Do You Want to Ignite Your Children's Love of Reading?

Jacob G. wrote this paper about his reading legacy for a school paper.  Jacob G. makes some recommendations of which books ignited his love of reading toward the end of his paper.  Shauna C. shared recently her belief that all children will love reading when you find the right book for them.  Check out some of Jacob’s favorites for yourself or your children.

My Reading Legacy

            Beautiful vibrations radiated from the sweet lips of my mother they reached my ears but I had no knowledge of the written word. My mom read to me before I could understand her. She would take me to the rocking chair and I would sit on her lap while she read to me. I was intrigued by the pictures and relished them with her warm reassuring attention. At that point I had no idea of the wondrous world of literature that lay before me. My literature legacy starts with ignorance of a child.

            My reading odyssey has been anything but simple. I grew up in Germany and loved all my friends but I didn’t learn English. I went to kindergarten twice.  First I learned the German Alphabet, then the English one. I took a while put it all together. In Georgia I discovered what reading really was. I found the lines made sense. B plus E plus D equaled bed! What started as pointless marks were now meaningful words.  

            I read every single word I could find on boxes, bracelets, pencils, containers, and books… Oh the books I read: Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein were my favorite authors. With Where The Side Walk Ends under my arm, I set off to school with my new knowledge. My high pride was ripped down the moment I walk into school. All the other kids had already known how to read, they even read thick books!  

            For a long time I did not read, but finally in 3^rd grade my teacher read a book called Where the Red Fern Grows. That was the first book that made me sad. I decided to try other books that were harder than what I used to read. I loved them. I found The Magic Tree House series, The Secrets of Droon series, and the Redwall series.

            Now I read almost every day. I have read all kinds of books. My favorite author is Brian Jacques. I am in the process of reading two books Eulilia and Atherton: The House of Power. I really enjoy reading. Every once in a while you stumble upon some bad books, but that has nothing to do with all the other good books out there, so go out in search for the perfect book—there and back again, a reading legacy.