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My passion for reading emerged when my parents precisely chose books that they thought I would enjoy. As they read to me, and as I began to read myself, I learned vocabulary that I would use in everyday life. My favorite book that I would read if not every night was "Goodnight Moon", authored by Margaret Wise Brown. This book was my favorite book. Even though I knew what every page entailed, I was still drawn to reread it each night.

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"Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere"

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My mentor would have to be both of my parents. Each night before I would go to bed, they would alternate turns on reading to me. They built the habit of reading everyday, no matter how long it was. When I was able to read on my own, they still encouraged me to read as much as I was able to. They made sure I was supplied with a variety of books which overall helped me find the certain genres I enjoy today.

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My earliest reading memory would have to be having my parents read me "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss. I remember loving the book, always requesting to have it be the night's book choice. I remember continuing to read other Dr. Seuss books after this.

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Around Christmas time in preschool, I was gifted "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" from one of the parents. Those two books became my favorite books at the time, even reading the Christmas one all year around.

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When reading, I would always have a stuffed animal next to me at all times. My sister gave me a moose stuffed animal when I was born. I would have it everywhere I went, at all times. Moosey was beside me as I transferred from reading children's books to chapter books.

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My shift in my reading experience occurred when I started to read the Harry Potter series. Those were the first big chapter books I read, and that's what made my love for reading skyrocket. I have read and reread all seven books multiple times. My aunt had gifted these books to my sister, but she was never truly interested in them. As I grew to the age that I was able to read chapter books, I decided to read this series. I grew to love the genre of fantasy and then proceeded to branch out to other books in the same genre. I also explored many other genres and found which ones I lean more towards. Today, I read all sorts of genres, but I do have my favorites. I enjoy romance, mystery, poetry, fantasy, and thrillers.

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"Everything I Never Told You" authored by Celeste Ng, is a book that I chose for the Big Fat AP Lit project we did. This book really pulled me in by the title as I was searching for a particular book to read. This book impacted me so much due to the fact that I can relate to the main character Lydia. As she was overlooked and was pushed to her limits, I can relate to that on another level. One thing after another kept piling on in her life, and it shows the effects of what pushing someone over the edge can do. Adding onto that, not only did it spread awareness to these types of problems, it was also a story you could not predict what could happen next. Page after page I was shocked at what happened within the family's life. I have reread the book and plan to read it again soon.

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"The things that go unsaid are often things that eat you."

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"The Way I Used To Be" authored by Amber Smith is a book I hold dearly to me. This book was a book that had gotten me out of my reading slump due to how good it was. The book was so impact, spreading awareness for speaking out about sexual assault. The book navigated through the main character, Eden, and her life ever since she was sexually assaulted by her brother's best friend. The strength she has to still persevere through life even after everything she's been through is truly astonishing. Her story being told and also providing a representation of how incidents like this can truly affect someone. I have never really cried from reading a book, but this one was so powerful that it did make me shed a few tears.

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"All you have to do is act like you're okay, and people start treating you that way."

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"My Dark Vanessa" illustrated by Kate Elizabeth Russell was one of those kinds of books that hits you like a punch while reading it. The psychological dynamic of the relationship between an innocent and gullible teenage girl and her deceptive teacher. This book filled me with feelings of uneasiness throughout reading it. Despite the uneasiness, I was captivated by the psychological aspect of the book. Seeing the emotional abuse and manipulation Vanessa undergoes. Adding onto that, the fact that Vanessa didn't consider herself a victim at the time and eventually blames herself for luring him in and proceeding further with his desires. The book captures the movement of cultural sanctions and the transformation of society itself too.

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"Because even if I sometimes use the word abuse to describe certain things that were done to me, in someone else's mouth the word turns ugly and absolute. It swallows up everything that happened."

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My favorite thing about reading is that my mind is able to go to a "different dimension". The books I read get my mind off of whatever I am experiencing at that point of time. I am able to take the words that I read and picture it in my mind like a movie. I love finding books that really stick to me that way when I remember the story line in my head, I am able to "re-watch" like a movie all over again.

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My biggest challenge when reading is getting out of a book slump. After reading a book that I wasn't very fond of makes me go into a slump where i'm not motivated to read. It also is kind of hard to find a good book in order to get me out of the slump. Some books I will read but I won't love them. But overall I usually get out of my slump pretty quickly.

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As I started reading at a young age, I plan to continue to read since it is something that I love to do. I read books pretty fast, but when it is a very well put together book, I breeze through it. Over the summer, I plan to read a lot of books and also journal about them. I have a reading journal that I have been using and my goal is to fill it up as much as I can.

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This poem is mainly for my friends and family. I love them dearly as they have been with me through the thick and thin. I owe everything to them since they have done so much for me. I appreciate every bit of support and love that they provide for me, they deserve the world and so much more.

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We all know that reading is good for us. It can improve brain and memory function and keep your brain operating more effectively as you age. Reading also enhances connectivity in the brain, reduces stress, promotes relaxation, improves sleep, and has the potential to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's. However not all of these benefits are created equal across reading platforms. The battle between paper books and e-readers has largely been divided into two camps: those who favor the sentimentality of a paper book versus those who want the practicality and convenience of an e-reader. But now science has stepped in, and in order to reap the greatest health benefits reading has to offer, research sides with paper books.
Brain Function & Memory:
Regular reading improves your brain power and memory function by giving your brain a workout . It may help to slow the process of natural memory and brain function decline that comes with age. According to neuroscientists at Emory University in Atlanta, "reading a gripping novel makes changes in the way the brain connects with different circuits." Although the changes reading creates in the brain may not be permanent, they can last for at least five days, suggesting that the benefits from reading "last longer than the act itself." However a study conducted at Norway's Stavanger University found that recall of a book's plot after using an e-reader was poorer than with traditional books. Specifically, participants who read a short mystery on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. The study suggests that because our sense of touch is not engaged as strongly with an e-reader as it is with a print book, that it does not support mental reconstruction of the story in the same way.

According to the same study at Stavanger University, the brain reads by constructing a mental representation of the text based on the placement of the page in the book and the word on the page. To exercise the brain most effectively from reading and promote memory strength, the tactile experience of a book is very important, for example, thickness of the pages in your hands as you progress through a story. E-readers don't provide the same visual sense of progress when you're reading. Although they try to re-create the sensation of flipping a page, the screen is limited to one virtual page at a time, affecting the reader's sense of control. The inability to control the text physically by flipping back to previous pages, making written notes in the margins or bending the pages all limit the sensory experience of reading and thereby reduce long-term memory of the text.

Sleep & Relaxation:

Reading an old fashioned novel not only improves brain function and memory, but can also improve your sleep. As we increasingly spend more and more of our days in front of screens it's important to disconnect and relax, especially before bedtime. Reading a paper book can signal to your body that it's time to sleep. The screen of an e-reader does not have that same calming effect and can actually keep you awake longer, disrupting your sleep pattern. "In fact, the blue light emitted by screens on cell phones, computers, televisions and tablets restrain production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for controlling your sleeping and waking cycle, or circadian rhythm. Reducing melatonin makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep," said Dr. Nick Patel, DO of Pulmonary Care Associates. "In order to reduce the risk of technology inhibiting your sleep cycle, give yourself at least 30 minutes away from your gadgets before you go to bed," Patel suggests. In addition, some researchers are now advocating for what they call " slow-reading " which is 30-45 minutes of daily reading away from the ever-present distractions of technology. Daily "slow-reading" can engage the brain, reduce stress and improve concentration.

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We all know that reading is good for us. It can improve brain and memory function and keep your brain operating more effectively as you age. Reading also enhances connectivity in the brain, reduces stress, promotes relaxation, improves sleep, and has the potential to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's.

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I would say reading all the Harry Potter books is very impressive. Especially over and over again with no problem at such a young age that is very impressive and shows how good of a reader you are. I know I couldn’t even finish one.

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Michelle has been and will always be my best friend. One thing we share in common is our love for reading, and with that, comes the many recommendations we give to each other. I told Michelle about the book, “My Dark Vanessa,” and can say that it is a very powerful book to read. Michelle is the type of person to choose books that stand out to her no matter the popularity. Not only is it a blessing to see Michelle grow as a reader, but as a person as well. I love how Michelle challenges herself when reading, and rereads a book to get more insight on things that she missed. Books can shape a person yes, but as Michelle has explained, the anticipation a person gets from reading truly is what makes the experience exciting.

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I agree with Michelle when she says that reading puts her in a different dimension. I feel like reading puts you in a world that lets you ignore reality for a bit. So when stressed reading is a nice distraction from all the chaos that reality can bring into one’s life. In reading I can relate where Michelle’s says that she feels a connection to the book especially when she relates to it which makes it hard for me personally when finishing the book. This is because I grow so close to the characters that parting with them at the end of the book is really hard. This is also why I relate when Michelle says that she gets into a reading slump. As long as I have known Michelle she has been a reader as well as great at being able to not only relate to the characters in her book but relay these plots to everyone she meets in a way that makes the person want to buy it as soon as she tells them about it.

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Michelle is one of the brightest and refreshing people i know throughout my whole lifetime. Me and her meet when we were about 6 years old, and since then I can say that she is a very intelligent young lady. I believe this comes from her love of reading and her interest in developing her studies. I remember when she had her shift of reading the Harry Potter series, she was a fanatic and could not stop talking about it. She spoke of all the different characters, the dialect, and the interactions between them and summarized the whole series to me and I knew it without even reading! I also remember when she began reading Colleen Hoover, and she introduced me to some of her work. She told me about “It Ends With Us” which is a book that blew up, but also one that caught the attention from many including me from Michelle. Overall, Michelle is easily said to be one of the smartest and most enthusiastic readers I have ever meet.

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I can relate to getting out of the reading slump. Always during the school year I get into a slump but once summer comes around I love to read again. Dr.Seuss is an amazing author love him, and his green eggs and ham.

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It's interesting to see what and how others read, and I was happy to see that you read the Harry Potter series as well. I relate a lot to reading slumps, so I hope that you can maybe find a whole genre of books that you would be interested in.