Walking in a library, visitors will often notice the books first. For a librarian who works in a library almost every day of the week, it’s tempting to read them all. Mrs. Siegel, the library director, revealed that ever since she was a little girl, all she wanted to do was read, and so she did. Mrs. Siegel knows almost every single book featured in the school’s library and has a few she loves to reread.
“Even if I gave you my reading list you would never be able to choose my favorite book or genre,” Mrs. Siegel said. “I am an equal opportunity reader and I read a lot.” However, she can reread “Charlotte’s Web,” “ 100 Years of Solitude” and “House of Spirits” anywhere and anytime of the day.
Mrs. Siegel first read “Charlotte’s Web” when she was in second grade when introduced to it by her teacher Mrs. Dawson. Charlotte’s web is about a pig and his friend, a spider, who rescues his life. “I credit my love of reading to Mrs. Dawson,” Mrs. Siegel said, “because of her, I learned that reading is magical.”
As Mrs. Siegel grew up, she started to expand her reading genres. Maintaining her belief that reading is magic, she read “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This book’s genre is magic realism.
Last, but not least, one of her favorite books is “House of Spirits” by Isabel Allende. “House of Spirits” is a story of an unnamed Latin American country’s turbulent history. Allende’s books are a must for Mrs. Siegel; whatever Allende writes, Mrs. Siegel reads.
“I would definitely recommend these books to the students,” Mrs. Siegel said. “I think they, not just these books but books in general, show you a whole different perspective of the world.” Although Mrs. Siegel loves science fiction and romance, she can’t deny that she mostly likes to read books that feature the ‘ugly’ sides of the world, especially regarding racism and sexism. “By reading you acknowledge what goes around you,” said Mrs. Siegel said. “It’s like your eyes open to a whole new world.”
