Jen, the book addict.

MY FAVORITE PIC OF ALL TIME.  COZZY AT AGE THREE. LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER.

Just a few days ago my daughter (not the one pictured above) and I went to a book signing for an author that we both love. Shannon Hale. Oh my word, she was so funny, totally someone you want to hang out with. She is that girl next door whom you have slumber parties with, staying up late, eating Doritos and Red Vines. She is also so sweet and gracious. I couldn’t get over how kind she was to all of the little girls who were star struck, my daughter included.

Listening to her talk about her struggle to get Goose Girl, her first book, published all those years ago was so encouraging for this aspiring author. And look at her now, with her 15^th book coming out this year. So inspired was this girl.

Anyway, this got my girl friend and I talking about how wonderful this time is for young readers. I don’t know about you, but I was not one of those kids that loved to read. I know, insert gasp here.  I hated it, in fact. I only read what was assigned in class, and even then I usually skimmed the book, or watched the movie.

So what happened? You ask. Well, I read THE BOOK. What book? "The book" is different for everyone. It is that book that first entranced you. It’s the first time you became so engrossed in the story that you couldn't put it down. And, when you did finish it you wanted to find another book just like it because lets face it, a good book is addictive. For me the book was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. (I am embarrassed to say I was in my early twenties). Man, I flew through that book and then devoured everything gothic that I could get my hands on. Now, I love just about anything. Like I said, I am a bit of a book addict.

I know there were great book when I was a kid, I just hadn't been pointed in the right direction. Now, on the other hand, our kids seem to be having great books brought to their knowledge left and right. All of my kids are big readers, thank heavens! I asked each of them what their “book” was. My youngest is seven so she really hasn’t found “the book” yet, but she loves Arthur and the True Francine by Marc Brown. My ten-year-old is an intense reader like her mother. The first book that really hit a home run for her was The BFG by Roald Dahl. My second son read Eragon by Christopher Paolini at the age of ten and never looked back, and my oldest refused to open a book until he read the first The Last Olympian novel by Rick Riordan.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for authors like Shannon Hale who write amazing stories that inspire my kids. (My daughter’s favorite book of hers is A Book of A Thousand Days, in case you were wondering).  I am grateful for all of the authors out there who never gave up even though this is an industry filled with rejection. Who kept on writing even though there really isn’t much monetary gain for even successful authors. And, who share a piece of themselves so kids like mine can experience the beauty of a good book, and maybe find the inspiration to write their own stories.

Who are we kidding. I was a little star struck too.