Wednesday, October 13, 2010

"Take a look, it's in a book, it's..."

As part of her first grade homework, Kari is supposed to be reading aloud 15-20 minutes a day. She is really taking off in her reading and is quickly going through the books we have at home, so we've been trying to make it to the library each week once again (Grant threw a hitch in our library routine for a while). I love to read and want to foster a love for books and reading in my kids, so we go to the library often. I like to go online and reserve quality children's books (books I enjoyed as a kid, Caldecott award winners, etc.) so that I end up with some really good books along with the not so good ones or boring (to me) character books (Disney princess, Dora, Power Ranger...) that the kids seem to be drawn to. Every so often, though, we stumble upon a delightful book in our library bag, a great story that I have not hand-picked but would have if I'd known about it. Our most recent such discovery is That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell. Such a cute story. We've read it over and over again. It's Aubrey's favorite right now, maybe because it's about a little girl and her used-to-be-pink-but-is-now-grey bunny. (Anyone seen Aubrey's Bunny lately? It's not looking so good.) I love it when kids are totally engaged in a book, laugh with delight while reading, and go around quoting lines from a story. It makes me smile when I hear Kari laughing as she's reading in her room. I can't wait until she can read "chapter" books, and I will get to share some of my favorites from when I was younger. I have a whole box waiting for her up in the rafters.

Anyone have a favorite children's book or author for us to check out at the library? I'm always on the look-out for new ones!

3 comments:

Jenne said...

Though they are long, we love Bill Pete (Peat?) books, and Robert Munsch is a HUGE favorite as well.

I have decided I will no longer read character books to the boys. They have absolutely no redeeming literary value (and I tell them that as my reason). They can look at the pictures all they want and when they can read for themselves, have at it. But there are too many wonderful books out there and too few hours in the week for mom to read to the kids. So I pulled the "mean mom" card on that one. (And I don't even feel bad about it. Shame on me.) I don't know what girly character books are like, but Power Rangers are atrocious, as are Bakugons and all other toy-inspired books. Blech. Disney re-telling of movies is painful, too, except the old classics.

Ok. Off my soap box now.

Wilson Family said...

I LOVE the "Seven Silly Eaters" can't think of the author right now, but its a good one.

Greg and Andrea said...

Thanks, ladies! Bill Peet is new to us, and I have heard about Seven Silly Eaters but never read it. I'll look them up.