Hello everyone,

I hope that all of you have been enjoying this fabulous new year! I know that it has been quite a while, since I last posted something. That being said, today I thought I would share with you, some of my favorite childhood books.

I can think of a variety of childhood books, those that have forever remained in my long term memory. They include several genres within both fiction, and non-fiction. The book that has been lovingly tattooed in my brain, is that of the "Ugly Duckling," translated in a castellan version from Spain. It was written by Hans Christian Andersen. My mom would read it to me every night, before I would go to sleep. I remember reading several chapter books. For example: "The Boxcar Children," written by Gertrude Chandler Warner, and "Ramona Quimby," written by Beverly Cleary. I absolutely love mysteries, and without a doubt, the characters of the Boxcar Children's books, sparked the art of deduction within me. This later lead me to reading "Sherlock Holmes" books, by Arthur Conan Doyle. Books written by Beverly Cleary caught my eye, because Ramona was simply human, entertaining, and stimulating to my adventurous imagination. I started reading and writing in both English and in Spanish, at the age of 3. I would read all sorts of literature. It was especially delightful to read traditional literature, which a number of those books originated from other countries. My repertoire included fantasy, folktales, and fables. I was always enamored by the moral lesson of each story. I remember going through a Shakespearean phase, during my wonder years of elementary school. I was fascinated by all the poetic romantic nuances, found in his Book of Sonnets. There was also a time where I picked up the "Webster's Dictionary," and read it for months, just for fun. In addition, I was completely hooked on informational books, especially those that included an ample amount of facts, and simultaneously fed my curiosity. At one point, I felt that those informational books did not have enough substance in them. Therefore my parents bought me two whole sets of encyclopedias.  These sets being: The Children's Encyclopedia, and The Encyclopedia Britannica. I was constantly doing research projects, for my own personal pleasure. Lastly, the book that I enjoyed the most in my childhood, and till this day, is the Bible. It never gets old, or out of style. There is always something enlightening to learn from the Bible.

Keeping you in mind,

Evelyn Portillo