# data[].attributes.body
I am a third grade teacher at South Houston Elementary.  I have been there for 15 years now.  I am a co-coach of our school's Name that Book team.  Also, I am a big cheerleader for reading.  My attitude for reading is that there is no such thing as hating to read.  I often tell my struggling readers that my job is to help them find their love of reading and to help them find the right book for them.  Nothing is worse than seeing a student develop a hatred for reading. So I constantly read out loud to my students and try to help them realize that there is a fantastic world out there that doesn't include electronics and video games.  Currently we are reading Harriet the Invincible so that my students can vote for their favorite Bluebonnet book.

# data[].attributes.body
Twitter is my favorite form of Social Media.  Last semester, I had to start an account for a class.  This was the best thing to happen to me because I was able to send messages to some of my current favorite YA authors,  such as Kwame Alexander and Matt De La Pena,  and they have actually responded back.  I talk to many of my former students that are in high school and we talk about books that we have read as we follow authors and librarians.

# data[].attributes.body
I am now an e-book reader.  I never thought that I would like this medium, but it makes reading in bed very convenient.  I read on my phone most of the time.  The bad part about this is that I often stay up very late because I cannot stop reading.  I currently read many YA novels.  I often read the books that my children are reading so we can talk about them.  Therefore, I am currently reading The Hammer of Thor.

# data[].attributes.body
I am proud to say that we are a family of readers.  I have 3 children.  We have stressed the importance of reading and my husband and I have been great role models.  We go to the library every weekend because we can't seem to keep enough books around for the kids.  My youngest, 8 years old, love Percy Jackson.  My daughter, 12 years old, loves to read Manga.  My oldest son, 16 years old, reads James Patterson and is now starting to read Stephen King.  Also, I am proud to say that we have about 8 bookcases in the house filled with books.

# data[].attributes.body
My family is very large.  I have 5 sisters and 2 brothers.  My youngest sister is twenty years younger than I am.  Together, we discovered Harry Potter.  We went to every midnight release together and went on his journey together.  We still talk about the books like it was just yesterday.  When I became pregnant, I read Harry Potter to my belly!

# data[].attributes.body
As an adult, I continued to read Stephen King, but I also read books such as The Da Vinci Code, Like Water for Chocolate, and The Devil Wears Prada.  I read just about any book I could get my hands on.  While in college, I started reading all the books that Oprah would suggest and discovered Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison.  I also decided to minor in English since I read all the time.  I took a contemporary Literature class and a British Literature class and also fell in love with Jane Austen.

# data[].attributes.body
As a teen, I did not really know about YA books and I am not really sure about what there was available for me because I was so shy in high school and never approached a librarian for help. I think that is why I want to be a librarian. I want to be able to help all children find their love of books. So instead of reading age appropriate books, I fell in love with horror books. I discovered Stephen King and read every book of his that was out there. I still read his books as they come out. I think I can safely say that I have read every single one of his books. My favorites are The Stand and The Dark Tower.

# data[].attributes.body
As I was growing up, I had a very difficult relationship with my step father.  I sought refuge from him in Charlotte's Web.  This book is the book that I read over and over again.  I could not afford to buy my own, but I checked it out constantly from my public library and school library.  This habit continued all the way through high school.  While in high school, I got my first job and the first thing that I bought was my very own copy of the book.  I now own 6 copies and read it at east once every year.

# data[].attributes.body
With my library card in hand, I was free to read whatever I wanted. I soon became a huge fan of Judy Blume.  My favorite was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

# data[].attributes.body
When I learned to read, my world opened up. I constantly asked my mother for books, but she always said that there was no money. She always felt so bad because of this, and she finally realized that I could always get what I wanted free of charge. This is when she introduced me to my new best friend, my library card!

# data[].attributes.body
Growing up in Rosenberg, Texas, my family was a very busy household. My parents divorced when I was 5 and my mother worked two jobs. Money was tight so we never had any books around. I unfortunately do not have any memories of anyone reading to me when I was a young child. The most I remember is always having the Houston Chronicle around because my mom delivered the newspaper.