Hi. I’m Kat. Since I was a little girl, reading has been a huge part of my life. The first book I vividly remember being awestruck by as I turned page after page, unable to put it down, was Island of the Blue Dolphins. Looking back, it’s hard to know exactly WHY this book captured my heart. The subject matter was certainly not in any way relatable to my real life at the time. It follows the story of a 12 year old girl during the 19th Century who was stranded on an island of the coast of California and must learn to fend for herself by hunting, fishing and performing other survivalist tasks. At the time I was reading it, I was an elementary aged, late 1980s girl who attended Catholic School and lived in an urban environment. I think more than anything else it was the first time I truly understood the transformative power of a piece of writing - a book could take you away to any place, at any time. The worst part was realizing that closing the last page of an excellent read meant blinking slowly back to reality!
Favorite childhood reads that influenced my love of reading (links are just to Amazon): A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, Anne of Green Gables, Island of the Blue Dolphins, Where the Red Fern Grows
Welcome to this space! Drop me a comment if you remember the first read that set you up for a lifetime love of reading!