Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Susan Patron
Susan Patron was very shy when she was a child. It wasn't that she didn't like being around people. It was finding words to say that caused her the most trouble. It was hard for her to find the right words to describe how she was feeling or what she was thinking. So, she just kept quiet.
Susan grew up as the middle child in a family with three girls. The fourth grade changed her life forever. Her teacher read Charlotte's Web aloud to the class. In the scene where Charlotte died, Susan felt like she was sharing a special moment with everyone involved. She felt connected to her teacher, to the author of the book, and to all of the kids in her class. Susan was impressed by the power of the words in the book. She wanted to be able to do that. That was the moment she decided to become a writer. Later, the librarian brought an armload of books to her class. Susan wasn't much of a reader at the time. The librarian's visit changed that. The librarian came into her classroom to talk about books. Susan was fascinated with her. The librarian held the books tightly, almost like she was hugging them. She smoothed the jackets of the books. She stroked them and ran her fingers over their pages. Susan had never seen anyone treat a book in such a loving manner. She went to the library after school that day and fell in love with reading almost instantly.
