Your First Literary Crush...

So, I'm the Reading Teacher here at GVCS ACE camp. "Reading Elie Teacher" is more colloquially correct, to be exact. I have always loved reading; I can get lost for days in a story... It's hard for me to function in "real life" when I know there is another chapter waiting for me. When I was a little girl, I used to take my books into the bathroom late at night so I could read without disturbing my younger sister, with whom I've always shared a room. I remember scrunching up on the floor, reading each page like it would disappear out of my hands... and being heartbroken that the story ended, but relieved that I had finished it and could now go to bed. Sequels are the death of me, because I read the ENTIRE series all right after the others.

My classes have been reading some of my favorite books-- true classics: Anne of Green Gables, To Kill a Mockingbird, Across Five Aprils, Prometheus, Theseus and the Minotaur, Growing Up (an autobiography about childhood in the Great Depression), The White Umbrella, Young Arthur, etc.... the difficulty and length depending on the Reading Level of the class.
Sharing some of these stories was so exciting-- watching my students giggle over Jem & Scout's crazy adventures, or fall in love with a hero...

Last night, the V Class (the top of the bottom) had to write about who was their favorite hero from our readings and why. Some choose predictably-- King Arthur, Prometheus, or Russell from Growing Up. It reminded me of my first "literary crush."

My first literary crush was Gilbert Blythe. 

How could you not?! I was absolutely convinced that Gilbet was the perfect man. Each book led me to be more jealous of Anne, not really her admiring fan. 

Of course... Gilbert soon lost out to more mature literary crushes... like... *sigh* ...Darcy....

Colin Firth plays my favorite Mr. Darcy... you must  see the A&E version to truly appreciate Pride and Prejudice. The shorter one is good for the "quick fix" of Darcy, but you can't truly fall in love with him in just two hours, he requires a long relationship-- say 6 hours. :)

Darcy is just wonderful. Bingley is quality, too-- naturally! However, Jane Austen got it right with dear old Darcy.

Literature has such the amazing power to change the way we look at people. It gives a chance to recognize qualities and characteristics in both ourselves and others. I think this is the key to true "classic literature," the characters who stick with us and change our perspective. The story can be the same old story retold with more fantastic comedic lines or a more sinister villian, but if the character can grab us and teach us... then we will remember them.

I hope my students are meeting some new "literary friends." People who will be around to guide them, help them learn about right and wrong, and to teach them about the characteristics we should strive for in ourselves and appreciate in others....

So, this blog is more of a question... who was your first literary crush and why? Which great characters changed the way you looked at men/women? I've been hearing everything from Jean Valjean to Jacob Black...