Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?

Oh, this one’s easy. I adored my Trixie Belden collection—I tore through those mysteries like they were chocolate truffles. But if we’re talking about one book that left a mark? That would be Watership Down.

I was in fourth grade, minding my own business in the school library, when that big, bunny-filled adventure practically leapt off the shelf into my hands. I checked it out… and, well… I never checked it back in. Yep, I became an unintentional literary outlaw at age nine. That book sat on my nightstand for years, its cover worn and pages slightly crinkled from my endless rereads. And no, I don’t regret it. Those rabbits became my friends, my heroes, and—let’s be honest—my first brush with epic storytelling that didn’t involve princesses or fairy godmothers.

The truth is, I’ve always had an absolute love of reading. As a kid, the worst punishment possible would be to take my books away. When my daddy built our new home, he even made my bed into a little reading nook just for me. I lived for that space. For all the things my mother did wrong, she gave me that love of books—and I’m grateful. Honestly, I think it was in my blood. My Gramma and Grampa (her parents) were always reading, too.

When my boys were little, I made sure that love of reading was passed on. Every single night, I’d read to them. When Harry Potter first came out, I decided it would be our bedtime book. Jarrett was still a little young to follow every twist, but he loved it anyway. Jake was about five and soaked up every single word, especially since I read with full animation like I was auditioning for the audiobook. At the end of each chapter (we did one a night), I’d turn the page, read the first paragraph of the next chapter… then snap the book shut. Oh, the dramatic groans I got! But you know what? They were always more than ready for bed the next night to find out what happened next.

Some kids had Charlotte’s Web. I had a band of rebel rabbits, a reading nook, and a family tradition of falling asleep to the sound of a good story.

XOXO, Jani

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