I want to start a somewhat different sort of conversation here: What made you into a book reader?

[TexasProgresive]

1. A great topic

I love stories. I couldn't get enough of them when I was a small child. I knew that the key to getting unlimited stories was reading. My Dad did something I think Scout's Dad did in To Kill a Mockingbird, when he was reading to me he would run his finger under the lines-that may've been the the start of it.

I remember clearly the moment the switch turned on and I was reading. I was riding in a car along with a friend. We were about 4. Both of us knew our letters and were trying to sound out words on signs-like ESSO and so forth. In an instant I went from struggling to being able to really read.

This did not cause any trouble in kindergarten as they didn't teach reading at that time-it was mostly coloring and modeling clay, oh, and nap time which sucked. The trouble began in 1st grade. I was reading at a 4th or 5th grade level and couldn't have been more bored with Dick, Jane and Spot, not to mention impatient with my fellow students' stammering. I turned my book upside down to make it a bit more interesting.

The teacher notice and with alarm had me stand up to read. I read a page upside down, and she insisted I turn the book over. Big deal I thought- I could read this book with it closed.

My Dad went with the director of the Library system and she gave me full run of the place so that by the time I was in 4th grade I was reading young adult and adult novels. I have reread some of those early books and will admit that I must have glossed over some "adult" situations, because they were new to me in the reread.

Anyway it has been a 6o year love story. Some books are read multiple times such as the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. I am amazed at how new things stand out boldly that I never saw before.

So scarletwoman, I am jealous of 1 thing, you got phonics- I really learned to read by look-say and my spelling is atrocious. This missive is reasonably spelled correctly because I have spell check on and it catches me regularly with squiggly red lines.