Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivy
You read these things at 5 and 7?
Fine. I read Caunterbury Tales in the 6th grade. *hairflip*
Seriously-- you must've been a pretty advanced kid. I was a remarkable reader but I was still on Little House and Nancy Drew at 7.
As for the thread topic, I've been changed by many books. Many have already been mentioned in this thread. The bible, yes. Maybe not for the reasons people might think. Frederick Douglass's autobiography helped me to shake off the vestiges of racism I was brought up with. And A Wrinkle In Time and Ender's Game introduced me to sci-fi, NF style. 
Also, I read a book a few years ago that I've carried with me since: Children of the Self-Absorbed, which helped me in the way that cafe said her boundaries book helped her. My parents and in-laws can be difficult to get along with and it has helped to know where I end and they begin. |
I can't actually remember not being able to read, while my mother taught my sister (she is 18 months older) how to read, I must have been listening and absorbing, because when she tried to introduce me to words at 3 I could already read.. apparently.
As for fairly scientific treatises...like Life on Earth, I can remember it freaking the teacher out that I was reading it at 7. She basically accused me of just looking at pictures (I'd brought it in from home) and recommending I stick to stuff like Peter Rabbit. After I'd explained to her in some detail about the chapter on Protozoa and its place in early life, she left me alone with my books
By way of balance, I got my words late... I didnt speak until 3 or so, and even then i was composing and using my own nonsense language (did I ever stop
), apparently because of intellectual boredom, but it could just be I'm odd....
It's difficult to know what's normal, or not, when you have only yourself as an example.
-Geoff