Noor Adil
I still remember the first time I held a children’s fiction book in my hands. I was sitting in a classroom in New York, staring at pages filled with words I could not understand. The book felt unfamiliar and intimidating, like I had stepped into a world I did not belong in. At the time, I had no idea how powerful books could be or how much they would eventually shape who I am. This might sound crazy, but let me give you a little background so you have a better understanding of where I come from and why holding a book felt intimidating to me.
I was born in Gujarat, Pakistan, in 2000. At that time, Pakistan was very different from what we see today. Access to education—especially for girls—was very limited. In the early 2000s, the female literacy rate in Pakistan was extremely low, around 23%, and in many smaller towns it was even lower. Many families did not prioritize sending girls to school because of cultural expectations that girls would focus on household responsibilities and eventually get married. Additionally, poverty and lack of nearby schools made it even harder for girls to receive an education. Because of this environment, I did not grow up surrounded by books. The only reading I saw was an old newspaper my grandfather used to read. Books, stories, and reading for enjoyment were simply not part of my childhood. I started school at the age of four. Once I started going to school, I was only introduced to textbooks. Our classrooms did not have literature books and mostly focused on religious texts, or learning the basic alphabet. Girls and women were not exposed to literature because it was believed by the male population that women would be “westernized.” At school, there was also no culture of class reading time or teachers reading books to us.
Five years later, at age nine, I eventually moved to the US. I entered school in New York as a 4th grader, who did not know how to read and had never seen a single reading book in my life. I remember my homeroom teacher at the time asking me if I knew what my reading level was, and I had no idea what she was talking about. Looking back now, it sounds embarrassing. To evaluate my reading level, my teacher chose books with easy vocabulary from grades 1-4 and asked me to read. I turned out to be at the 2nd-grade reading level, so every week she would send me to a 2nd-grade classroom. There, I got to pick out five books, one for each school day. I had to do a book report each week, saying what the main story of the book is, what the message in the book was, and who the main character. If it were not for those book reports each week and the teacher who cared enough to give me her attention and had me speak to her about reading each week, I don't think I would be enjoying reading today. She would engage in conversation in a way that I would look forward to talking about what book I would read next.
Looking back, when I had to pick out books for myself, I remember sitting in the classroom library, carefully choosing books based on their covers because I did not yet have the confidence to choose based on content. When I came across unfamiliar words, my teacher encouraged me to write them down. Later, during our one-on-one time, she helped me understand their meanings and pronunciation. It was a little more difficult for me because the only time I spoke and read English was at school. I spoke Urdu at home. However, slowly, those unfamiliar words became part of my vocabulary. Later, I would practice saying them and get a better understanding of the vocabulary on my own time. Yes, I had a lot to do when I went home, but in the end it was all worth it.
Everything I've learnt about English, language arts, and reading was entirely at school. My family was not involved academically, and school was how I was introduced to reading. I am lucky enough to have teachers around me who cared at the time and helped me out. Everything I learned about reading and language came from school. My family was not able to support me academically, so my teachers became my guides. Over time, I began exploring different genres and discovered that I enjoyed mystery books the most. I was drawn to stories where problems were always solved by the end, which gave me a sense of clarity and satisfaction as a young reader. There was a book from a series that I liked; unfortunately, I’ve forgotten the name of it. But it was about a little girl solving a mystery around her house. One of the main reasons why I liked those series of books was that the mysteries in those books were never unresolved.
Once I outgrew mystery books, I was introduced to Shakespeare and his creative writing in high school. We would read Shakespeare and have lots to talk about. His style of writing intrigued me and made me want to read more of his masterpieces. His complex language and creative storytelling challenged me in new ways. I also read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, which showed me how powerful and emotional literature could be. Today, reading is no longer something that intimidates me. What once felt like an unfamiliar world is now a place I turn to for understanding, imagination, and growth. As an adult, I still enjoy reading and being absorbed into new worlds through literature. My journey with reading may have started later than others, and it may have been slower, but each book I conquered opened a new world I can’t wait to explore. I might have stumbled over the hard words, or I still do, but they teach me patience and understanding that, despite one’s background, reading can open up a world where anyone can feel like they belong.
