Assignment 1...Brianne McDowell

What is your earliest memory of reading?
My earliest memory of reading is sitting in the living room with my mother reading stories. She would read to my younger brother and I every chance she got. My brother would sit on one side of the couch, she would be in the middle, and I would sit on her other side, and she would read. Dr. Seuss stories were our favorites.

Who read to you? Did they read to you often?
My mom read to me, and she read to me every time she had the chance.

What was your favorite book as a child?
My favorite book was called Actually I Used to Be a Princess, and it was about this little girl who claimed she was a princess who was kidnapped and taken to her current family. Like every little girl, I wanted to be a princess, so this book really appealed to me, plus it was lots of fun to read!

Did you ever discover, love, and devour an entire series of books?
I read every single American Girls book that was available at the time. I also fell in love with The Babysitters Club books, and the Harry Potter series.

Did you like to read as a child? Was reading a joy or a struggle?
I loved to read as a child. I still love to read to this day. I was on the Battle of the Books team in elementary school, and I thought that was the greatest thing ever because I was required to read even more books for school.

Did your teachers read aloud regularly? What books did they read?
In the younger elementary grades, my teachers read aloud all the time. They read little adventure stores with animals and such just for fun. I remember correcting what a teacher read one time because she did not read the words exactly like they were written in the book, and she got so upset with me that she made me sit in the back of the group so I could not read the words anymore. I do not remember the teachers reading aloud very much in the upper grades. Sometimes when reading chapter books in class, they would read a paragraph or two before having the students read aloud. I remember reading Tuck Everlasting like that in the fifth grade.

Did a book ever make a difference in your life?
Not in elementary school, but I have read the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven in my adult life, and it really openned my eyes to the fact that everything I say and do can have such a big influence on the other people in my life.

Do you choose to read for pleasure now?
Yes, I do read for pleasure now, however it is hard to read just for fun during the school year because I can always use that time to do homework.