Personal Narrative: The Shadow Children

Most people can remember their parents reading them bedtime stories as a kid, but I can’t recall if my parents did. That could be a reason as to why I was never crazy about books, and surely never wanted to read one. I eventually gave into reading and found that I loved it. My favorite book series’ to read when I was young were Captain Underpants, Goosebumps, and Shadow Children. Each book series brought out a different part of me, and introduced me to new ways of life. They sort of molded me, but I stopped reading books after the fourth grade; I just couldn’t find anything interesting. Although, I didn’t really look to read anyway, books and I just kind of drifted apart. I got back into books freshman year because Dr. Maxfield wanted our class
Due to food shortages, families were only allowed two children, anything more was forbidden. The books focus on the lives of third children. I don’t recall the books’ plots exactly, being that my memory is hazy, but I do remember how reading those books was hardly reading at all. I saw a movie in my head, and I still remember parts of the movie too, but not much. The Shadow Children was most interesting for me to read, though I never read the entire series. When I thought about science fiction, I thought about Star Wars, so I never dared to touch a science fiction book. But this series opened my eyes to science fiction and mysteries, which were the only books I bothered to read my freshman
The one that had the biggest impact was about a gay teenager getting jumped, and was nearly killed, by a bunch of skinheads. Skinheads are the opposite of a hippie, they were more rough and tough, and often shaved their heads. The story focused on the kid who got jumped and one of the skinheads, it led up to the two meeting again years later. The book is based on a true story. When two main characters met years later, they made amends, became friends, and are now sharing their story with others. This touched me because I thought what if other people, or church goers, could also be the same way? Would they actually befriend someone like me? I decided to pick up a few romance books about same-sex couples, and I fell in love with those more than anything else, though some were poorly written. I felt a connection with the characters; I understood how they felt and what they were going through. The books typically ended with happy characters, and that’s how I hoped my story would end, happy, just like them. I didn’t bring these books to school to read for SSR. I’d bring a mystery book instead because I was too scared, and too worried about what others would say and think. I’d read the other books at home instead, I’d lay on my bedroom floor. I continued reading throughout my sophomore year. I read LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, and Queer) books, science fiction, and anything I found with an interesting cover