Bethany House Publishers recently ran a poll on Facebook, asking, “When did you first discover a love for reading?” An overwhelming 92% replied “From a young age” while only 8% chose, “Later in life.”
Those in the first category credited others with instilling their love of books at a young age, including: a pastor’s wife, local book mobile, libraries, siblings, grandparents, and, not surprisingly, parents.
The latter was true for me as well. My parents read books to my brothers and me and bought us books. Every Christmas afternoon would find us curled up somewhere around the house with the new books we’d been gifted. As a young girl, I LOVED the Trixie Belden series among others.
My husband has always been a big reader as well. And he was so faithful about reading to our sons every night when they were young. Both sets of grandparents read to them as well. The boys were once big readers themselves but less and less as they grew into teenagers and beyond, perhaps due to smart phones and computer games. I hope the Proverb that says, Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it will apply to reading as well. 😊 I would love to see them both return to their early love of reading and pass it on to future generations.
Poll responders who said their love of reading began later in life credited a change in life circumstances such as health, or a certain book or series. A former co-worker, Donna, replied to the poll, saying she’d become a reader later in life “When I first read Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen. She made a reader out of me and I have been reading ever since.” You can imagine how gratifying that is!
What about you? When did your love of reading begin? And was that love sparked by a certain person, or book, or circumstance?
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From my mother she love to read
I have been reading since a very young age. I’ve still got a photo of myself reading an enormous picture book of David and Goliath when I was two. My mum said that I remembered the words of the books after she read them to me for several times. Then I recited all the words aloud, even I didn’t know how to read then.My parents were definitely a good influence. I read my first chapter book when I was six or seven, and I saw it as a challenge then. My best friend started reading chapter books at the same period of time as I did, so we sort of influenced each other. My childhood favourite was Enid Blyton, but the place in my mind I’d long ago given her is now fully, soundly in your possession, Julie.(another piece of gratifying news, perhaps. I ‘borrowed’ this sentence from the epilogue of The Secret of Pembrooke Park, I hope you don’t mind. It just sounded like the best sentence to put here.)
Definitely as a child. My mom always read bedtime stories to my sisters and me.
Definitely my grandmother* Passionate reader herself, I don’t think she could bear the idea of not being able to read, which might be why I could read at three.
Library too far away, mobile didn’t call, many books probably not age appropriate,
but I was allowed to read them anyway – including Shakespeare – and Pepys’ diary. Masses of early to mid 20th C books – including veteran copies of Anne of Green Gables, the whole series.
My mama always loved to read, but she is a Pastors Wife. So, she is really busy, and she knows if she starts a book she will not be able to put it down and may forget her responsibilities for awhile so she does not read like she used to. So, I guess that is were my love of reading came from, but the book I read that sparked it when I was 12 was “A Preachers Bride” by Jody Hedlund!! I love your Books soooo much!!! I have read all of them but the Bride series because I am only 15 and I think they are for adults 😢 So, I don’t think my mama will let me, but it’s all good!!🤓😍😋
“The Preachers Bride” my bad 😉☺️
My mom use to take me to the library when I was little and we’d load up as many books as my hands could carry. Because of her reading to me and instilling the love of stories, I was able to read before going to kindergarten and haven’t slowed down since.
My parents read to us as small children – first book was a beautiful book of nursery rhymes. My father drove us to the library when we were very young. I remember the joy of checking out 5 books and reading at least two of them on the way home.
I wouldn’t worry too much about your sons yet. I found that my pleasure reading was almost non existent during high school and college because of so much required reading. But my joy of reading returned later – the same with my two children, who are avid readers today.
My mother sparked a love of books in my two sisters and me. Both parents read to us, but since my father’s job took him out of town quite often, it was our mother who read to us most of the time. When grandparents or aunts would visit, they would read to us as well. Mother took us to the library regularly to check out books. Today, my husband and I read in the evenings before bedtime and find the practice entertaining and relaxing.
My love of reading began with Anne of Green Gables in jr. high. Something about her being prone to make so many mistakes resonated with me…and gave me hope as she matured. I’ve been reading ever since.
I LOVE TRIXIE BELDIN!
She was my favorite character.
I don’t remember when my love for reading began but probably early grade school. I don’t remember my parents reading to me. However, my mom frequently told us to the library.
My love for reading definitely began as a very young child. My mother read to me daily, and even after I became older (eleven years old) we read books together (Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm stands out in my memory—and influenced me to name my second child Rebecca!). Very special memories. 🙂
Those pictures of your boys are so sweet, Julie. Priceless memories for you!
I still remember the thrill of being able to read the simple sentences in the Dick and Jane books in first grade. I don’t remember being read to much (though it probably happened when I was very young) but as long as I can remember I’ve always had a book that I was reading. These days it’s most likely to be an audio book. I can’t imagine doing housework, gardening, etc without listening to a book. Many years ago a friend told me that she never reads. No books, magazines, newspapers, nothing. I was shocked. I just assumed everyone was a reader.
My mom taught me to read before going to Kindergarten by checking out books from the library. That instilled a love of reading that has continued all my life. I taught both of our daughters to read also and they are still readers. I loved Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew mysteries and Sue Barton books as a pre-teen. My friend and I would ride our bikes to the local library and return to her front porch and read all day together in the summer!
I learned to love to read as a young child.
I also loved Trixie Belden when I was young. I had many of the titles. I still have most of the books my mom bought for me when I was little. I read them to my grandchildren now.
Oh, yes…I’m in the “as a little kid” category, with Mom and Dad both reading to me. My parents even belonged to the Book of the Month club in the 40’s and 50’s – I still have some of their books on my shelf. Now I’ve reached that age where I want to reread many old favorites but who has time? There’s always something new being released that demands my time.
I was always a reader, but my real love of reading started in 9th grade English class when I had to write a critique paper on Pride and Prejudice. I hated the book at first, but over the summer I read it again and fell in love. I have truly loved reading since then.
My love for reading began in junior high school. My English teacher introduced me to Grace Livingston Hill. I loved her books and read every one the small library offered.
I began reading when I was about eleven years old I hated reading then my mom bought me a book so I read it and ever since I read that book my love for reading has just never stopped and now I’m fifteen and just love Reading so much it’s one of my favorite things to do and now I write books for people because I want people to have my love for reading! ❤️