Looking back on my reading history, I realize it all started in kindergarten. I was reading books like "A Bad Case of Stripes" and "No, David," both by author David Shannon. I would read these books daily and always enjoy them. On the other hand, my writing could have been better. I never wanted to write, no letters, no stories, nothing. I wouldn't say I liked writing in any type of form. One instance crossed the line when I had to write out, "I will not do that ever again until I die," about 250 times. This was the worst day of my life at the time. But once I started to get older, things began to shift. I began to enjoy writing, the ability to create a story out of thin air, being able to put emotions into a paragraph, and being able to express situations that felt real to a reader. Once I hit 6th grade, I loved to write.
On the other hand, my reading started to lack.
Every chance I got to read, I would avoid it. This would show when I was picked to read, and I speak like a four-year-old who couldn't pronounce "Indianapolis." It was very noticeable. Then I read this book that pulled me back in; granted, I had to read it for my class, but it was a significant turning point. The book is called "The Tiger Rising" by Kate DiCamillo. This book had every feeling that caused me to love writing. The emotions, situations, character development, and so much more. This book had everything. This was the first and ONLY book to make me cry while reading. That's how you know this book stuck with me. While writing this, I found out that a movie was created based on the book. So I know the next film I am going to watch.
This was the first book that showed me it is okay to show emotions. As a kid, I was always taught that "no boys should cry, and you should be strong." This is sometimes true, but it's a toxic, outdated mindset. "The Tiger Rising" showed me that being an outsider indicates that you can be human no matter what. I was the only bot that day that cried while reading the book. Yes, I got made fun of a bit, but I didn't care. This book showed that its not good to bottle up emotions and hold them in, instead it showed the affects of what happens if you do and what happens if you let them all out.Â