1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?
I honestly can't remember. I remember getting gold stars in kindergarten during reading time though.
2. Did you own any books as a child? If so, what’s the first one that you remember owning? If not, do you recall any of the first titles that you borrowed from the library?
I had the usual Doctor Seuss books and books in the same format. The three I specifically remember were "Are you my mommy" (Not Dr. Seuss), "Cat in the Hat", and a Woodsy Owl book that I had my mom read me practically every night before bed until I was like 18 (kidding). The lead human character in that Woodsy Owl book looked just like Fred from Scooby Doo, except he was part of a group of friends out riding motorcycles in the woods.
3. What’s the first book that you bought with your own money?
Not a clue here. I probably actually bought a GI Joe comic with my own money before I actually bought a book. However, I might have bought something at the school book fairs.
4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, which book did you re-read most often?
I really don't remember actually sitting down and really reading a good book until I was in 4th grade. I pulled a Hardy Boys book off the classroom bookshelf and I haven't stopped reading since. After that, I pretty much had a novel with me at all times.
5. What’s the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?
Do the Hardy Boys novels count as "adult books"? That's probably it. I was in 4th grade. After that, I was reading whatever looked interesting. Maybe Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn... I know I had to read those in school at one point and really enjoyed them.
6. Are there children’s books that you passed by as a child that you have learned to love as an adult? Which ones?
I know there are a ton of books that many people read when they were kids that I have never read. The Anne of Green Gables books that my wife loves, for instance. The Wizard of Oz. Some of the other "classic" childrens books.
I've found lately that many books marketed as "YA" or "Young Adult" are just as good as mainstream "adult" books.
