FreshTalkingKids

I just got a new book from one of my favorite authors.  When I finished reading it, my dad commented (once again!) on the way I read books.  It is kind of complicated but I’ve found it’s the best way for me to fully enjoy a book:

First (after gazing lovingly at it and reading the back cover several times), I read it all the way through.  I don’t take my time looking at every single word, because I’m just reading it for the plot.  I go all the way to the end, fast, and then…

I flip to my favorite parts, and reread.  Now I soak up every little detail, noticing how the author writes, getting a sense of the characters.  And when I’ve finished reading all of my favorite parts, I flip to my least favorite parts, and reread those, too.

If I still like the book, I do what I call “backwards reading”.  That means flipping to a favorite part of the book, reading from there to the end, and then going back to the beginning and reading until I get to where I started.  Reading the book in that out-of-order way helps me to read without being distracted by the plot. I can focus my attention on the author’s writing style instead.

Then I reread the book from start to finish one more time.  By now, I know exactly what’s going to happen. I know the characters almost like a member of my family, and I can tell you which characters are at which setting at different times in the book. When I read it for the first time, I felt like a newcomer entering the book’s world. But now, rereading again, I feel like the book is a close friend who I’m seeing. It’s a completely different experience than before.

Finally, I just sit and think about the book.  I feel like I journeyed with the characters, experienced the setting, and lived the plot.  It’s fun to just let myself think over what was in the book. Sometimes I imagine what would happen if I were in that world, and sometimes I learn from the author’s writing.

My way of reading is kind of complicated (and it takes a while) but it works for me.  It helps me really understand books, and feel like I get a lot out of reading them.