Follow Friday (#1)

It's not Friday, but I just discovered this follow friday with an amazing question this week.

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

I have two subjects:

1.) I want to introduce the books that sparked my reading interest. First was "The Boxcar Children" by Gertrude Chandler Warner. There are 127 books in the series--sadly I haven't nearly read them all. The story is about four orphans, Henry, Violet, Jesse, and Benny Alden, and their many adventures. Their very first adventure is after the death of their parents, they escape from their home before their grandfather can find them. Though they have never met him, they believe he is a horrible man. Eventually they find their way to an old red boxcar in which they end up living in, thus "The Boxcar Children". Here is a spoiler, but they don't live in the boxcar forever, of course. They find their grandfather who is a very caring man and is happy to take in the children. "Surprise Island," "The Pizza Mystery," "The Haunted Cabin Mystery," and "The Midnight Mystery" are only a few of  the titles in the series. I highly recommend it for your children.

Other books that influenced me when I was a child was Goosebumps by R. L. Stein, a series of children's horror fiction novels. There are 62 books in the original Goosebumps with many spin-off series such as "Goosebumps Series 2000," "Goosebumps Gold," "Give Yourself Goosebumps," and "Goosebumps Horrorland". The first book is "Welcome to Dead House."

2) I was in fourth grade, ten years old, when I first discovered I loved to write. The books and author that influenced me and keeps me going is, of course, the classic, majestic Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling.

The first Harry Potter book I ever read was "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban". Since I had already saw the first two movies, I thought I would skip ahead in books. Something that year in fourth grade clicked. Our teacher announced a short story contest and my insides lurched. I entered the contest with a story about a mermaid and dolphin who were best friends. I didn't win and I don't know what happened to that story, but I've been writing ever since. I realized I wanted to write stories like Ms. Rowling; I wanted to be able to weave a plot, develop characters, and create beautiful settings. I  respect and admire Jo and her imagination. And I always will.

Some of my favorite books to read in the spring and summer are Harry Potter. It's almost a tradition. (Another random fact,  I re-read Twilight in the fall to early winter.) I love all the Harry Potter books, but my favorite would probably be "The Goblet of Fire."

What books got you reading or writing? I would sure love to know.