30 Things: #7

[brigid]

7) What's the first book you remember reading?

I started reading on my own when I was 3 years old, which is about the same age one of my brothers at least (I have two brothers, both of whom are very intelligent) and many of my friends learned to read. I don't really remember a time I couldn't read.

One of the first books I read was something about boy and girl siblings (white, blond, blue-eyed of course... it was from the 1950s but wasn't quite Dick and Jane) going to the Zoo.

I entered Kindergarten and the classroom had a copy of that book. I excitedly told my teacher that it was one of my favorites and I loved reading it, and she responded something about how much fun it was to look at pictures and be read to.

Then we started learning the letters of the alphabet, one letter a day. It was kind of like having fingernails pulled out one by one. I was reading at a 3rd grade level and bored out of my damn mind.

But that zoo book was awesome.

Little Swimmers was another early favorite, and Little Lost Angel was busted out at Christmas Time.

Comments

[thegorgon]

I, too, have been reading since I was three -- my parents were mighty confused when they went in to talk to my kindergarten teacher about my progress, and when they asked what she was doing about my reading (which was at least at Mrs. Piggle Wiggle levels), she told them she didn't think I was quite ready to read yet. For my part, I always assumed that the "reading" time was for kids who *didn't* know how to read, and so would sit in the corner with the This is a Cat type books, where I'd been told to hang out. I'd flip through them so fast poor Mrs. S. assumed I was just looking at the pictures. :)

[marshtide]

I was a kind of late starter, by contrast. I distinctly remember throwing a Mister Men book across the room in my first year of school because I couldn't read it and everyone else could and I was so frustrated.

By third year I was miles ahead of everyone else, though, and bringing in my own books because the ones in the class library were too easy. So I guess when it clicked it really clicked.