Indoctrination

When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading?

I have been an avid reader since the day, when I was six, that I was home from school, sick in bed, and my mom got B is for Betsy from the library for me to read. I think that was the start of my obsession with series novels, as well as my discovery of how wonderful libraries can be.

Throughout my childhood, my mom - an avid reader herself - encouraged a love of reading and of books. Although we didn't have much money, she always found ways to buy books, especially as Christmas gifts. We also spent a lot of time at the public library, especially during the summers, participating in their reading programs. I remember my mom occasionally reading outloud to my sister and me before bed, too.

Even now, my mom encourages my reading - and that of my kids. This past Christmas we had an outing to a downtown mall, where we first visited a bookstore and each of us got to pick a book or two for her to buy us, and then we got ice cream cones.