When I was about nine years old, my grandmother bought a set of classic books for me. One of these special books caught my attention. The Call of the Wild by Jack London seemed, to me, to call upon my imagination. I had always loved the wilderness; I realized that as I grow older, my desire to explore the wilderness grows as well.

In the story, a young dog is kidnapped and taken to Alaska, and taught to be a sled dog. Then, after proving his loyalty to his former masters by fighting men and beasts, he escapes into the wild. Although I did not understand some parts of the book seeing how I was nine years old, the setting and action proved to be exciting, and so I ended up reading this book many times. The thought of a wild dog in the Alaskan wilderness going back home captivated me.

The story was adventurous and compelling, which is why I believe it caught my interest as I was growing up and developed my curiosity to explore.