily and they certainly did not paint vivid pictures in my mind. I was put in the “slow reader” class, yet I still struggled- for years. Never fully comprehending the sentences, as I had to read each word slowly and separately, never learning to flow them together…

Until fourth grade.

Until, Mrs. Kimes.

Until, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. This book captured and captivated me, as Mrs. Kimes read it to our class in weekly installments. Judy Blume’s words wove a magic carpet that took me to new places and new experiences, her books helped me face sisterhood, puberty, scoliosis and yes, even my own sexuality.

My big girls, both “slow readers” themselves love to read, thanks to Meg Cabot. Neither one really liked to read until the seventh grade. Judy Blume didn’t do it for them, the Magic Tree House series- bombed out. Everything I tried just fell on deaf ears, until they found Meg Cabot. Her words spoke to them, like Judy’s spoke to me.

Captain Underpants whispered to Chase. (He still doesn't LOVE to read.)

The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss screams to Maddie.

What author first spoke to you? Too your children?