Avi recently read Wonder by R.J. Palacio and recommended I read it too. I read it and I liked it very much. The story, heartbreak and uplifting twists, as well as the style of writing kept me engrossed and I kept other book that I was reading on hold until I finished this one.
There were a lot of nice thoughts in the book but one quote especially stuck with me:
“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. – Dr Wayne W. Dyer”
In Avi’s current class (and school-wide), a lot of importance is given to reading. Avi is required to read atleast 20 mins every day and write a log. He started on a series of books called “Bailey School Kids”. And he’s loving them. He has already finished all the books in that series available in the school library. His 1st trimester goal was to earn 20 AR points, and he finished at 59!
We went to the Orange library a couple of weeks ago and he got about 10 books. That whole weekend, he spent most of his time reading.
This is amazing. I’m so proud and glad. I remember exactly which book gave me the reading bug. It was The Hardy Boys: Billion Dollar Ransom. I remember going to the local library and finishing up all the Hardy Boys’ books and then moving on to other mystery books, specially by Enid Blyton. I also remember being able to write school essays very creatively and getting recognition and great grades. I remember Mrs. Dutta (must’ve been around 8-9th grade) once singled out an essay I had written to the whole class and asked me that I must be reading outside the school books. I said yes and that I loved to read mystery books.
I truly believe that one of the reasons of being where I am is because of the love of reading. I believe that reading widens your imagination and gives you the ability to express yourself articulately. And that ability helps you learn better and grow better. And that’s why I couldn’t be happier to see Avi immerse himself so much in this. I’m going to keep fueling his desire to read, which means going to the local library every so often and buying as many books as possible.
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