Thinking Back...Haley Cromer

I don’t actually remember when I first began reading. As a child, the women in my life (mother, aunt, grandmother) all read to me. My mom would read a “bedtime story” to me every night before bed. Every time I visited my grandmother, she would read to me from a collection of children’s stories in a book that reminded me of an encyclopedia. My favorite story for my grandmother to read to me was “Hansel and Gretel.” I’m not sure why it enticed me so much, but it was my favorite. In kindergarten, I couldn’t wait to begin reading by myself. I read the books teachers sent home for homework and then moved on to the children’s books on our bookshelf at home. I eagerly looked forward to trips to the library with my mom.

A few of my teachers read aloud to the class, but the teacher that stands out the most in my memory is my 4th and 5th grade AG teacher. We had a small language arts class and she had a section of her room that had a couch, a few chairs, and bean bags. Every day we would gather in that corner, get comfy, and read. Sometimes we would read our individual books, but other times (my favorite) we read a book as a class. She would let us pick characters and read that part (kind of like reading a play). It got us engaged in the book and made it fun to read. We read books like Hatchet, The BFG, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. I loved every one of these books, and I partly owe my appreciation for reading to this teacher. Now as a young adult, I still love to read. I don’t have as much free time to read during the school year as I do during the summer, but I still try. It makes me sad when I hear people say they hate to read or reading is boring because reading is my escape, my chance to explore places I’ve never been and to live things I would never be able to.