# data[].attributes.headline
#10- A Series of Unfortunate Events series - by Lemony Snicket

# data[].attributes.subject
#10- A Series of Unfortunate Events series - by Lemony Snicket

# data[].attributes.body
These books scared me so much when I was in elementary school! The pictures, and the spooky things that happened to the characters were way too much for my third grade self to deal with. I stopped reading these books until I picked them up again in 8th grade. I was feeling brave, and the movie was coming out soon. When I started the books again, I realized how interesting and exciting the stories were. What before seemed scary was now daring and thrilling. I ended up reading the entire series in about a month and loved each one. This shows how readers change and evolve through their experiences with books, and in order to continue this growth we need to challenge ourselves as readers to try new things.

# data[].attributes.headline
#9- Are you There God? It's Me, Margaret- by Judy Blume 

# data[].attributes.subject
#9- Are you There God? It's Me, Margaret- by Judy Blume 

# data[].attributes.body
This is classic "coming of age" story for girls everywhere and I'm sure several other people also put this on their list. I remember feeling excited about this book because for the first time, this seemed like a book that was really for me. Margaret was my age and was going through some of the same things I was going through and I remember when my mom gave me the book I was really excited. The boys at school weren't going to be reading it, and neither was my older brother. For once, this felt like a book my dramatic 12 year old self could relate to and see myself in. This theme is so important in children/YA literature, everyone needs to see themselves represented in the stories they are reading in order to reach their true potential as readers!

# data[].attributes.headline
#8- Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed- by Eileen Christelow

# data[].attributes.subject
#8- Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed- by Eileen Christelow

# data[].attributes.body
I used to love reading this story because we had the version that sang to us as we read. My siblings and I would crowd around the book and scream along the words while we danced and wiggled around just like the monkeys on the pages. I am a huge believer that kids can learn thorough movement and play and I love how this book became an interactive and energizing experience for me as a reader. I was able to not only read the story but have an experience with it that created memories for my siblings and I.

# data[].attributes.headline
#7- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne and Otto Frank

# data[].attributes.subject
#7- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne and Otto Frank

# data[].attributes.body
I read this book for the first time in my 7th grade History class. We read it as an introduction to our WW2 unit. I remember reading this book so vividly because I was shocked to be hearing the words of Anne in her diary, knowing her fate. I too kept a diary where I wrote about my day to day life. My friends, family, cute boys in my class and my dog were all things I wrote about in my diary. It seemed surreal that a girl who was the same age as me, but lived 50 years before me was using her diary to express herself also. I felt connected to Anne by reading her words and realized the importance and influence that written word can have, especially when it comes to history.

# data[].attributes.headline
#6- Junie B. Jones Series- by Barbara Park

# data[].attributes.subject
#6- Junie B. Jones Series- by Barbara Park

# data[].attributes.body
My three siblings and I loved these books so much that we actually had them all on cassette tape. We would listen to them in the car on road trips or even in our bedroom while we were trying to fall asleep. These books were hilarious and the fact that my siblings and I were all able to listen to and enjoy the stories even though we were all different ages and reading levels show how beneficial audio books can be! My brother and sisters and I still reference certain lines from these books that we have burned in our brains from the numerous times we listened to the series over and over again.

# data[].attributes.headline
#5- Chocolate Chippo Hippo- by Vincent Andriani

# data[].attributes.subject
#5- Chocolate Chippo Hippo- by Vincent Andriani

# data[].attributes.body
This was the first picture book that I remember loving the illustrations of. I thought it was so funny that a hippo loved chocolate chip cookies, just like I did! I loved seeing the goofy sketches of this huge hippo with cookies and I think it was the first time my imagination was running the show, instead of my parents guiding me through what was happening. This was a very important stage in my journey as a reader as it is when I can remember actively imagining this hippo doing all these crazy things on my own. One of the things I love the most about children's literature is the ability for kids to express themselves through imagination.

# data[].attributes.headline
#4- The Twilight Series- by Stephanie Meyer

# data[].attributes.subject
#4- The Twilight Series- by Stephanie Meyer

# data[].attributes.body
I really hesitated to add this to the list, but it is an important part of my timeline as a reader! I was in middle school when the Twilight series came out, and my friends and I were obsessed. We would bring the books to school, and read them in between classes while walking in the hallway. I would then go home and continue to pore over the pages of these books over and over again. Initially I was caught up in the hysteria of the Twilight fad, but after that I realized I genuinely truly liked the story and the characters. This was a unique part of my journey as a reader as it was influenced so much by my peers and the media but it actually turned out to be a series I really truly enjoyed.

# data[].attributes.headline
#3- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom- By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

# data[].attributes.subject
#3- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom- By Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

# data[].attributes.body
My very first memory of reading in the classroom was with this story. It was in my Kindergarten class, and my teacher had a stuffed palm tree with velcro letters that we could play with while we read the book. This book is very important to myself as a reader as it marks the beginning of my journey as a reader in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.headline
#2- Guess How Much I Love You- By Sam McBratney

# data[].attributes.subject
#2- Guess How Much I Love You- By Sam McBratney

# data[].attributes.body
This book was my favorite to have my mom read to me when I was really little and being put to bed. She would always act out the "this much" part just like the animals did in the book and over time it became a routine for us each night and 15 years later, I still remember how much I loved that time with my mom!

# data[].attributes.headline
#1- The Harry Potter Series- By J.K. Rowling

# data[].attributes.subject
#1- The Harry Potter Series- By J.K. Rowling

# data[].attributes.body
I decided to clump all 7 books into one entry for this assignment because otherwise they would each take up a spot, and I loved them all equally. I had never read a book that enticed me, excited me and made me feel every emotion in the way that the Harry Potter books did. My imagination was allowed and encouraged to run wild when I read these stories and they will always hold an important place in my heart as they were also the very first series I ever finished!