Autobiographical Essay #2

The first time a book really affected me in some way was in high school. Before high school I didn't really read and if I did I would just do that "read". I never really understood what I was reading. A book that I would read all the time in elementary school was The Giving Tree. This book was given to me from one of my aunts. My aunt was the one who started my collection of English books. Books were important in my childhood home but not English books. The only books that I owned were Spanish. My parents would read and have me follow along with them every night. My elementary school would have book fairs almost every month and I would buy English books. But I never read them. I would mainly just buy them because the cover looked pretty or interesting. I'm pretty sure my elementary and middle school teachers assigned some books but I really don't remember reading them.
It was when I was in ninth grade that a book really caught my attention and emotions. My English teacher gave us a list with a lot of books and we had to choose one for our book report. I decided to pick I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book had a great affect on me. I honestly didn't really know anything about the treatment of African Americans. I was aware of it but with this book I was able to connect and feel some emotion. I was also happy and proud of myself because I actually understood and remembered what the author was talking about. I feel like this book really opened my eyes to what literature can do. My ninth grade class is where I started to get interested in reading. Around this time is when I started to read the Harry Potter books.
The most recent book that I've read for real enjoyment is twilight. I feel a bit embarrassed admitting it because the kids that I work with at a middle school are also reading this book for enjoyment. I decided to read this book because my younger brother recommended it. It appealed to me because it's part of a series and it has a lot of vivid description. Also, the fact that they are making movies of the books keeps me motivated to read.