Me and Anne

I would say the book that has impacted me the most is Anne of Green Gables. For my ninth birthday my Grammie gave me Anne of Green Gables. I didn't want to read an old timey book. I would go to the local libary but I could out empty handed, all of the books were for girls or for my age were about gossipy boy-crazy girls or about gushy romance. ( I was a girly girl, but then became a tomboy) I then decided to read books targeted to boys, but all of them were either about fart jokes or too scary.

A few years passed by, and I read this and that. I was cleaning my bookshelf when Anne of Green Gables landed in my lap. I was a little older, and was a better reader so I thought I would give it a chance. I asked my mom about the book. She said that she read it as a girl and I thought I would like it. I read a page, it sounded interesting but wasen't for me. My mom told me that it took place on PEI (Prince Edward Island) way north from where she grew up, and that she spent a summer there with her cousins. Mom said that the island was breathtaking and beautiful. I decided to read it, and I fell in love with the story. Avonlea sounded like a magical place, and I finally found a character who was like me. Anne was like me, a red head and was a bit of a spitfire and freely spoke her mind. Finally, a character who boldly spoke her mind, and didn't care what others thought of her. Anne was always looking out for adventure or something new around the next corner. It taught me not only to be daring but also foster a love of learning and adventure. Anne of Green Gables started my reading addiction, after that book, I wanted to read more and more.

Reading transported me to distant worlds, or other dimensions; with each new venture I met a familar friend who taught me something new or made me look at something from another perspective. I would often choose books that were above my reading level, challenging myself and by the end of middle school I read at a college level, and had read (al)most all of Jane Austin's books.

I still am a voracious reader, and I love to read almost anything, most of the books nowadays feature more female protangists or heroines. I believe that reading is not only an escape from our mundane lives, but also transports us to a strange yet familar world with new lessons to learn and new people to meet.