What Book Got You Hooked?

The title of this post may seem off topic at first glance, but I believe reading about ‘books’ can re-ignite one’s imagination… And maybe even stir up some past-life remembrances.

What was your first experience into the world of books?

For me, it was the Big Red Book in my 1st grade class. I still remember Mrs. Uchida (one of my all time favorite teachers) first showing us the illustrations in the pages of the big book. Accompanying the colorful illustrations were weird black looking things, sort of like squiggly lines arranged neatly in rows. Back then I wondered, “What were these things?” As Mrs. Uchida pointed with her index finger to these things under the drawing of a spotted dog, she said out loud, “See Spot run.”

I ran with it, and I was never the same again… in a good way!

I was pretty bright during my early childhood so I quickly put two and two together. Those black scribbles on the page of the book had some kind of meaning and power, for it made the illustrations come ‘alive’. I wanted to know more about this whole process of ‘reading’, as Mrs. Uchida explained what it was to us — for it was something that I could do too. I was on to something here!

Thus began my indoctrination into the world of books. Of course, I had to start from the beginning like everyone else in class, but I picked up my “A, B, C’s” rather quickly. Stringing them together into words? Not a problem. I loved it! From then on, and till this day, I am a voracious reader.

As my reading skills got better and better, my whole Universe expanded. 3rd and 4th grades were the watershed years where I looked forward to going to the school library to check-out books to bring home to read. My favorites at the time were biographies of people who lived all over the world. Reading about their lives and what they accomplished really inspired me and set my imagination free. Looking back now, I know I was reliving many of my past lives with these characters… Oh, what fun!

So, what book got you hooked?

The reason I’m asking is this:

I was made aware of a book contest that awards 50,000 books to the state with the most votes. (Sort of like how you can vote for your favorite singer on American Idol.) The latest tally places Hawaii in 6th place. The contest ends on the 30th of this month so we have some time left to catapult Hawaii into 1st place! Wouldn’t that be wonderful for the keiki (children) of Hawaii?

The voting process is easy too. All you have to do is visit the website (http://booksforkids.firstbook.org/whatbook/about.php) once a day till the end of this month. When on the website, you just have to choose ‘Hawaii’ in the required text field, and click the ‘Submit’ button to vote. (You don’t have to fill in the other text fields.)

If you are interested in this worthy cause please go and vote. Spread the word also to everyone you know whom you feel will love to give a vote of confidence for our keiki. (Go Hawaii!) Let us help to empower them as they open up to the possibilities of what they can create in this journey called life.

I am glad that I got hooked on reading!

How about you?