1. To Elizabeth Buchanan 12/17/13

2. My Reading Experience Books have always been a big part of my life. I moved to Florida when I was four years old. One of the first things I did when I got here was get a library card. I have always been an above average reader. Reading was my passion. I didn’t make friends well when I was younger so reading was my escape from the world. I like reading fiction stories over nonfiction. I love the books that I get so attached to that I simply cannot put it down. When a book is over and I feel like I lost a piece of me, I know it was a great book.

3. The Fault in Our Stars By John Green Hazel Grace meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group. Hazel was weak all the time from her cancer but she still found time to love Augustus. The whole book was an emotional rollercoaster. You never knew what would happen next. The two cancer patients went on many adventures together. They went to Germany to meet an author. They continued their adventures and irony the whole story. Soon the cancer takes one’s life away, but they loved each other until the end. This book taught me that no matter what happens you should never give up. Endings are supposed to give you closure but this one never did. I cried in the end but I still loved the book. This book also taught me that love can be found anywhere.

4. HARRY POTTER BY JK ROWLING The wizarding world has a new hero. Unfortunately this hero has no idea the wizarding world exists. Harry Potter was thrown into the wizarding world at 13. He is now subjected to fame and popularity. He has no idea what to do. Luckily he meets two other 13 year old wizards, the brilliant Hermione Granger and his new best friend Ron Weasley. The series is build off of these friendships and all the mischief that the boy hero gets involved in. Voldemort is always trying to destroy the only person who can beat him. Harry and his friends must defeat him and survive their years at school. This series taught me that no matter your age you can achieve something. Your age doesn’t define you. This series that always taught me that no matter what is going on you can always depend on your friends.

5. UNLOCKED By Karen Kingsbury This is a story about an autistic boy named Holden. He was diagnosed with autism at a young age after multiple shots on one day. His best friend was a girl named Ella. Her parents kept her away from Holden after his diagnosis. This story takes place when Holden and Ella are in high school. Jake is Ella’s boyfriend and he is one of the jocks that picks on Holden often. Holden communicates with cards. He hears music in his mind and always tries to avoid the drums by doing push-ups. He is passionate about music and Ella tries to give him a chance. She tries to get him involved in the school play. The story follows his improvements and downfalls throughout the year’s duration. This story showed me my love for autistic children. I was impassioned to help these kids. I now want to become a teacher for ESE children and this book influenced the decision.