Where Reading Has Taken Me

Recently, my parents were helping me pack for an up-coming move. As my mom threw a massive pile of heavy books into a box, she grunted and joked "I knew when you knew how to read before kindergarten, I was in trouble!"

"Yeah,"I said back. "Now your daughter is standing in front of other parents telling them why they should read to their kids."

I'm currently working on a mini class for Adult Basic Education students on why and how to read to their kids. I feel qualified to teach such a class not only because I've had training from an early literacy organization, but also because my mother read to me. I credit my mother for bestowing on me a lifetime love of reading. I spent countless hours in her lap with a book. In fact, those times are some of my most vivid memories from childhood.

I would never be where I am today if it weren't for my mother reading to me and letting me read to her. I spent most of my adolesence curled up with a book. I was never told I shouldn't be a bookworm. Writing, to me, was my next logical step. I loved to read so much that I knew words were the most powerful way of expressing emotions. Eventually, I realized that the best way for me to share my love of reading with others is to write books that they would love to read. Now, as a published author, I am grateful for that lap time that got me ahead in life. I am 25 years old and holding my first picture book in my hand!

So, on this Christmas Eve I'd like to say thank you, Mom, for giving me the best gift ever. And I'd like to encourage all the parents out their to give their children that gift this year as well. Remember, it is never too early to give your child a book and it is never too early to read to them.

Merry Christmas!