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My Life…As a Readerby Doreen Platt
My Favorite Book Ever
The ‘Secret Garden’ by Francis Hodgson Burnett has been
my favorite book since I can remember being read to. My
third grade teacher, Mrs. Starks, read this wonderful book to us every day after
lunch. I fell in love with reading because of ‘The
Secret Garden.’
Reading In My ChildhoodAlthough I know my parents read to me when I was a child, the only clear memory I have of being read to was during a hospital stay when I was 11 or 12 years
old…my dad sat by my bedside for almost a week and read ‘Heidi’ to me.
Reading In My Childhood HomeReading was important in my home
when I was growing up. I was raised on a ranch in rural Wyoming,
and winters were long! Many a winter evening, after chores were
done, my parents would settle in to read: my dad, the newspaper, my
mom a mystery novel. Whenever my parents would go on a
trip, they would always bring me a Nancy Drew mystery as a gift.
Reading With My ChildrenI really became a reader and a lover of children’s
literature when I became a mom. I read to my children all the time: story time, naptime and
bedtime. Any time was a good time to sit down with a book and read to my kids—dishes could wait, housework could wait; nothing seemed as
important during those years as snuggling up with my kids and reading their favorites: ‘The Spooky
Old Tree’ or ‘ The Berenstain Bears’ B Book.’
Reading In My Own FamilyAs my children grew, they all
became avid readers—something I’m very grateful
for. Reading became an important part of our family
life. And when we discovered books on tape, we never again went on a
trip in the car without something wonderful and
exciting to listen to!
Reading With My GrandchildrenMy greatest pleasure now is
reading to and with my grandchildren. I’m known as “The Book Grandma”
because I always give books for gifts—at Christmas and on
birthdays, my grandkids all know that a package containing books will be coming in the mail from
Grandma Doreen.
Reading For Pleasure
When I’m not taking classes, and during the summers, I get the chance to read for pleasure. I enjoy reading young adult novels and historical fiction. I’m a great
fan of Mary Higgins Clark, have loved the Harry Potter series, and recently discovered the ‘Mitford Years’ series by Jan Karon. I’ve been known to hold up in my room for an entire day during Christmas vacation, reading—not even coming out to eat!
Reading For ClassesAfter 30 years of pursuing it, I earned my Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education last December, and I’m now taking classes for my Library Certification. Consequently, I spend much of my “reading time”
reading textbooks…a few that have been worth my time are: ‘You Gotta BE The Book’ (good job, Cynthia!),
‘Growing Readers’ and ‘When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works.’
Reading That Fills My Soul
No story of my reading life would be complete without mentioning the reading that fills up my “spiritual
bucket.” The books and magazines I read because I’m a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints add a very important dimension to my life. They help me to be the best person I can be.
My Reading Life Is…important, relevant, satisfying, necessary…it’s
the part of my life that keeps me sane!