I cannot remember her name, but the teacher of that class had treats when you finished books.  I remember feeling so warm and happy in her class room with books and treats.  I honestly don’t remember how long I went to her class, but it couldn’t have been very long, since my memories of it are so vague.  I think she realized that I could read well, I just was very painfully shy and didn’t like to read out loud.

This “poor” reader label stuck with me until my family and I moved to California.  When asked what my reading level was I promptly said, “The lowest one.”  My scores told them differently and I quickly went from “poor reader” to “above average”. I was still shy, but my love for books was evident.

I would like to share with you a few books that have meant a lot to move through the years.  This is not a big, impressive list, mind you, as I have never been an intellectual reader.  Reading to me is an escape, an imaginative adventure, a no-thinking-needing form of entertainment that rescues me from reality that sometimes is overwhelming or an informative experience that teaches me more about life and what is going on in the world.

The Little House On the Prairie series, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder formed my enthusiasm for pioneers and historical books.  As a girl I would pretend that Laura traveled in time to 1983 and I  had to show her all the modern ways.   I have actually been to Walnut Grove and hope to do a Little House road trip with the girls some day!  How cool would that be?

As a child books that I also treasured were:  The Great Brain byJohn D. Fitzgerald, a series about a really smart boy who caused trouble in his town in the 1800′s.  The Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel.   One of my favorite things as a mom is sharing my love of these books with my kids.  Meg had Frog and Toad memorized as a young child and she is now reading The Great Brain.  She is also a fan of Little House of course!

I read The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom in high school.  It is a very powerful book that I read annually through college to help me remember what truth Faith was.  I’m currently looking for my copy, as I hope to read it again.  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is still one  I adore and hope to share with my girls.

Here are a few of my favorite books I have read over this past year:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

There Is No Me Without You by Melissa Faye Greene

Saving Cecee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

The entire Harry Potter Series

The Twilight Series (Still don’t know why so don’t ask!)

No matter what genre of books you enjoy, reading is a wonderful way to spend time and reading to  your children in an investment that will continue to pay off in the future. Our kids have minds that absorb so much (even if they don’t seem like it!). Books are a way to help them learn, explore and grow in knowledge.  If you want to help give a book to a child, please take the time to go to BlogHer and make a comment on the Books Make a Difference post.  Every comment gives a child a book.  How cool is that!

(Disclosure:  None of the links above are affiliate links!  I should do something about that shouldn’t I!)

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