Topic: recalling the books that you read in the past?

[carmzy]

Is it possible for a 15 years old girl to remember all the books that she read  when she was  like - ahm 6 years old?

[Tatumhart]

My son is six. We read a picture book everyday and he is starting to read on his own a bit, too.

Unless we keep every book we have read and maybe as a teenager, he might find the box of children's books in the attic and then remind himself of all the books we have read...But there's no way he could recall all the books we read last week even without some help.

Or, since he will probably read his first long novel soon, I bet he will always remember what his first long chapter book was. He likes to read and that would be an accomplishment he will remember.

Oh, and as his mom, if I remembered what novels he read, and reminded him throughout his childhood, then he would be more likely to remember when he is 15. (I'm thinking, like, if he's having a hard time in school one year, I could remind him, "You are so bright. Don't you remember you read Charlotte's Web all by yourself when you were 6? And all the Magic Tree House books, too..." if that was part of my normal pep talk, it would be engrained in his memory.

Does that info work with the story you are writing?

[scribblegirl]

We kept a library/book log...just a small spiral notebook that kept track of the books read and notes beside the book titles that were the favorites for both daughters. We have about four of these. The girls like to look at them and compare notes.
My youngest requested for her 17th birthday a copy of 'The Sea-Thing Child' (Russell Hoban).  It was her first 'read all by herself' book.
My memories of reading the books with them....so sweet.....little warm bodies snugged by my side...fingers pointing at words and pictures....requests for 'just one more time'.....finishing a book by myself because they had fallen asleep...I enjoyed it as much as they did!

[Tatumhart]

I asked a 16 year old who is not a big reader today. She said she remembers Very Hungry Caterpillar and Goodnight Moon. That's all she could remember. 

[Christy]

I would doubt it. Maybe if she had a particular series. And it would depend on how many books were read to that child to. Also remember a six year old is in Kinder or first grade. So they are just learning to read.

[carmzy]

Thank you so much for the replies, blue boarders. I really appreciate it.

Ahm - well - I just want to let you know that the main character in my story read seven books when she was six years old. But then something happened to her. . . For 9 years, this girl haven't read books especially novels. So, do you think she could still remember the books that she read?

[RuthD]

That's intriguing, and I think you could certainly make it work for purposes of the story, even though it's unusual. If the books made a huge impression on her, maybe she went over and over the stories in her mind until they were saved in long-term memory.

[Tatumhart]

There is a Sunday School curriculum that my church uses that is based on research that shows that when kids have a powerful emotion connected to a memory, the memory lasts longer and is more vivid.  So at the beginning of each Bible lesson, they try to put themselves in the shoes of the Bible character and think about if he or she was scared, excited, sad, etc.  They are supposed to retain more details for longer if they combine emotion with the memory.

You can also google "memory and emotion."  There are several links about this type of research.

So, I don't know how that might work into your story, but if "something happened to her" and it was a tramatic thing, I bet she would remember the book she was reading at the time or maybe all the books sitting on the top of her bookshelf that she had read...

Sounds really interesting!  Good luck!

[Melissa K]

I can imagine that, especially if she's thought about the books a lot in the intervening years. If she really liked books as a six-year-old, and it was a big deal to read them, they might stick in her memory. And if she comforted herself through the "something" that cut her off from books by retelling the stories to herself, then sure, she might remember them for a very long time.

She might introduce some inaccuracies into her memory of the stories over time. Probably would. And those inaccuracies might be influenced by her experiences...