Hey friends! So this week has been super crazy for us! Pokemon go recently came out and so we have been going crazy catching pokemon and trying to read and write our blog posts! Since this week is our first week writing posts I wanted to start off and tell you more about my reading journey and the two books that really began my love for books!
When I was younger I had a very hard time reading. From kindergarten until fifth grade I was in the special education classes for reading. My teacher, Bunny, was one of the most amazing teachers I had while I was in school. She sat by my side before and after school helping me read, and always had patience with me even though I was short tempered. I did and still do get very frustrated whenever I'm having troubles with something. Reading was something i really couldn’t get the hang of and it had me throwing temper tantrums. Bunny still sat by my side and pushed me to get better and better. Finally by the end of fifth grade I surpassed the reading standards above and beyond what was expected of a fifth grader. I think they said I was reading at a 12th grade reading level by the age 9. I may be a late bloomer but when I bloom I really bloom!
During christmas my fifth I got a stack of books from my great grandma. Two books in particular really stood out to me. They were So B. It by sarah Weeks and Baby Blue by Michelle Kwasney. I mentioned these two books in the blog about us. I read these as a nine year old and they still stick out to me as a 21 year old. Both of these books have a really deep and powerful message and they really changed my perspective on these subjects.
The first book So B. It is about a girl and her mentally disabled mother. The main character, Heidi, is on a quest to find out who her father is and why her mother says the words So B. it. This story is truly heart breaking her mother is ill and can barely take care of her, her only friend lives in the apartment next door and can't leave the apartment because he has a mental illness agraphobia. I have never read a story still to this day that deals with mental illnesses and mental disabilities in such detail. This book really gave me more insight and outlook on these very common problems in today's world. I for one don't come into contact with very many disabled people and I still become a little uncomfortable because I simply don't know how to act or what to say. This book really showed me that there is no need for that apprehension and that they are still normal people. I also felt a real connection with Heidi because I too never knew my biological father and have always had that curiosity to know who he is. This book really drew me in from the get go and I truly think that everyone should read this no matter what age you are because the moral of the story and what you take away from it really will last a lifetime.
The second book that really started my love of reading was Baby Blue by Michelle Kwasney. This book is set in 1976 in a time where domestic violence laws were not in place. Blue the main character is dealing with her family falling apart and she starts a journey to fix even a little piece of it. (apparently I have family issues because I really related to blue!) Blue's father drowns and her mother remarries to an abusive man named Jinx. Jinx abuses blues mother over and over causing her older sister Star to run away. When Blue can't handle it anymore after jinx almost beats her mom to death she runs away after her sister to get her family back and to save her mother. This is seriously a tear jerker I am not even kidding. I remember reading this as a young girl and being horrified at the truth of what can happen in abusive relationship. This book is for children but in all honesty I really don’t think it should be. This book has very adult themes for being directed at children. Even so this book has still stuck out to me even after 11 years. Thinking about Blue’s journey still to this day sends shivers down my spine and brings tears to my eyes. I seriously recommend this book to any and all of you who may be having troubles with their family, or anyone who may be in a book slump.
These two books have had a huge impact in my life and if I had the ability to I would make every single person I come into contact with read these two books. I feel like if they have even a little impact on their lives the way that it had on mine we just might make this world a better place. When I say that you need to go out and find these books and read them I seriously mean it, they are absolutely my favorite books ever. Baby Blue is only 208 pages and So B. it is 288 pages. These two books are super short and you can devour them in one sitting! The good read stats on both this books are super high averaging around 4.5 stars and both came out around 2004 and 2005. These books may be older but the stories and themes are timeless.
So here is some advice if you, someone you know, or even a child/family member dislikes reading or if you are stuck in a slump. When trying to find a book to get you hooked or trying to find a book to get someone into reading find them a book they can relate to and something that they truly like and care about. If you have a young boy who likes sports then get him sport books, if you have a daughter who likes princesses then find her a goddamn princess book. If that doesn't work then don't stop there be patient work with them and keep trying until they find what clicks for them. Don’t give up and just let them hate reading because I truly believe in my heart of hearts that every single person can have the love of reading that hayley and I do you just have to find what you truly love in books. Sometimes that can really be an uphill battle but once you find it you really really find it and it's amazing.
If you take one thing away from this blog is to keep trying because you may just be a late bloomer like me! Keep fighting and you will find the book that clicks with you! If any of you want to share your book journey with us I would love to hear what you have to say. I also want to see what book or books started it all for you!
Until next time I love you all book friends
- Ariel
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