What (or who) made you a reader?

[DVCLiz]

I have always loved to read. The back of the cereal box, road signs, the newspaper even when I couldn't understand the story - it made no difference. If I wasn't involved in a TV show or actively talking to someone, I had something to read in my hand. I was known as a bookworm very early on. I majored in English litereature in college and went on to work in a public library and get an MLS, so I could indulge my love of the children's and YA books I remembered as a child while I was at work. I could find an old friend or a new book by a favorite author I had missed the first time around and spend a lunch hour catching up. It was bliss.

Both of my daughters are readers. Like Mrs. Pete, I had one who caught on instantly and one who took forever. I thought she was going to be reading "Biscuit the Puppy" books well into high school. It was a series of books that featured a character with her same first name that changed it all - she checked out the first book and that night I caught her reading under the covers. It was a big thick book, too. From that time forward, both girls have been pleasure readers.

All three of us have Kindles and no one has ever been restricted as to what they can buy from my account. DD22 usally shares my adult fiction titles but DD17 has been a YA reader mostly. It's all good - I still reread Anne of Green Gables and the Trixie Belden books every couple of eyars, and if I had to name my favorite book of all time I think it might be a YA book.

 

[Jenzerbenz]

I think my parents read to me a fair amount growing up. I remember my Dad reading the John D. McDonald series with the colors in their names. My Mom and I went to the bookstore to get one for his birthday. It was called "Cinnamon Skin" I was probably about 8 or 9. He explained that all the books were mysteries which sounded pretty interesting to me. He suggested I try reading some mysteries from the library, and I got into the "Nate the Great" and Cam Jansen series of books. Then I moved on to the entire series of Nancy Drew. I have been a mystery lover since. My parents don't read as much as they used to, my Dad can't see as well and my Mom was never a huge reader to begin with. I used to stay up at night reading by the light in the hallway or a nightlight. I still love to read, but I have less time with a full time job and a two year old bundle of energy.
I am very into the Thriller/Mystery series by Preston and Child featuring Special Agent Pendergast. I love books that take you away!!

 

[wishesuponastar]

I'm currently reading "The Dumbest Generation" and the author spends a lot of time lamenting the decline in reading in the US. I know that reading is declining generally, but I also know a lot of people who still read (witness the length of the "What are you reading" thread here).

So I'm curious about why some people turn out to be readers and others can't stand it. If you're a reader, what do you think made you that way? Your parents? A favorite teacher? Some book that you just loved and launched you on to others? A librarian? You just liked to read?

For me it was a combination of very literate parents who read to me all the time and used books as rewards, and a teacher in grade school who encouraged me to read whatever piqued my interest. Neither my parents nor this teacher ever judged what I read or put restrictions on it. They just let me go and to this day I'll read anything, including the cereal box at breakfast.

Side story: I was in the library the other day and this kid (he was probably seven or eight-ish) comes running up to his mother with a stack of books from the kids section. The mom starts looking through them and says, "Oh you saw this movie," Oh, you've already read this one" and, "This is too young/old for you." By the time she was finished culling his choices, she'd whittled a stack of maybe ten plus books to one. The one he had left was evidently not something he really wanted (that or he's just sick of mom's BS) because he just put it down and said, "never mind."

I thought it was so sad. Who cares if the kid has read it before? Who cares if he saw the movie? Who cares if he's reading stuff that's a little young or a little old for him? (The books were all kids books, so it's not like the ones she was judging as too old for him were things like Lolita or IT. They would have been challenging for him, but appropriate content wise.)

This woman had the beginnings of a reader on her hands, but she pretty much squashed it right there. It was just depressing. And we wonder why kids don't read?

that is so sad I think I would have mustered enough courage to say something to the mom out of her son's earshot.

My love of reading didn't come from my parents so it must have come from teachers. My DD's love to read too.

 

[WowLookAtThat]

I remember that some people read to me, my mother mostly because I always asked for her to read to me and my stepgrandmother read to me a lot when I was very little. I think my dad got fed up with my always asking because at 3 1/2-4 he finally sat me down and taught me to read the books myself. After that I loved the library and the books I had and I remember the teachers would send me books all the time.
I remember being so bad at math and teacher asked me what I liked to do. I said reading and would like to be an author. She said "Well, you have to know math so you know that you aren't getting cheated out of money when you get famous." That helped! Now I may not be that good with math but I do know how to budget a household expense pretty well.

Books became my escape when things were too hard. When there was a fight or money troubles, books were comforting to me and the characters became almost real to me. When there wasn't that much to eat in the house I liked reading about what my characters had or if I was alone there was always someone in the story I could relate to. I wasn't regulated with my books so I probably read stories that were too mature for my age but my mother didn't stop me. She saw how important it was for me to have that book in my hands.

 

[mpls_mm]

DH and I talk about this all the time. We have a huge bookshelf filled with everything from the classics to work books and everything in between, plus boxes of books. Both of us are reading several books at a time and we share national Geographic and Popular Science. I love that we have so much to talk about together, HOWEVER, we have never seen a bookshelf in any of our friends homes. We have several sets of friends and we don't think they own books besides the ones their kids have. And they don't have Kindle or anything like that. No one in my family reads and the only one in DH's family to read is his mom but she only reads mainstream fiction like Koontz, nothing that expands her horizons. My mom is normally a reader but has been working on her masters for so long I doubt she reads anything for pleasure anymore.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

What turned me off was discovering that I was not a speedy reader and mandatory books and pop quizzes that I would do poorly on no matter my effort to read the book or text book. It really discouraged me and reading became an insane chore. I have difficulty reading for leisure now. Don't get me wrong--I'm literate . But I just find it a chore. I read slow for the most part...unless it is something of great interest. I have a stack of books by my bed that I have vowed to read and haven't touched them for over a month. Also very busy with the teaching and after reading what my kids are reading for lessons or doing read alouds...by the end of the day, I don't want to look at another word.

The only thing I read for fun in high school were Nancy Drew mysteries. But for the most part--you wouldn't catch me with a book unless it was for school.

 

[Sparx]

I can't pinpoint one moment where I became a reader. I think I was always a reader waiting to happen. I can read multiple books a day if I don't stop myself. I consider myself pretty well read if we're just talking about sheer volume, but I have read a lot of classics too (I didn't necessarily enjoy all of them! ) Most of the things that I read aren't classic or "too heavy" though. My pleasure reading is just that-pleasure reading. I have a nook and I go to the used book store a lot. Last time I came back with a box full! I'm working my way through those and then I'll sell them back.

On a side note, to all of you readers, if any of you like creepy stories you should check out Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children! Its a perfect creepy story to get you in the mood for fall! I read it in one sitting. Its creepy in a way that stays with you and you find yourself thinking about it when you're not reading it. It also has fantastic photographs throughout the book. I'd suggest getting a real copy of it just for those. I read the digital copy and it was awesome, but I'd love to look at those pictures more closely!

 

[Goofyluver]

My parents were both readers, although I don't remember them reading to me when I was younger.

I was such an avid reader when I was younger that I would read in the dark by nightlight when I was supposed to be sleeping. I can literally get lost in a book.

I know lots of kids that HATE reading. It's not enjoyable for them, and therefore they just don't want to do it.

I've always told my students and my son that books are like presents in word form, we just have to unwrap them.

 

[IndianSummer]

Boredom is probably the reason I read as a child. My mom has always been an avid reader, but I hate her favourite genre, so I'm not sure it was her influence that got me started. Another thing thatnmay have helped is the fact that in our family, you didn't get gifts or toys unless it was your birthday or Christmas, but you could always get a book, so I'd pick one up on our weekly shopping.

In my twenties, I began reading non fiction a lot and it became a favourite for many years, but now that I unschool my kids, I've gotten into a lot of fiction with and through them as well as schoolish type subjects like history, which I never really cared for before.

So yeah, boredom and gift deprivation. Lol!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I've always told my students and my son that books are like presents in word form, we just have to unwrap them.

Well that is just a pretty way of putting it.

I still have to convince myself. Thankfully--my kids share your philosophy.

 

[DawnM]

I grew up without a television.

I now have 3 TVs in my house!

We still do read quite a bit though. Right now each boy has a book he is reading each day and I have two books I am reading to them each day.

Dawn

 

[Glynis]

I began reading when I was 3. I don't know how I learned, but I suspect it had something to do with my parents reading aloud to me. They had no idea I knew how to read until they saw my 4 year old sister reading to me, and she told them that when she got to a word she didn't know, she'd ask me and I'd tell her. By the time I was 5, I was reading on a 6th grade level. Luckily, my kindergarten teacher didn't squash me. Instead, while she was reading to the others, she gave me permission to go to the library.

As I grew, I just got more and more enamored of reading! It got to the point where I would keep a different book in every room of the house so I could always have something to read, wherever I went! I still do that, today! DH bought me a Nook for Christmas, and while I love it, I still love the feel of a "real" book in my hands, as well. So, I've relegated the Nook to my bedtime reading, and have other books strategically placed around the house.

My oldest DD is the same as me. She reads anything and everything she can get her hands on! I've never put any restrictions on what she reads, and she tries a bit of everything. I used to teach High School English in a district where the AR program was pushed. I hated it!! It really destroyed the love of reading for the students. Now that I have children that range from 2 to 14, I'm so glad that the district we live in does not use that program!

During the summer, we travel to the public library to sign up for summer reading. My kids beg to do it! The librarians are wonderful, and keep the kids motivated all summer long. Our school librarian also has a summer reading program which my kids love! She always spends some time reading a book aloud, and then has a project to go along with it. It's my kids favorite thing to do.

One thing that I think has helped my children is that I read aloud to them. I have 2 boys and 3 girls, and it's a bit hard to read something that all of them can agree on. So, my husband and I take turns. I'll read a book to the boys, while he reads something to the girls, and then we'll switch. After talking to my twins' teacher, she suggested that I have my twin girls take turns reading to each other, so we've started to do that, and it has helped their reading/retention immensely!

 

[Pakey]

Neither of my parents were readers; they were both athletic and played sports until I was in junior high. My mother played on a statewide adult travel team and we were always on the road on the weekends. When it wasn't baseball season, they were fishing.

I hate both baseball and fishing. I was drug along and read to occupy my time. I've always been a fast reader and it has always been very important to me.

I have 3 grown sons, only the youngest enjoys reading. My husband will read a book on vacation but never at home. I read every day. I have a rule that I can't start reading before 9pm. Otherwise, it would probably be all I did.

 

[Princess_Meghan <3]

I remember my grandmother reading to me constantly- my mom read to me, too, but my grandmother always read to me when ever I asked. She also always had a book with her. Most of my favorite books are ones that were given to me by my grandmother, too. In second grade, she gave me the first two Harry Potter books- I remember being so excited to read a book that my grandmother was also reading, and getting to talk about it with her!

My mom read a lot, too, and always encouraged me to read.

I also had a teacher in second grade who helped promote my love of reading- she made a group of kids who were readers, and we had special lunches with her once a month to discuss what books we'd been reading, and borrow books from her. We did "fun" reports on the books.

This past weekend, I came home from school, and my step-brothers happened to be at my mom's house- my one brother was whining and complaining about having to read 100 minutes every week for school, and he was only reading a comic book! (I find nothing wrong with comic books, and read comics and graphic novels myself all the time, but they are generally easier to read, because they're less words and more pictures). When I was his age (11) we had to read chapter books for school, and weren't allowed to read comics at all. He went on whining and complaining for 15 minutes about having to read- it was so disappointing to hear.
My other brother told me he tries to read 20 minutes every day, even though he doesn't have to. He was reading a non-fiction book about the weather. I went upstairs and grabbed a ton of my books from when I was their age, and told them what each one was about. The younger of the two was interested, but the older one, not so much.

My mom said that she feels like neither of them were introduced to reading in the right way, and even though the younger one seems to enjoy it, he still isn't really a reader, because he didn't get that 'push' when he showed interest in it when he was younger.

 

[Robinrs]

I don't remember NOT reading. It's always been my thing, I've always loved the written and spoken word, as long as I can remember.

Summers while I was in school I'd pick one author and read as many books as I could by them. One crazy summer I actually read the dictionary from front to back!!

My Mom was a current event reader, I remember her reading 3 or 4 newspapers a day!!

 

[SeaSpray]

I'm currently reading "The Dumbest Generation" and the author spends a lot of time lamenting the decline in reading in the US. I know that reading is declining generally, but I also know a lot of people who still read (witness the length of the "What are you reading" thread here).

So I'm curious about why some people turn out to be readers and others can't stand it. If you're a reader, what do you think made you that way? Your parents? A favorite teacher? Some book that you just loved and launched you on to others? A librarian? You just liked to read?

For me it was a combination of very literate parents who read to me all the time and used books as rewards, and a teacher in grade school who encouraged me to read whatever piqued my interest. Neither my parents nor this teacher ever judged what I read or put restrictions on it. They just let me go and to this day I'll read anything, including the cereal box at breakfast.

Side story: I was in the library the other day and this kid (he was probably seven or eight-ish) comes running up to his mother with a stack of books from the kids section. The mom starts looking through them and says, "Oh you saw this movie," Oh, you've already read this one" and, "This is too young/old for you." By the time she was finished culling his choices, she'd whittled a stack of maybe ten plus books to one. The one he had left was evidently not something he really wanted (that or he's just sick of mom's BS) because he just put it down and said, "never mind."

I thought it was so sad. Who cares if the kid has read it before? Who cares if he saw the movie? Who cares if he's reading stuff that's a little young or a little old for him? (The books were all kids books, so it's not like the ones she was judging as too old for him were things like Lolita or IT. They would have been challenging for him, but appropriate content wise.)

This woman had the beginnings of a reader on her hands, but she pretty much squashed it right there. It was just depressing. And we wonder why kids don't read?

As a pre-schooler I remember my mother taking me to the elementary school that my older siblings attended, on the days that she volunteered at the school library. She'd sit me down at a desk with a few books, and when she wasn't helping a student, she would read to me. I'd ask her to reread the same book several times, and she always did.

So, I've loved to read as far back as my earliest memories.

Both of my DSs (23 and 20) love to read. Starting when they were pre-schoolers, I took them to the library several times each month, and they always did the summer/fun reading progams. And of course I read to them from infancy.

During their middle school years they lost a little bit of enthusiasm for recreational reading because of all of the mandatory reading they had to do for school, but once they hit high school they rediscovered it. Some of our favorite family outings were to the biggest bookstores within an hours drive. We'd spend time browsing and always each ended up buying a book or two.

 

[CurlyGirl]

My mom!

 

[Lassie Lynne]

I was raised an only child, so reading was a good diversion for me and kept me occupied. I also have a very good imagination and I loved reading about different places, times that I might not be able to go to physically, but could visit with a book.

I also had an adult cousin who saw that I loved to read and always sent me books that were just a little bit above me, so that I was challenged. By grade school, I was reading far ahead of almost anyone and scored some of the highest reading comp scores in Junior High.

I still love to read, the old fashioned way, me and an actual book, preferable from a used book store.

 

[AnnicaJ]

As silly as it may seem, the pictures in the morning paper was what made me a reader. I was four years old and spent a lot of time with my grandmother. Every breakfast she would read the morning paper...or at least she tried, since I was sort of interupting her all the time asking about all the pictures. She finally gave up and invited me into the magic world of words and sentences. I'm ever so thankful that she did!

 

[Katy Belle]

Neither of my parents are readers, but Mom did read to me a lot when I was little. I remember trips to the library and Scholastic book orders! I remember her sitting between my brother and I on the sofa and reading...and she would fall asleep as she read to us! Her words would get slower and slower and her head would finally nod down. We would elbow her and she would start right back where she was! Mom was 43 when I was born, and my brother was 13 months and my sister 16 years... she was tired!

Also, my BFF came from a family of readers and I think being around them kind of got me started into reading a lot. In Jr. High I would read nearly all night long!

My DH is not a reader and came from a family of non-readers. When my oldest was DHs parents could not understand why we had books for him! MIL even asked me if they have children's sections in libraries

My own 3 sons are readers. I read a lot to them when they were young.