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

[SheilaT]

11. My mother always read to us when we were little.

I had an older brother and sister, and was very eager to learn to read, but I couldn't get anyone to teach me. I had to wait for first grade. I can remember the first couple of weeks of first grade, and then it's as if a curtain descends, and I can't really remember anything until after the Christmas break when the curtain lifts and I CAN READ!!!

Pretty much the next thing I did was read every story in my reader at school, and then my older sister's, who was in 3rd grade at the time. I'd also stop at the public library, which was right next to my school, once a week or so before going home. I was reading well above my grade level and absolutely devouring books.

This was in the mid-1950's, and inexpensive paperback books barely existed, and as there were by this time six kids altogether, money was always in short supply to very few books were purchased. It was the library, the wonderful library. In that era the particular library in question (the Carnegie Library in Utica, NY, for anyone reading who might be familiar with it) shelved the science fiction books in a separate room, as the genre apparently was considered terribly respectable, although they did have a pretty sizable selection. I'd sneak into the science fiction room, select a couple of the books, and then have to hope there'd be a librarian on duty who was willing to let me check them out. It was quite annoying.

Everyone in my family reads, and most of us read a lot. Being surrounded by readers helps.

Here's another interesting story connected to reading. I had a particular favorite story that my mom read to me quite often. When she'd hold me on her lap and read, all I ever saw were the pictures, and after I learned to read and picked up that book myself, I was astonished to see that there were words on the pages. They had been completely invisible to me before I could read.