Summer will arrive officially at 1:15 today when school gets out. Over the last year, my older two children have turned into voracious readers. Hadley loves reading too, and I am lucky that she still fits on my lap to cuddle up to read aloud. One of my favorite outings as a child was to the library, and my kids love doing the same. Reading is what we do as family, eagerly and often. We read big books aloud, like Charlotte’s Web and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and we always, always read before bedtime. From cardboard versions of Goodnight Moon to our favorite hardback titles like Snowflake Bentley, Tuttle’s Red Barn, and Winter’s Tale, we always manage to find a good story to end the day with.
If you are a parent of an avid reader, you also know how hard it can be to keep the engaging books coming. I thought I might share what my older two have read recently as well as where I’ve found some great book ideas. I would love your suggestions too, as would my little readers, so please feel free to comment. Whether your children are on the beach, poolside, or having down time at home, I hope they savor the gift of reading!
WHITNEY is 9 1/2, and currently has these books on her nightstand:
–The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (read review: http://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Benedict-Society-Trenton-Stewart/dp/0316003956/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339766720&sr=1-1).
–The Candymakers by Wendy Mass (read review: http://www.amazon.com/The-Candymakers-Wendy-Mass/dp/0316002593/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339766831&sr=1-1).
–Wonder by R.J. Palacio (read review: http://www.amazon.com/Wonder-R-J-Palacio/dp/0375869026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339766442&sr=8-1). She CANNOT put this down. It is a touching story about a boy who is born with a deformed face and how he perseveres.
TOM is 7 1/2, and is a bit more challenging. Here is what he is reading:
–The Year Of The Dog by Grace Lin. (read review: http://www.amazon.com/The-Year-Dog-Grace-Lin/dp/031606002X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339767486&sr=1-1). Grace Lin is a fabulous writer, and even though the characters are girls, Tom loves this story. Next on his list will be Where the Mountains Meet The Moon, which she also wrote. Whitney still says this is one of her favorite books ever.
–The Invention of Hugo Cabret (read review: http://www.amazon.com/Invention-Hugo-Cabret-Brian-Selznick/dp/0439813786/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339767678&sr=1-1).
Resources I’ve Used:
Caldecott Medal Website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal
Newberry Medal Website: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberymedal
Greenwich Public Schools put out this helpful document: http://flash-pub.com/pub/ebooks/70b146280f/index.php#/0
Andover Public Schools created a series of boards on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/andoverreads/ If you have an account, you can check it out!
Happy Reading!
