Michelle's book is Too Many Pockets by Dorothy Levenson
by Michelle H. (mishnpow)
Like I’m sure for most of us here at PBS, my love of books began when I was a child. I don’t specifically remember learning how to read, but I can deduce that it was the year I turned six.
My mom took this picture of me that same year, and this was typical of me at that point (and really, most points) in my life; reading whenever, wherever instead of doing most anything else.
Yes, I was the kid who got in trouble at school for reading too much. As a young reader, my favorite books were old friends I liked to visit again and again. I lost this habit as I got older and realized how many books I had yet to read, and I had to choose wisely because that pesky school kept taking too much time away from my reading.
When I was in 6th grade, I altruistically volunteered to work in my school library, and, of course, was able to legitimately have time to read if all the books had been shelved by the end of the period. It was during this sanctioned down time that I started my favorite book of all time; A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle.
While as an adult I rarely reread books, I’ve reread that book a couple of times; once when I was in college, and more recently when my children were old enough to read it. Each time, by the middle of the second paragraph I felt like I had been transported back to my elementary school library. I could almost smell the books and picture where I was sitting when I started the book.
Right now, I am reading Waiting for Sunrise by Eva Marie Everson. 
It is a reminder that unless we deal with our past, we can never really leave it behind.
I’m sure people who don’t love to read have things in their lives that trigger emotions in much the same way, but for me there is nothing as powerful as a book.
