I have always loved to read and I think my mom is one of the main reasons why I love it so much. She would rather read than do just about anything else and so she has shared that love with me. Growing up we would read books before bedtime and as I got older I would read chapter books alone before falling asleep. 

One of my first memories of getting a book was when my younger brother was born. My parents put this new book in my suitcase to read while staying at my grandparent's house while they went to the hospital. I got the book Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. It is an old story about a girl and her mother picking blueberries on a hill and at the same time a bear and her cub are eating blueberries. However, instead of picking blueberries Sal sits down and eats them all. Her and the bear cub also get a bit mixed up on the hill and the moms have to straighten it all out. It is a sweet story and because it was given to me on such a special occasion it is very dear to my heart. 

Another vivid memory I have is from second grade when my teacher read aloud Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Before lunch or when we had down time she would read to the class this touching story about a boy who saves his money for two red blood hounds and he and the dogs become famous for their hunting skills. The end of the book is heart wrenching, but all in all it is a great story. After my teacher read the book to us in class I even bought my own copy. This memory sticks out to me because our teacher read this story in such a way that we got invested in the story and always complained when she stopped reading. I think that school can sometimes make children associate reading with work and boredom, but this memory of mine proves that reading does not and have to be like that in school.