Girlshelpgirls AdviceBlog #1: "Feeling Childish Over What I Read"

"Hi, I have a story to tell, I hope it isn't too long. I'm almost in high school and I still read books that are meant for people who are 8-13. Those books are funny and I like reading stories about school, friendship and relatable moments. Most of my classmates read books that are ideal for their age which contains romance, dark topics and other stuff. When someone asks me what I like to read, I either have to lie or don't say it due to insecurity. People will think that I read kid-books just because I can't speak the language in my country well or they will think that I'm childish and too sensitive for romance etc. Since I was a little girl, I had to know 2 separate languages: German (spoken in the country) and Turkish (my homeland language). I understand what they mean, but I can't speak fast. In elementary school we had a little library where we could borrow books. My teacher had to make a list of kids and what they read. Almost all of my classmates bought thick (lots of pages) books with fantasy themes (monsters, magic etc.). I borrowed books that had 30-90 pages with drawings and I enjoyed reading those. One day one of my classmates gossiped about the little amount of the pages of my books. It made me a bit insecure. Now I'm not the best at selecting books, but I try to read things that girls at my age read... Thanks for reading."

It sounds like you feel insecure about what you read! And I see that you still do, which makes me sad. I sort of relate to feeling insecure about what you read, and I think most of us who follow this account can relate to that, and some may even relate to feeling insecure about your language progress.

You should feel proud of yourself for being bilingual. You may not be fluent yet, or you may have trouble speaking the language like others do, but being bilingual is a talent that's often overlooked. You should appreciate yourself more in that regard. People judge you because they only see you at surface level, but they don't see your struggles and accomplishments to learn another language at such a young age.

It's okay to be childish, I'm 18 and while I try to read "thought-provoking" content, my personal shelf is mostly filled with graphic novels and manga now! While it's good that you are venturing out and trying to read other genres, you shouldn't be doing it "just because other girls are". I want to say "who cares what you read just keep reading what you like!" But that doesn't come from me, that comes from a journey of achieving self confidence. The next time someone asks what you read try telling them! It honestly won't matter in a couple of years. I hope you take my advice and I also hope it helps.

-Rose 🌹