By looking at the collection of books on the tall shelves in my room, or the dozens of book lists (including Rory's) that I've checked countless titles off of, you would never think that as a kid I struggled to read. I was delayed in reading, and could not read on my own until second grade. But I loved stories. I loved hearing my mother read them to me. I loved learning about different characters and different settings. Any chance I had, I asked someone to read me a story.
In first grade, my mother began reading chapter books to me - probably because she didn't want to keep buying more and more books as my thirst for more stories grew with age. One of these books was E.B. White's, Charlotte's Web, the tale of a pig and spider's unlikely relationship and the lessons they learn through the bonds of friendship.
Charlotte's Web was the first book that ever made me cry. My second grade self was hysterical over the events that unfolded in this fictional world. For days after we had finished the book, I was in a "slump" as my mom put it. It was the kind of feeling you get when you get back from a great vacation - sad that something so wonderful ended so quickly. Or after saying goodbye to a friend that you won't see again for a long time. It was this book that began my intense attachment to every story I started. Charlotte's Web was the first story that I found myself completely immersed in. I didn't just read the story, I lived through the characters.
I feel that so many children don't share my same love for books, and it is something that I, a future early childhood educator, want to instill in my students. Reading can open our eyes to so many different perspectives, points of view, ideas, and adventures that we otherwise might be unable to experience. If Charlotte's Web opened my eyes to a new way of understanding reading, maybe it will do the same for my students.