My Reading Life

Dear . Class,
    I am really excited to begin talking about reading with all of you! I love to read.  I always have a book that I am reading.  I belong to a book group and meet monthly to talk about a book we have all read.  I am a person who will read many different types of books-fiction and nonfiction, but I like fiction the best.  I read for a wide variety of purposes.  I spend a lot of my day reading for work and pleasure.  I read emails, text messages, the newspaper, social media, novels, student writing and professional writing.  I also read directions, grocery lists, messages and notes from family.
   I can't remember exactly when I learned to read but I know I have always loved reading.  When I was little I read The Cat in the Hat and other Dr. Seuss books.  I loved to spend hours looking at The Busy Town books by Richard Scary.  I think my favorite chapter book when I was little was Charlotte's Web.  I liked all of E.B. White's books, especially The Trumpet of the Swan and Stuart Little.  My mom taught me how to read and I was reading before I went to kindergarten.  I think she taught me mainly by reading to me a lot, but I also had a lot of easy readers that I practiced with.
     It's hard to remember now what book got me "hooked" on reading.  There were many books that got me started down one path or genre or author.  I read all The Little House on the Prairie books, I loved The Earth Sea Trilogy by Ursula LeGuin which then led me to read Mary Stewart's novels about Merlin the Magician.  But I also liked reading mystery and read as many Agatha Christie novels I could find the summer after seventh grade!  I loved reading Judy Bloom and Katharine Paterson in middle school. As I child I played sports, spent time with friends and my large family and spent hours outside in the summer, but also spent a lot of time reading.  I think not having technology to distract me gave me more time to read than kids have today.
     My reading habits have changed.  I mainly read for pleasure at the end of the day and on the weekends.  It takes me much longer to finish books.  I usually have one book a month I have to read for my book group.  I love the summer when I have more time to read.
     I think my biggest challenge is finding time to read (and not falling asleep when I start reading!).  As a goal this year, I'd like to read more Young Adult fiction.  You all recommend so many great books to me and I never get to read many of them.  I want to make reading student recommended books a priority.  I am most proud of the wide variety of books I have read and how many books I have read.  I also am proud of the way I have made connections with so many people because of my love of reading. I am also proud that I chose a job that allowed me to share something I feel so strongly about and get such satisfaction from with other people.
     I am looking forward to talking about reading with all of you this year.  Happy Reading!
Sincerely,
Ms. Casassa