That First Book

A new blog, a new day! Whatever can I write about?

Well, I decided, as part of new beginnings, to venture with an origin story. Mine, anyways. People will gush about the new book they got, or how exciting and vivid the description is. And after years of book buying, they've got their craft down to an art. But the question I always seem to have in the back of my mind is, "What was that first book you read that made you love to read?"

Most of us can honestly say childhood book reading. Roald Dahl's wonderful stories of witches, giants, and magical chocolate factories are more than enough to make any kid love reading. Scholastic and their yearly little catalogs, lovingly pored over, with little circles and stars next to the books you wanted to get are in there too. Go further back and maybe you still have copies of the first books your parents bought to read aloud to you like Where the Wild Things are or Stregga Nonna and a story of her bumbling apprentice Anthony.

But for me, it started with a librarian. A book in hand, a childhood audience at her feet, she dazzled our 8 year old minds with the story of a boy, a magic shop, and a dragon. Sadly, I can't remember her name, but the book, with it's startling bright cover, I can't ever forget.
As an adult, it's a short read that will bring back fond memories. For a child, it's an exciting adventure into a whole new world that propels them towards other wonderful books. Before JK Rowling came out with Harry Potter and his magical world, it was Bruce Coville who held the imagination of elementary and middle school children alike. With books like My Teacher is an Alien all the way Into the Land of Unicorns; he is a magician with words and built fantastic worlds that a child would dream about. 

So maybe it was space pirates that kidnapped you, or maybe it was the wardrobe that led to an enchanted forest. Whatever the reason, you've reached here, and haven't turned back since.

All I can say is, if you ever find yourself in a strange neighborhood, with a dusty old magic shop in sight, walk right in, and discover something new.