Am I a reader? Yes.
My first memory of books, was as a young child, some of my very first memories include my sister (who couldn’t actually read) reading stories every night to me before bed. She wasn’t old enough to read so she made them up as children often do. I remember thinking it was SO cool to be able to read and tell stories.
My second memory of reading and books was also when I was very young. I was four years old and I went to our public library with my mother. I remember thinking it was better than any toy store or candy store. It was phenomenal and I was stuck with my mouth wide open. What an amazing place for a kid to be.
When I was in first grade, my mom took me down to the library to get my very own library card.
Needless to say, I was beyond excited. I think it may have taken a couple of hours for me to be able to write my own name so “neatly”. This was a monumental moment for me because I finally had my own card. I could read all of the books I wanted. For free!!!
Skip forward to my high school years. I had a sophomore English teacher that would send me home with reading lists frequently. She knew my taste and also suggested books that made me stretch my imagination. I appreciated that teacher and her dedication to me, and even though I knew from the first time I opened a book that I loved books and loved to read, she made me learn a deeper appreciation for reading and the authors themselves. Reading became my refuge.
Recently, my grandfather passed away. My family all spent hours cleaning out the house and dispersing things where they needed to go. I found a box under the eves that contained old books. Many of them were not legible but some of them were books that I had heard of. I found a book titled “Harvey’s Elementary Grammar for the English Language. The book was published in 1869, and it was my great great grandmother’s. I keep those books that I found in the attic as keepsakes, as each one of them belonged to an older generation family member of mine.
jillepetersen17 
Lovely post about the ways that reading and books can connect us with loved ones. You also make an important point here about how one interested adult can keep us reading. I, too, had a teacher in high school who knew my tastes and “book-pushed” regularly. He kept me reading at a time I might have moved away from it.
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What an awesome post! It was great to hear about your connection to reading and loved ones!
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What a wonderful post! I, too, lost two grandparents in recent years and many of the books came to live at my house. It is such a gift.
I also love the story of your first trip to the library! Where is the library at? Do you remember it as warm and cozy or as huge and filled with books? I really connected to this story.
Keep reading!
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The library is in North Platte,NE. Especially to a small person, it was (is) huge. It was a wonderful experience.
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This post is great! I can’t believe you still have your library card, I lost mine a very long time ago… It’s wonderful you got so excited about all the books you could read!
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Great post, Jill! I love that you were so affected by your big sister reading to you and telling you stories. It is just heartwarming to picture, and it also makes me smile because my daughter loves to read to my son. They are 6 and 3 and it is pretty darn adorable to see them cuddled up together reading stories.
It is also so great to read about your high school teacher and the way that she encouraged you to take your reading to another level. I also adored my high school English teacher, and learned so much about myself through her dedication to me, as a student. Do you think that your experience with a teacher like that made you want to pursue a path in education?
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I had two highschool teachers that inspired me to go into education. But when I was a tiny kid, my sister, my cousin, and I would play school while others played house. I’ve known I wanted to be a teacher since I was very small, but having those teachers were a lot og my inspiration!
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Hi, Jill:
How cool about finding those books of your grandfather’s. What treasures! Is there anything there you’d actually read, or are they more just to hang on to for sentimental value? My grandmother passed away 7 years ago, and I have some books of hers, including a few Bibles. Her bookmarks and handwritten notes are still in them. I feel blessed to have them on my shelf!
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Great post Jill! I love how much your sister reading to you affected you. I also had a sister that would read to me as well and share all kinds of stories. I have a nephew that cant read yet but he likes to look at the pictures and make up his own stories. He has such a creative mind. I also like how your teacher inspired you and encouraged you to take your reading to the next level.
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That is so great that you had such a wonderful experience and can identify so readily as a reader. Your recall of that moment when you got your first library card is so precious, I almost cried.
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