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The journey of my past evokes beautiful memories as I reflect on the books that made their mark on my life. Reading was not just an activity, it was a world I could enter at any time, it was my friend, and many times it influenced my life and interests.

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"She throws her words on the page", my kindergarten teacher would explain to my mom.  Handwriting wasn't my strongest suit, but reading quickly became my strength.  I was a very shy kid and was an introvert at times avoiding social opportunities, but I found solace in reading.  Reading became my safe place and a hobby that helped enrich my life in many ways in grade school.

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My earliest memory of books that I spent hours reading was the Berenstain Bears series. Since I did not have a brother or sister, I loved reading about the fun and tricks the siblings would try to get away with as a team. The stories were also identifiable and covered real issues.

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In middle school, I began reading more "grown up" books, and instantly became obsessed with the series The Babysitter Club.  Soon I found that many girls my age were just as obsessed with the series as I was.  This created the opportunity to finally make friends through our common interest of reading.  We would make our own club, get ideas from the books, have slumber parties, and read the books over and over together.  Because of reading, my social life took off.

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My family moved a lot as I grew older and I found myself retreating and becoming shy around new people.  Reading became my safe place once again and I couldn't wait to leave school so I could go home and read my beloved book.  I loved animals, so the classic book Misty of Chincoteague about a girl and a wild horse that refused to be tamed became my favorite. I loved the book so much that I started to ride horses, joined the 4H club, and wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up.

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They say that blood is thicker than water, but what formed a bond that I still have with my cousin today is the series Anne of Green Gables.  Coming from a family of red heads, the orphan Anne could have been any of us.  Anne was made fun of because of her hair that was "red as carrots", her freckles, and her bad temper.  But my cousin and I admired how Anne stood her ground, believed in dreams, and became a teacher we wanted to be like.  Anne Shirley, a character who we still talk about to this day :)

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As I realize the impact reading made on my life, I want to inspire my students to read not only because it is a subject in school, but a hobby that they enjoy. Perhaps they will write their own journey one day and remember me as the teacher who always had fun books to read in her classroom:)