Reflection by Quaydasia Josephs
One of the first books that I can remember reading when I was younger was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This book was gifted to my sister from a teacher but since we shared rooms it was basically mine also. Although I was probably 6/7 years old I grew a love for the meaning of this book. Looking back I realized that I have always been an empath, I felt something when reading this. The unconditional love that the tree gave to the little boy reminded me of the love that my mother gave to me, but his selfishness in a way killed the tree, that touched me in a way that I Couldn’t explain at the time. My favorite books have always been books with meaningful lessons that are unforgettable. I will forever remember this book.
In elementary school, we had to do the 100 Book challenge, where we had to read books in class and home every day with the hopes of reading 100 books by the end of the school year. During these years my favorite reads and probably my first chapter books was Junie B. Jones kindergarten series by Barbara Park. I enjoy reading about this sassy, funny little girl because she reminded me of me in a way. In a way it was like a reality show written that’s probably why I love reality Tv now. And after 10 years I will never forget certain moments that happened in her books, simply something I read for enjoyment but taught a few lessons also.
As I went through my adolescence years, I always tried to read long books and always lost interest. I could read one chapter and by the next chapter I would forget what happened before. I then realized my favorite books are poetry books. My favorite book is Born to love, cursed to feel by R.h.sin. For the first time I could actually sit and read pages and pages of inspirational quotes and poetry that STUCK with me. I realized that these are my type of books and that was okay , I don’t have to find interest in long storylines and difficult plots. I enjoy reading books that express how I feel.
The next book that left an impact on me was I am enough by Grace Byers . This is a children’s book that I bought for my daughter to teach her self worth and confidence. The book explains that regardless of one’s looks, abilities, or beliefs, everyone is unique, which is a perfect lesson that I, myself, need from time to time. Over time my children’s book’s collection for my son and daughter grew. I never thought of becoming a writer, but after reading so many children’s books; I started to find interest in writing them . I took a course a few semesters ago called “Writing Children’s Stories” After taking that course I began writing my own that I hope to publish one day.
When I realized I can think beyond Prints and can choose something like music or movies the first thing that came to my mind was Soulfly by Rod wave. This album speaks to me. It’s like poetry over a beat. He talks about overcoming death, Suicidal thoughts, poverty, past relationships and other life experiences people like me go through. When I’m feeling down I listen to this album for motivation to continue to move forward with college and being a mother.
Reflection by Spencer Agibiti
What the world of literature means to me is nothing more than the inner mindsets of different people. It could be how one writes down dialogue, or how one can perceive a world that we could barely begin to imagine. Stories here showcase different events that can get shown off in the world, but it’s up to us, as the readers, to help find these stories to be heard. And it doesn’t have to be read with just words, either. Sometimes, comics, graphic novels, and manga can help showcase new worlds more so than novels.
One of these stories I would like to talk about that has ALWAYS resonated with me since I was 7 years old was a story called One Piece, by Eiichiro Oda. It’s a ‘laugh tale’ of adventure, exploration, friendship, and the true nature of man. Beginning with Gol D. Roger, king of the pirate’s final words that his treasure, the titular One Piece, is up for grabs, the world scrambles into a 20-year scavenger hunt to find this treasure only claimed by Roger. 20 years later, a simple 18-year-old boy named Monkey D. Luffy sets out to find this treasure as a promise he made to a man he admired as a child. This starts a domino effect that leads to the fall of warlords, the liberation of countries, secrets revealed, and a chain reaction that could make the entire world turn on its head. What I like about this is the fact there’s a lot of thought being put into its story with lore, worldbuilding, foreshadowing, and everything in between. Every island has their own history and mythology, there are various different characters and settings, the powers are unique, and this whole world feels alive. It is probably the best example of how to create a world that truly lives in harmony. What this story means to me is the fact one can truly go deep into a world without oversaturating it and making it feel fresh with every island you visit. Everyone has a unique dynamic with each other, which makes the reader surprised at how well written they all are, and it gives a sense of satisfaction at the end.
Another book series I’d like to finish reading to the very end is the Percy Jackson series, written by Rick Riordan. For this series, we focus on a more “modern” world where Greek mythology is walking among us, and it’s more normal people-friendly than harry potter and its “secret world”. For this, it follows the titular Percy Jackson, the son of Posideon, the god of the sea, and his friend’s adventures throughout the world and on their many adventures. This showcases great lore, amazing development, and great interactions between the cast of the franchise as well. I would recommend reading this book series. What this series means to me is that you can truly put a twist on a classic, and in this case, making a mythology a bit more modern with twists that make it unpredictable and makes it interesting for the readers, like myself, to feel more fulfilled.
Berserk, by the late Kentaro Miura, is a very dark, very twisted, and very sought-after reading as well. It follows a man named Guts, a mercenary, as we see how he’s been fighting for his whole life. From his time alone to the only people he could ever consider his family: the band of the hawk, and even his time after the eclipse, weve seen blood-filled battle after battle of Guts trying to survive this demon invested world. Filled with dark secrets, demonic essences, Christian corruption, and more piled on here, he and whatever companions he has at the time fight not just to get revenge on a friend, but to live another day. This is a very dark and corrupt manga that is filled with both darkness and light, as it not only horrifies one but also inspires one at the same time. This story might have traumatized me in ways I can’t speak of, but it’s for the better due to the unforgiving nature of the world, and on how there’s no warnings or alerts for what’s to come, but when it does arrive, it how we deal with it that matters.
For those who just want to wind down and relax, I would like to recommend checking out the Magic Treehouse series, written by Mary Pope Osborn. It follows these two kids’ adventures throughout time as they not only learn about the history, but also the audience as well for its an educational series about our history, our landscape, and some magical influence in between. It’s not only educational but also adventurous and mystical at the same time. And the best part is that there are multiple different stories for the different reading groups, so it’s inclusive to all kids/preteens. So it’s not only a good read for now, but a great start for kids to get into when they’re moving on from picture books. To me, I believe this series here showcases alot of early fact learning and perfect for kids going through elementary school, and to help keep their brains more active as they progress through the grades.
And the last book I would like to talk about here is perhaps the greatest story ever written by Scholastic books: Animorphs by KA Applegate. It’s a sci-fi horror-adventure story where lone kids stood between earth and an army of the brain controlling alien slug monsters, and the only weapon they have against them is the power to turn into animals. It was dark, it had many different character arcs, it had borderline Cronenberg levels of description, and it did not have a completely happy ending, bittersweet if you would. I think this needs to be read in order for it to truly be comprehended as the best book series ever written. What this means to me, a reader is how dark and twisted this can be, to lose before the battle has even begun, and to always make sure to check up on others because you never know what battles they might be fighting.
All and all, I have a very unique sense of interest that help me grow up into the person I am today. I like interesting characters with well-written worlds, spectacular powers, and amazing development throughout this journey. I hope you get to read them and enjoy them just as I have.
Reflection by Michael Majewski
Since my mother wanted to preserve our Russian language and culture for as long as possible, I did not speak English before I entered day care and Preschool at age 4. For my first few years on Earth, my mother chose to exclusively read to me in Russian, and only showed me Russian cartoons and films. She did not limit herself to original Russian texts though. One of my earliest memories is my mom sitting in the rocking chair in my bedroom, reading me a translated copy of Winnie the Pooh (Винни Пух) while I sat in my crib. My mom did not stop at bedtime readings though. We listened to audiobooks together throughout my entire childhood, right up until I turned eighteen and moved away. We would fly through books during our weekly road trips to church and Russian school, which were both two hour round trips every Saturday and Sunday. I started reading this way with my mother in the car since before I can remember. This meant that my earliest audio book memories were all of Russian fairy tales, folk tales, and fables. However, in the months leading up to my entrance to Preschool, my mother began introducing me to English literature and Disney films to acclimate me to the language. This is why my reading of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis on cassette tapes had such an impact on me. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a classic fantasy children’s novel with heavy Christian allegories. Four year old Michael had only just been introduced to Grimms’ and Andersen’s fairy tales, and the English language in general. Lewis’ comparably long and dense narrative blew my mind. Because I was so engrossed in the narrative and attempting to read it for the mimetic, I made my mom pause the tape everytime I didn’t know a word. My reading of the book was therefore both mimetic, and synthetic. The first book of The Chronicles of Narnia literally helped me learn English. After my mom saw how much I adored one of her childhood favorites, the dam broke and we began reading English children’s classics. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe served as both a teacher, and an introduction to English literature for me, and I was never the same again.
Once I began frequently reading English books with my mother, my vocabulary grew rapidly. Thanks to preschool, I also had the English alphabet proudly memorized. Reading the language still eluded me, as I didn’t know which sounds each letter made. I hated being ignorant, so I started asking my parents to read almost every English sign and label I saw. This process became very frustrating. I could name each individual letter on the sign, and I knew the definition of most words once my parents read them to me, but I needed them to access that information. It felt like I was trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. It was apparently also frustrating for my dad, as I remember at one point I was asking him to read signs so frequently that he finally snapped and said “You should learn to read yourself so you don’t need to rely on us.” In retrospect, it was a little harsh for a four year old to hear(dad…), but it was the push I needed. That experience, coupled with the fact that my newest favorite series of books, The Magic Treehouse, were only available on cassette for the first four entries. The Magic Treehouse was a series of children’s fantasy books about a brother and sister that would time travel to different eras and locations in every entry. I loved the episodic nature of the books, and my reading leaned heavily towards mematic. Spurred by my desire to read on after a cliffhanger at the end of the fourth book, and because of my dad’s suggestion, I began asking my mother how I could learn to read. She initially insisted that I was too young, but after I continued to pester her on the subject, she told me there were binders containing cassette tapes and books called “Hooked on Phonics” at the library, and that they would probably help. Recently, my mom admitted to me that she only agreed to let me borrow the first level of “Hooked on Phonics” because she expected me to open it up, then give up after five minutes. That is not what happened however. I sat down with “Hooked on Phonics” the morning we got it at the kitchen table with the cassette player, and I did not get up until my father came home from work at six. It was at this point that I proudly exclaimed “Look Dad, I can read now!” To both my parents’ amusement, I was already reading simple words on my own. The very next day, I proudly borrowed the fifth entry in the Magic Treehouse series from the library in print form. Before Hooked on Phonics Level One and The Magic Treehouse books, I couldn’t read. After I read them, I could. The freedom this ability gave me was breathtaking. I was no longer restricted to reading only when we were in a car, or when one of my parents was generous enough to read outloud to me. I could read all the time. Naturally, I did.
I read Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls with my mother at age five via cassette. It is a children’s historical fiction novel about a young boy growing up with two Coon Hounds in the Ozarks During the early 20th century. At this point in my life, I was in Kindergarten and my English was on par with other children my age. Due to this, I was reading purely for the miemetic. Before I read this book, I had really only read books with happy endings. Save for the section in Narnia when Aslan is slain, I had never cried as hard as I did for the ending of Where the Red Fern Grows. The book taught me how much of a deep emotional effect books can incite in people. It also made me wary of endings. From that point on, I never relied on a book’s conclusion to be tidy and upbeat. In a way, it was my first glimpse into the harsh reality of life. There was another profound effect this book had on me. At this point in my life, I still thought the world revolved around me. Somehow this coalesced in a general feeling that not only was my interpretation and understanding of a book the only one, but I never even considered other people reading them. Then at some point in our reading of Where the Red Fern Grows, my twenty year old half-uncle was in the car with us. When my mom asked if he minded we turned the audio book on, he replied “Yeah sure. I read this book in middle school I think.” I looked up to my Uncle Oliver with a sort of reverence as he was the only family member I had that existed in the mysterious liminal space between adults and kids. Hearing that my stand in for an older brother had read the same book, and that he had his own thoughts and opinions on it was both exciting and anger-inducing. I was annoyed with the fact that his thoughts on Where the Red Fern Grows didn’t line up exactly with mine, which inflamed my need to be right. At the same time, I began imagining my Uncle Oliver reading the book ten years before I was born, and was struck by the odd realization that life existed before me. This book took me down paths of thought that eventually led to my first experiences with self awareness and the awareness of existence.
I began reading the Harry Potter series by J.K.Rowling in the third grade. This children’s fantasy series is about an eleven year old orphan who suddenly learns he is a wizard, and is thrust into a new and exciting world. I was reading it for the mematic with a passion like I had never felt before. Before I read the series, I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I don’t exactly know what aspect of the series resonated with me to such an extent, but I quickly went past enjoyment, and became obsessed. According to my mother, I was so invested that I didn’t lift my face out of the pages unless absolutely necessary. Apparently my eating and sleeping habits became sparse. This led to my mother cutting me off from the series after I read the third entry, only a month since I started. She told me she was worried about my health, and so she set a pace for me. From then on I was allowed to read two Harry Potter books every school year. This led to my yearly ritual of rushing to the school library on the first day of school, then consuming both volumes in a matter of weeks. By the time I finished the series in the fifth grade, I had read countless other books and series’. However everytime I picked up another book, I was always secretly wishing it was a Harry Potter entry. What Harry Potter made me realize is that I had the strange ability to narrowly focus on one thing I was passionate about for extended periods of time. It also made me aware that certain pieces of media such as films and books had the potential to not just be enjoyable, but could completely engulf your imagination and your entire life.
I read A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller in English class during my junior year of high school. It’s a play about an Italian American family in Brooklyn, and the father of the household goes through a crisis when they are visited by a young man from Italy. Every play we read in class was done out loud, and the cast was set for the entire duration of the reading. This method of reading brought me immense pleasure as all my previous teachers that taught plays would switch the readers every day. I had been doing the school musicals since middle school at this point, so I was always eager to volunteer to play the main character. This fact, coupled with the fact that no one else in class really gave a damn, meant that I was almost always cast as the lead. Looking back, Mrs. Simmons (who taught English for me both sophomore and junior years) included many more plays than were required by the state. We read multiple Shakespeare plays every year, multiple Arthur Miller plays every year, along with other theatre classics. Mrs. Simmons built a sturdy foundation of theatre in my head. AView from the Bridge was the last Miller play I read during my time in high school, but it had the biggest impact on me. We had already read The Crucible and Death of a Salesman, and I enjoyed both thoroughly. However, never before had I tried so hard to get into character every day in class, or as well as I could while sitting stationary at a desk. I employed a (most likely broken) Brooklyn accent. I made sure to look directly at the other students when our characters interacted. I never shied away from emotional sections, and tried to perform them as realistically as possible. Because of my intense focus on acting, my reading was very much a thematic one. I would search intently for the causes of the main character’s actions, as well as the subtextual roots for his emotional distress. This close thematic reading of the play led to me falling in love with the text, and some very interesting performances that were at times heard throughout the halls and in other classrooms. Before I read A View from the Bridge, I was a theatre hobbyist. After my experience with the play, I began taking acting seriously which led to me eventually going to college as a Theatre Major.
Reflection by Allison D’Arienzo
In my life, books have always played a crucial role in how I perceive and interact with the world around me. Many times, a book has sparked my imagination and even inspired me to write my own stories. Literature has been such an important part in the shaping of who I am and my role as a reader continues to evolve as I broaden my horizons and read more.
One of the very first series that I can remember reading that had an immense impact on me was The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi. Over the course of five books, the reader follows the lives of twins Jared and Simon Grace, along with their older sister Mallory. The siblings are thrown into a new and exciting world of magic and fantastic creatures when they move into their great uncle’s old estate. When I read these books, I was in fourth grade, which was only slightly younger than the ages of the main characters. I remember being completely enthralled with the prospect of a hidden world of fairies and magical creatures and found myself daydreaming about it often. I believe that this series changed me as a reader and made me seek out books that gave me a similar feeling of magic and wonder. Even to this day I think about those books and have shared them with my younger siblings and cousins because they were so important to me when I was growing up.
As I got older and my reading level expanded, I found myself looking for books that were more realistic and easy to relate to. Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, was one of the novel’s I found that spoke to the person I was developing into. I read this novel around eighth or ninth grade and related to the main character Charlie. The book is written in the form of letters from Charlie to an anonymous person. He narrates his life and his journey through high school as he deals with finding himself, making friends, and his struggles with mental health. As a young teen trying to figure out the world as well, I found it comforting to read about a character who was having similar experiences. It was interesting to read an epistolary novel because I felt as though Charlie was writing to me. This was one of the first times I had read something in that style and it inspired me to write one of my first attempts at a novel in that style as well.
After I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower, I began to read more realistic fiction. However, in my sophomore year of high school, I was assigned to read Haroun and the Sea of Stories, by Salman Rushdie. This book comes across as a high fantasy novel following the main character Haroun as he travels through a dream-like world. However, I was assigned to read with the task of analyzing all of the imagery and metaphors it contained. Once I was consciously looking for the metaphors and allegories created by Rushdie, I realized that almost every element of the story was a symbol for a real-life issue or topic. Rushdie himself was known for writing about worldly conflicts and social and political problems that affected India. I thought it was fascinating that the book could be read as basically two different stories and loved learning about the hidden meanings. It forced me to have a different perspective as I read and also educated me on some of the topics Rushdie wrote about. This book changed me as a reader because I found a new appreciation for what could be done with metaphorical and symbolic writing, along with just how nuanced it could be.
The appreciation for analyzing literature I gained by reading Haroun and the Sea of Stories, aided me in my junior year when I was assigned to annotate and compare Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation. Sinclair’s novel, published in 1906, detailed what life was like as an immigrant and the struggles families faced trying to survive. It also gave insight into what the meat packing industry was like and the hazardous conditions it created for both workers and consumers. Relatively, Fast Food Nation, was a nonfiction book that accumulated information on the fast-food industry, the effects of capitalism and consumerism, and the elements that went into the production of food. Schlosser’s work was one of the first nonfiction books I have read that really captured my attention and I can truthfully say I enjoyed it. I thought it was very well developed and the way it was formatted into sections made it easier to follow. I think the comparison between the two books changed me as a reader because I was able to see two genres, fiction and nonfiction, as similar and not mutually exclusive. I think it also prompted me to read more nonfiction pieces.
One of the final books that comes to mind when I think of literature that has changed me and helped me grow as a reader is This Savage Song, by Victoria Schwab. This book, along with its sequel, Our Dark Duet, is a favorite of mine. The plot revolves around a dystopian society struggling to survive as three species of monsters terrorize the streets. The character Kate Harker, is the daughter of a businessman who profits off of civilians trying to purchase safety. August Flynn, is one of the species of monsters being hunted and on the side of the city that is trying to overthrow Harker’s empire and make safety available to everyone. Chance brings the two together and they become unlikely allies and friends. I loved reading about their world and watching the two characters grow throughout this duology. Though there was no profound revelation gained from reading these books, it was still one of the rare times where I became very attached to the characters and highly invested in the story. This was the book that introduced me to Victoria Shwab and her writing and I have now read many of her works. I think as a reader, I never really had a favorite book or author. This series has stuck with me and I always go back to Schwab and her work.
All of the aforementioned books have greatly impacted me as a developing reader. Their influence has helped me grow into someone who seeks out books in my comfort zone but also seeks out books that will challenge me and force me to search for a deeper meaning. It is interesting to think about just how much literature can impact a person and how I will personally change as I continue to grow as a reader and writer.
The Rowan Writers 