Swimming through stories -- an intern guest post

While many college students used the month of January to revel in the winter break between semesters, we at Scholastic got lucky with the arrival of Trista Wesley, our full-time intern for the month. Trista has spent Monday through Friday with us since the first of the year, and sadly, today is her last day. But! She’s certainly left her mark here, and below, she tells us about her interning experience. Thanks and best of luck, Trista!

Humans are storytellers by nature. We all have something to share, something to offer, something we want to tell others. It’s how we build connections with people and discover new things. This year, my internship experience has been about much more than just fulfilling a graduation requirement. It’s been about exploring my interests and finding a link between my past and my future; stories. My experience at Scholastic has definitely proved to be a really exciting chapter in my own story.

Over the past month, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to where I’ll end up and what I’ll be doing after graduation. After all, May is only a few short months away. (Eek!) I’ve been talking to the fabulous OOM bloggers though, and it seems like it’s okay not to know exactly where my career path will take me. Instead of dwelling on the future of my story, I’ve been thinking most about books and the storytellers whose stories I’ve enjoyed most. After all, stepping into a building filled with images of Clifford the Big Red Dog and Ms. Frizzle has left my mind flooded with fond memories of my childhood. What’s more, Harry Potter paraphernalia scattered around the building has filled me with warm, fuzzy feelings as well. Who could forget the buzz around school and the long book talks with friends when a new Harry Potter book came out?

Reading gives me the chance to dive into someone else’s world and float through their pages for a while. Since I’m not sure where my own story is going, I like to spend time in other people’s stories…and these are my favorites:

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: As a true hopeless romantic, it’s no wonder that I love to sink into this book. I love the era in which she writes and the exciting balls and outings her characters attend. Elizabeth’s spunky personality always keeps me entertained as well. If I could dive into Austen’s pages, I’m sure Elizabeth and I would be great friends! (Pride and Prejudice is a global favorite, according to You Are What You Read. It's one of the top 20 most listed books in people's Bookprints!)

Betty Macdonald’s Mrs. Piggle Wiggle: Okay, so I haven’t re-read this in a long time, but I could have used some tips from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle for some of my past baby-sitting experiences. I still remember reading this series in third grade and thinking how funny and clever she was. Who else remembers the radish cure?

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter: Seriously- who wouldn’t want to spend a year at Hogwarts? The castle itself is filled with so much magic and mystery, I’d spend days just exploring the grounds! Of course, I’d also have to catch a game of Quidditch or two. (Yep, Harry made You Are What You Read's most listed books as well!)

Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time: Fantastical, imaginary worlds and creatures have always kept my interest, and this was the book that triggered my love for reading. All of the mystery, creativity, and imagination that L’Engle packed into her novel pushed me to read more. I’d swim laps through the pages of the entire series if I could. I want to travel through time too! (Wow -- this book is in the most listed, too.)



I might not know where my own story is going, but that’s all right. For now, I’ll keep soaking up other people’s stories. So tell us, OOM readers, whose stories would you dive into?

image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Mapping my book DNA
* Stranded with books!
* Immortal books