Childhood Reading Memories & Experiences

The library was one of my favorite places as a child, maybe because the school librarian would always make me the card stamper. That was always fun. There was also a public library directly across the street from my elementary school and my mom would take us there at least once a week either to check out books or just to sit there and do homework. 

One of my earliest memories of a read aloud was in kindergarten when my teacher (who was also my aunt) read Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. It was such a memorable experience because she cooked green scrambled eggs for us afterward and they were delicious! Another time in elementary school I got to have lunch with the principal, and she read to us The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I vividly remember sitting on the floor of her office, the green cover and the great message it taught us. Another read aloud I remember and one of my favorites was Miss Nelson is Missing by James Marshal.  Angelina Ballerina by Helen Craig is one of the books I remember checking out from the school library. It was a favorite at the time because I was in ballet classes and there was a lot of pink in it. Ha! When it came to the classics, my favorites where Goldilocks and the Three Bears and The Three Little Pigs. I never got tired of having those stories read to me in school and I remember having to do a Three Little Pigs puppet show in kindergarten. 

When going to the mall, a stop at Walden Books was a must. I’d usually want The Berenstain Bears books by Jan & Stan Berenstain who generally always taught some sort of lesson. I also remember my sister and I sharing Amelia Bedelia books by Peggy Parish. They were so fun, and I thought Amelia Bedelia was hilarious. I can not count how many times I read Good Work Amelia Bedelia and Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping.  I also have memories of reading at my grandparents house. One of their bedrooms had a bookcase with several children's books and one being Are you my mother? by P.D. Eastman.  Every time I'd go to their house I'd go upstairs to read that book, I absolutely loved that book. On my 8^th birthday by parents gifted me a Precious Moments Bedtime Stories book and it also became one of my favorites. I read those stories over and over every night for a good while. My first chapter book as a child was Ramona the Pest by Beverly Clearly. I loved Ramona’s character and the things she'd come up with. I now see a trend that I  liked silly characters like Amelia Bedelia and Ramona. 

I truly enjoyed reading as a child and I'm thankful for the reading experiences and memories that I have of reading.