"Read to me."

Have you ever stopped to think how all the things you’ve read in your life have affected you? I hadn’t until recently when my husband and I were watching “The Last Dance” documentary about Michael Jordan. I was telling him that I knew way more about sports and athletes as a kid than I do now. As a kid, I loved watching pro football, basketball, and baseball. The WNBA started when I was a kid and young basketball player, so my friends and I were really excited about that. Michael Jordan was at the top of my list of favorites, along with most of the Dream Team, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, John Elway, Dave Justice, Terry Pendleton, the Braves pitchers, and Bo Jackson. I also liked female tennis player Monica Seles, although I never really got into tennis. I no longer like pro sports that much because of the politics, and I really only watch Alabama football. If pro sports were political back then, I was too young to notice.

So, what does that have to do with reading? I started wondering why I had such an interest in sports and athletes back then, but not as much now. I was able to pinpoint it to reading. My mom bought me a subscription to Sports Illustrated for Kids. It was a great magazine for young athletes and readers. I can’t remember all the details, but I was a fan of those athletes not just because of their performances, but also because of the cool things I read that they did off the field/court.

I don't remember it, but my parents say this was my early childhood favorite

As long as I can remember, my brother and I have had books, magazines, and other reading materials. My parents tell me that my favorite book was A Little Golden Book entitled Scuffy the Tugboat. I would take it to my parents and say “read to me.” My mom has always been and continues to be a huge influence on my literacy and on the literacy of my students. She was always subscribing to magazines she thought I would like and buying books for me. I remember the Highlights magazine well. She bought subscriptions to YM and Seventeen when I was a teenager. When she would run errands in Mobile, she would take me, and we would always go to the bookstore. She would always let me pick out at least one book. It seems like I usually left with a book of ghost stories.

Some of my autographed KTW books, treasured gifts from my parents

I think my love of ghost stories came from our long-time school librarian, who frequently read Kathryn Tucker Windham’s (KTW) ghost stories from Alabama and surrounding states. Suspense has been my favorite genre ever since, and I credit that to this sweet librarian. As I got older, my mom started buying signed copies of books by local authors for me for Christmas such as To Kill a Mockingbird and KTW’s books. She and my dad also bought me a beautiful print for my classroom, which featured KTW and some other local talent from the Blackbelt area. I would go on to read her stories to my classes every year on Halloween. It became a tradition that brought excitement to new students each year.

Me on Halloween during my all time favorite lesson

In college, I was blessed to have a professor who taught us how to teach literacy in our content areas. At first, I thought it was an elementary concept. Right from the start, it was evident that she was a caring person. I really enjoyed her class and respected her in all aspects. One of the reading assignments she required was The Read Aloud Handbook. It’s been a long time since I’ve read it, and I don’t want to misquote it, but it tells of the importance of reading aloud, even to the buns in the oven. I applied her teachings in my classroom, and most of the kids and I enjoyed it thoroughly. When we finished a lesson with a few minutes to spare, I would read to them. It may or may not have been related to what we were studying. At a book fair, I bought books called How They Choked and How They Croaked. They were about how famous people in history had made huge mistakes (choked) and how they had died (croaked). The writers were fantastic, as the stories were very entertaining. The kids who may not have cared about King Tut’s life story thought the part about having his brains removed through his nostrils was pretty cool and disgusting!

Read Across America Day as Dewey Readmorebooks and The Lorax

I can’t leave out my Mema when talking about reading. She didn’t just buy us books, but sets of books! One was a set of biographies of random people. I remember reading the ones about Terry Fox and Louis Pasteur the most. I didn’t realize how much she and I had in common until she was gone. She was a teacher, animal lover, and a lot like I am in terms of eating healthy and naturally. We always did cool stuff at her house, which usually stemmed from reading.

Presently, I’m very busy. I’m currently and very slowly reading Unbroken by Laura Hilldebrand. I enjoy reading health and fitness magazines, books about runners, my favorite musicians, and suspense novels. My favorite authors are Dean Koontz and Stephen King, but the best book I’ve ever read is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.

I love Jim Morrison and The Doors. When I wanted to know more about him (Jim), I read his biographies and his poetry. When I want to know more about health and fitness, I read. In the classroom, when I needed to know more about what I was teaching, I read. I may not officially be a teacher anymore, but I am still a lifelong learner. I want to learn more about cars and selling. I’m looking into reading material on Dale Carnegie and some of my favorite notables in the car industry such as Carroll Shelby and Jack Rousch.

Books are so versatile. They can be a learning tool, an escape from reality, and a way to know that know that you are not alone in your thoughts and feelings. A great friend and mentor told me about author Wayne Jacobsen. I could truly relate to the characters and teachings in his books and know that I was not alone. His teachings also gave me the knowledge and confidence to make some big decisions.

Whatever your reason for reading, you’re going to come away with a positive. Even if you don’t agree with the author, you now have more of a defense for your beliefs. I’m so thankful to my mom, who has been the greatest supporter of my literacy, as well as the others named who have also shaped it. Books are great gifts, so give them, share them, recommend them. The sky is the limit when you put a book in the hands of a reader.

My mom and me

In honor of Mama, Mrs. Wiggins, Dr. Berry, & Scott.

In memory of Mema.