Me, Caught? Constantly!

by Jody Feldman

Me, circa 5th grade, in my favorite reading chair;
surprisingly, without a book.

When I was in school, especially in 4th - 7th grades, you’d rarely catch me without a book. Sure, I read before 4th grade--more than your average kid. Certainly I've kept reading since. It was those four years, however, that my reading memories are the strongest.

What did I read? I wish I had a list.* I do know I read all (or nearly all) of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. I read The Secret Garden, Harriet the Spy, and the Encyclopedia Brown books. I spent too long poring over the Scholastic book orders to cull my purchase list to however many my parents could afford, which was always too few. I remember constant trips to the library. I remember nearly memorizing the backs of cereal boxes and reading every possible sign on road trips.

Not once, however, do I remember my parents telling me to stop reading. Maybe I was sensitive enough that I self-regulated in appropriate situations. Or maybe not. Maybe my parents understood the value of reading which they, themselves, continued the rest of their lives.

Even back then, during those four years of intensive reading, I could discern a well-written book from one that felt slapped together. I could appreciate the rhythm and flow of words and ideas. I could tell a satisfying ending from one that left me wanting.

I’m so grateful I had the parents I did, the ones who never, ever told me to put down a book. They didn’t know it at the time; neither did I. But when I was reading, I was also learning to write.

*When I visit schools, I often encourage students
to keep a running list of books they've read
to look back on when they're older.