Dr. Suess`s Persuation

At the age of about three, my mother started reading to me every night before bed time. It started off as just a way to get me to fall asleep, but I eventually took interest as to what the little scribbles and brightly colored pages of that nights book meant. So, I listened more intently, and began to follow along with stories such as Green Eggs and Ham, or Clifford the Big Red Dog. I watched with amazement as my mother flung words off the page with a twitch of her mouth. I knew then that I wanted to learn to read.

One night I became tired of my mother always reading to me, so I decided I would make an attempt at understanding what the scribbles meant, and try to form words out of them. With great travail, I had no success.However, after many nights of rehearsing Green Eggs and Ham with my mother, I fervently and successfully recited the entire story.

Later on in my life around the age of 8, reading became an every day occurrence in my classes and at home. That year, I can remember the librarian apologising to me that there were no more Magic Tree House books on the shelves for me to check out. That day I went home heavy hearted that I had nothing to read. However, upon the arrival of my home, I noticed my older brother heaving a large book out of his backpack and opening the great abyss of paper and words. From the time I got out of the car to the time we reached the garage door, I never took my eyes off that book. Once I got inside and did my chores, I quickly ran to my brother to ask him about the book. It was Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. I begged and begged for him to let me read it, but he never gave in. So, with much discomfort and shame, I spent an entire night without a book to read.

A few weeks later I noticed my Dad reading the Harry Potter books as well. I would often sit beside him and read bits and pieces of the story. I thought the story's were amazing. I mean, who could believe that the little kid with a scar turned out to be a wizard! He eventually caught on to what I was doing, so one day he surprised me with a trip to the book store, and a whole new set of Harry Potter books.

Once I got into Jr. High, I had forgotten all those nights of Dr. Seuss. I became more interested in books like The Hunger Games, and the Percy Jackson series. I eventually became uninterested in reading. Nothing really striked my imagination. I stopped reading on my own. The only time I would ever read is when it was required for school work. Nowadays I still don't read unless its required, however I need to get back into the habit of cracking open a book every now and then.

                                                                                                        - Tanner Bratton