My favorite book as a kid? First a confession: I was a reluctant reader. You know those boys you have to drag into a library? The ones who would rather do anything other than read? That was me. I would never pick up a book of my own volition, which is probably why I have a lot of sympathy for reluctant readers today, and why I try to design books that will reach them. I was one of them!
Having someone read to me, however - that was different. I was always willing to curl up on the sofa with one of my parents and be entertained. I have vivid memories of my dad reading from Tales of the Western World, an anthology long since out of print. Those stories of Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan and John Henry were my first expeditions into the world of folklore. I also remember my mom reading me Charlotte's Web and James and the Giant Peach, which are still among my favorite books. My second grade teacher was an excellent reader, too. She kept my interest with Mrs. Pigglewiggle and the Boxcar Children. Throughout elementary school, I would never have called myself a reader. I thought of books as boring. And yet . . . tell me a good story, and I would listen.
The world of books really opened up for me in middle school when I discovered the Lord of the Rings. That was the first series that showed me reading could be fun - not just an assignment for school. I must've read the trilogy a dozen times. I loved the epic fantasy adventure, the heroism of the hobbits, the chilling evil of the Dark Lord, and especially the blank spaces on Middle Earth's map that Tolkien left to the reader's imagination. Then my savvy eighth grade teacher, who did her master's thesis on Lord of the Rings, suggested I try Norse mythology, since much of Tolkien's work was based on those old stories. I've been hooked on mythology ever since. By the way, this was the same teacher who encouraged me to submit my first story to a magazine, starting me on my long road as a writer. Is it any wonder I later became a middle school teacher? One good teacher can make an enormous difference. My latest book, The Last Olympian, is dedicated to that teacher, Mrs. Pabst.
So my favorite childhood book? You could pick any of the titles I mentioned above. But really, my favorite reading experience was not a book at all. It was storytelling. This is why, as a teacher, I've always encouraged parents to read to and with their children. Your children are never too old to be read to, and any good story is twice as good when it is shared aloud. That's what we'll be doing in the Riordan household this summer. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed!
