My reading journey began when I was in preschool. Back then, only the fundamentals of reading had been introduced to us. The alphabet was in its transition from a foreign concept to something we as students at The Compass School could vaguely transcribe. As a child at the beginning of their reading journey, my mother decided to get me a small rectangular book about Star Wars labeled in yellow, “Pre-Level 1.” With about a sentence every other page and a picture filling the space in between, it represented one of the most complicated intellectual challenges I had ever endured. Despite this, on one morning following days of practice, I read this precious little book to the other twenty or so children that accompanied me on the alphabet c
ircle. They were all captivated, watching me intently as I flawlessly presented them one of animalkind’s most elaborate creations. From that point on, I was hooked. My obsession with Star Wars continued, and with it came my progression through the increasing levels of DK Readers Star Wars books, culminating in the triumphant Level 4, labeled, of course, in black.
As I began to conquer these new levels, I expanded my power through other books as well. At the beginning of elementary school, I devoured the My Weird School series, and it became my pride and joy. Its stories about the life of elementary schoolers provided predictable patterns and refreshingly scatological humor that perfectly encapsulated the life I strived for at that age. I conquered these books as well.
Elementary school progressed and so did the books that I read. Heading into third grade, I was what I perceived as an experienced reader. It was at this age, one day on the blue rug in Mrs. Shaw’s classroom, that I noticed Nathan Conway holding the fourth Harry Potter book in his lap. I had been challenged.
Harry Potter became my newest obsession. This was no picture book anymore. I was with the wizards and witches, heroes and villains, lovers and enemies. As I raced through the stories to catch up with my peers, I fell in love with the rich world of magic and endless possibilities. Through fantasy, I was opened up to the limitless nature of human experience. Since then, my life has been devoted to digging into the infinite potential of the human mind. The more I read, beginning with an obsession with Harry Potter, and not long after a fascination with the mythology of the Percy Jackson seri
es, the more I chose to believe that a world where the reality I and countless other human beings had the ability to experience within our mind’s eye was a world where these experiences could be channeled into reality itself.
Am I saying that I truly believed that it was possible for me to gain wizard-like magical powers?
Yes. And I still believe that.
As I have continued to grow and mature throughout the years following elementary school, so has this belief. Instead of an obsession with fantasy, it has expanded into a passion for science and technology that has quite nearly become my reason for living. It stems from an insatiable desire to capitalize on the energy and excitement I derived from the worlds of the novels that have begun to define me. It has motivated me to dedicate my life to expanding the abilities of the human race to maybe, someday, recreate the experiences that I was granted through the worldbuilding of my favorite novels.
No matter what path I choose to take in my future, my life will always be rooted in books. Reading is a source of enthusiasm. Literature can teach lessons about one’s relationship with oneself, others, and one’s society. And every once in a while, reading can produce experiences so compelling that it develops an innate instinct to survive into a will to live.
This is why I read.
Hello, Matthew! I really like the dramatic and mesmerizing way you choose to write your literacy narrative. Phrases like “flawlessly presented them,” “animalkind’s most elaborate creations”, and “I had been challenged,” just to name a couple, were all parts of your narrative that really pulled me in and captivated me with how you added a nice flair of humor to make your audience laugh. In addition, your descriptive imagery about the Star Wars book your mom got you with “Pre-Level 1” on it was especially relatable since I can also remember reading fun picture books with that exact same yellow symbol on them and having good memories about them. You have very smooth transitions from the type of material you read, and you’re able to describe really well what spark caused you to move on to the next series or another genre, overall showing how the type of books you read correlated with your growing up as a person. Your conclusion is very strong as well, with how you say the impact reading had on you and others too (with how you said “oneself,” effectively including everyone). Overall, I had a lot of fun reading your Literacy narrative, and I’d say it was definitely a read for enjoyment!
Wow, thank you for the honorable mention.
I must say, this literacy narrative, although short, was quite the read. The advanced word choice and flow from one time period into the next, preschool to 3rd grade to your current self, made for a very interesting experience. I, for one, am surprised at your ability to remember with such detail your preschool and elementary years, including the fact that my obsession with reading the Harry Potter series was what got you started on the bandwagon. I personally could not even remember whether I had read Harry Potter in 2nd or 3rd grade, so my memory is clearly outmatched here.
I also liked the creativity used in this narrative, specifically when you proposed the question “Am I saying that I truly believed that it was possible for me to gain wizard-like magical powers?” Moments like these are what balance out the narrative, making it sound both professional, as well as demonstrating your more exuberant side.
You had mentioned that you wanted to potentially make this your college essay, and although I do not have the experience myself to fully determine whether or not a piece of writing is capable of admitting you to a college, I can say that if I were an admissions officer, your well-demonstrated love for science and technology, which stemmed from your love of reading as a child, would have me stamping a giant sticker of approval on this essay.
I believe there is a lot of complexity in your narrative. I could significantly relate to your love for world-building. To me, reading grew into escapism. Don’t misunderstand, I love my life, but sometimes abandoning the world around me for a completely new one can be the most exhilarating feeling. The same way you would be consumed by your books, I would be accepting the book as a new reality. Even now, it takes me a while to remove myself from a story. I will stop actively reading the pages, but I will continue to deconstruct the symbols and happenings subconsciously. It determines my mood for the rest of the day, dominating my thoughts and rejecting other forms of stimulus.
Another thing I believe you explained perfectly was the application of outside motivations. Nathan reading Harry Potter was a great example of how the people around us can force us to explore new fictional worlds. When I was younger I also saw myself as a competitive reader. For better or worse the praise and pride I got from reading books that my classmates didn’t was a highlight in my early literature experience.
Great ending zinger by the way.