How Charlotte Doyle Changed My Life

When I think of books that have the power change peoples life there are a few influential books that come to mind. These are classics such as, To Kill a Mocking Bird, The Grapes of Wrath, or Tom Sawyer. These are books that have inspired and enthralled audiences for decades, and who would blame them for it? Who wouldn't be roused by Atticus Finch's final summation, or had mischievous thoughts after reading the antics of Tom Saywer? Though I love these classics, the book that has been most influential my life is a children's novel, The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. The first time I heard Charlottes story was when I was in the third grade, where my teacher took 15-20 minutes everyday to read to us. Before that point I had never (to my recollection) read a novel before. I was enthralled. With every plot twist and development I became more connected to Charlotte Doyle and the crew of the Seahawk. As soon as she finished reading us the book I went and checked it out of the library and reread it on my own, and that was the beginning of it all. Then followed the next 14 years of my life to this point filled with reading. The ideas weren't earthshaking and the plot wasn't anything more than simple but it sparked a desire in me to read. Most of the positive aspects of my life have been at least partially influenced by my love to read. So of all the literary classics that I now read and study it was Charlotte Doyle helped me foster a love for reading that has changed my life forever.