Right now I am in a Young Adult Literature Class and for this class I get the horrendous task of reading 30 novels this semester. I know that it is going to be tough but I'm thinking it is going to be one worth doing. I am excited a little to tell the truth. For my class we were asked to writing a Reading Autobiography. I really liked this assignment so I thought I would share it with you...
I have fighting in a battle my entire life. My battle started very young when my older siblings were reading and I was struggling to put words together. I have had this love hate relationship with books since I can remember. Even now I am not sure that reading is my favorite thing to do that is unless it has a purpose. I loved reading my EMT manual, it served a purpose. It provided insight. Leisure reading was never was and still isn’t my favorite thing to do. I do however want to have that desire. I want the desire to want to learn and be edified by a book that wasn’t assigned for me to read.
The first book that I read with a sense of accomplishment was in elementary school. I am not one hundred percent sure which grade but the book, which I still own, “The Chalkbox Boy,” was given to me by a parent helper that helped me through the initial hump of reading. The next books came slowly and were usually assigned books. I was typically outside running around causing trouble opposed to reading.
When I was nine my parents moved my family from Utah to Wisconsin. One day my dad came home from Sam’s Club with three “Dear America” books. I loved them. I think the reason I enjoyed them so much was I could see the possibility of the stories happening in life. From there my “type” of book was born. I prefer to read non-fiction stories. I like the aspect of being able to take what I have read and use it for something else in life. This was true then and now. While in Wisconsin I was put through weeks of testing to put my learning on the appropriate level. My parents were told that when it came time for me to go to high school it would be in my best interest to go to a vocational training school because there was no hope of me ever going to college. I only found this out recently. School was hard and reading was even harder. I was separated from the rest of the class when it came time to read and do reading activities. I hated it and avoided reading.
At the age of 12 my family and I moved to Minnesota. The best part of my childhood was in Minnesota. I made it through seventh and eighth grade just reading the required reading. In Minnesota I did the same type of testing. This time however they pinpointed the problem. It wasn’t the comprehension of what I was reading but the time it took me to read it. It was so long therefore it took me so long to read it that I would lose interest and make up the answers so that I wouldn’t be left behind. Soon enough we had figured out what I had to do so that I could make strides toward loving reading.
In the ninth grade I had an English teacher that changed my life, Mr. Leisen. Mr. Leisen believed in me. He gave me reason to believe that I was worth those extra moments. I learned from him that stories are worth reading. We read “To Kill a Mocking Bird” in his class. To be honest I can’t completely remember the story line but I know that I enjoyed every class period. I will forever be grateful to Mr. Leisen for having faith in me.
Once in high school English class only intensified. I read and I read a lot. A lot of the reading was required but not all of it was. I began reading non-fiction novels like “Go Ask Alice” and “A Child Called It.” These books opened my mind to the future and where I wanted to end up someday. I don’t want to be a social worker or in that line of work but, I do want to help children. When I turned 15 I was diagnosed with Kyphosis, which is a curve in your spine. I was told that I was to undergo 20 hours of surgery and a month in the hospital. It was at that point in my life that I was introduced to Child Life Specialists. While stuck in bed recovering from back surgery, Mindy, my child life specialist would come in visit. She brought books and movies. Before I knew it I had burned through four or five books and it had only been a week. Since then books became a little more significant, they helped me get through one tough road.
After high school I came straight to BYU-Idaho. Here my very first semester I took Eng 111. I read “Tuesdays with Morrie.” I loved it. I took a Children’s lit class. This is when I was introduced to Stephine Meyer’s “Twlight.” I loved it. I ended up dropping out of college for two years. I continued to read and gain a better understanding for books.
So back to this war of books, I do enjoy reading but, I don’t at the very same time. I read but it takes me a great deal longer to read than the typical reader. I hope this class only helps urge to read grow larger inside of me. I am worried to say the least, 30 books is a lot but I know by the end of this I will be pretty impressed with myself and a little better versed. I know this class will not only prepare me for my future career but also to be a mother.
So it begins... I hope you enjoy this as much as I will.
