The importance of reading to children.

The importance of reading to children.

When it comes to favorite childhood memories, one of the most potent for children is that of time spent with parents doing an activity that both enjoyed, such as gardening, playing a favorite sport, or enjoying a common hobby such as putting together a puzzle or playing an instrument. My favorite memories of childhood are the times I spent listening to my mom and dad read stories to us children. My parents often took turns reading stories depending on the content, epic stories like “A Wrinkle in Time” and “The Minute Boys of Lexington” fell to dad. My dad was a man always willing to read the occasional extra chapter when the tension grew too much after the customary nightly chapter had concluded. Mom read the calmer books, with relatable heroes and heroines, such as Laura in “Little House in the Big Woods” and Pippi in “Pippi Longstocking." I loved all stories, since it always meant listening to the sound of my parents’ voices as they wove the words together to create perfect mental images that still exist in my mind today. Every one of these stories came alive for my siblings and me through the voices of my parents.

Only now do I understand the important role that such stories played in the building of relationships between my parents, siblings and myself. For most parents, story reading is something done to coax the unruly child into bed, to calm them down after a long busy day, or to reward them for their good behavior. I do not know many parents who understand the value that this most wonderful of nighttime rituals has for their children. As one child who grew up with this most wonderful of gifts, I never cease to thank my parents for the wonderful gift of reading and love for stories.

What stories do is bring people together, enable them to experience something at the same time, create a memory, and feel connected, in a way that other activities cannot do as well. While playing a board game with the family is an excellent and worthy way to spend time as a family, reading stories does something more, and it forces children to use their imagination, challenge preconceived notions, and makeup their own minds about why certain things are or should be. Who has ever read Huckleberry Finn and not felt the anguish of Huck’s decision to protect his friend Jim from being sent back into slavery? The story may be intense, but what parents does not have the right to speak to their child about the vital importance of making decisions and living with the consequences, or the reason for abolishing slavery? Such issues can be hard for people to speak about, so for many parents, books can be a welcome means of letting their children know about issues going on in the world, ad answering questions that may come up.

The time I spend reading books to children is time I consider well spent, especially if the book makes a point that I want to resonate with the children, even if they do not understand the point at their young age. Story time is not just for the young, who does not enjoy a good story, and are not books on CD just a new method of listening to the words of the author?
Parents, if there is one activity I can encourage you to make an important part of raising your children, it is spending time reading to them, not only will you be establishing a love of reading and stories in their lives, you will be shaping memories that will last for decades. As someone who works in a bookstore, I never cease to smile when a person, no matter what age, pick up a book with a glow of delight on their face when they exclaim “I loved this book as a kid!”

You know that old story about teaching a man to fish versus giving a man a fish? The same does not apply to books, whether teaching a child to read, or reading to them, each is a gift beyond measure!

A Book worth reading: Thank You for Arguing: By Jay Heinrichs

 There are several reasons for reading a book, pleasure, business, the need to know or learn something, or because it helps the reader in some way (i.e. reading to children to keep them entertained). None of these methods are bad, and each in its own way can prove beneficial for the person depending on the ends they hope to achieve through the reading of that book. For example, a book in a fiction series is for pleasure, a means of escape for the reader, or a way to kill time till their next assignment in their daily tasks. In areas of business such as mine (children’s department at Barnes & Noble) I am able to combine two fields, pleasure in reading a good book, and getting to know the merchandise in order to better serve customer needs. Now and then, however, a book comes along that changes the reader makes them more than they were before, by adding to either their knowledge or skill set. Books that add to the knowledge of an individual are excellent, but a book that changes a persons whole way of thinking is something rare, since it takes the power of words to a level beyond mere understanding. Such was the case when I picked up the book “Thank You for Arguing." To put it simply, this is a book about the art of rhetoric. For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to public speaking, and in particular, arguing. Thousands of years ago, rhetoric was an art form practiced by the wise and great men of the world, used to craft an argument and change their opponents mind. It was a skill without which no educated person would have wanted to be. Unfortunately, this is a skill no longer taught, outside of debate clubs, to the general public.

Today’s society believes that arguing is done on the points method, whoever scores the most points wins, and; therefore, the other person loses or is deemed “wrong." This assumption is wrong, for the main reason that according to this book, I learned that the purpose of arguing is to persuade the other person or persons that their idea or opinion is incorrect. What the author explains throughout this book is the power of a well crafted argument, and the difference between an argument and a fight. The process of winning someone to your way of thinking is not new, but the method of doing so as described in this book are. While the author never tries to reaffirm his reasons for making statements like “Ask yourself what you want at the end of an argument.” While not profound, this was a point that hit home with me, since I rarely, if ever, know what I want the result of an argument to be, I only want to win, and have the other person acknowledge my victory, no matter how small. How small a point, and yet how amazing, since from this point on, I almost never encountered an individual without first determining what I wanted the result of our communication to be, even if I was not going to start an “argument." By carefully crafting my reasons for talking with someone (offering assistance, getting to know them better, point out an error etc…) I was able to set guidelines in my mind that enabled me both control over the conversation and its outcome. By going into a situation where I know the argument is going to occur, I am able to prepare my defense or offense accordingly. I do not need to win an argument, since reading this book; my method has become more like persuasion. 

Persuasion is a gentle pulling on a person’s resolve, like a sticker that has been on a hard surface too long; a determined pull in the right area will offer the puller the greatest success in removing the sticker. A judgmental or angry shouting match, on the other hand, will be equivalent to a hard tug on the sticker, causing it to tear and become even harder to remove. Hard words only cause the person being spoken to hang on to their resolve even more firmly. In conclusion, I believe that although rhetoric is no longer taught with the importance of math or literature, I believe that it is a skill vital for all individuals to master, and for those unfamiliar with the concept, or just interested in learning how to be more persuasive, this is most certainly the book for you. 

Reference:

Heinrichs, J. (2007)Thank You For Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson can Teach us about the Art of Arguing. Random House Inc: New York

Classic Stories for Boys

Classic stories for boys.

I work in the children’s department at a local bookstore, and I am often approached by hopeful but often clueless parents asking “would my son like this book?” this is a question that I have no answer for, having probably never met the son, and knowing nothing about him (age, interests etc…) . This being said, I have certain expectations when it comes to picking out books for boys.

Age: much of book choice comes down to age, please don’t tell me what reading level your child should be at, and do NOT tell me that your child is exceptional for their age or reading level since this tells me absolutely nothing! What I am able to determine by age is what books may be too old or young to recommend, regardless of topic of genre.

 

Interest: please parents, it does neither yourself or your child any good to say that you would like your child to start reading XYZ topics, if you as the parent are unable to stimulate their interest, I will probably have even less success. If you do not know what kind of books your child likes to read, ask them, or better yet, ask them to make a list of the last five books they read that they really liked, if I know the books I am better able to help you select a few possibilities.

Within the wide world of reading material for boys, there is something for everyone, no matter what age or interest. I often will take the time to read during my break to find out what the new books are about, but this does not mean that I will recommend them. I have my own personal favorites, just like everyone else, and I will always recommend books that I feel are well written and appropriate for the person in question.

The following lists are books that I have read, and recommend; however, please do not think this is an exclusive list, since there are always many books that I leave out of posts that are also good, and many books that highly conservative people may find inappropriate for children of a certain age or mindset.

Action:

Kidnapped: R.L. Stevenson

The Lost World: A.C. Doyle

20,000 Leagues under the Sea: J. Verne

With Lee in Virginia: G.A. Henty

The Kingdom Series: C. Black

Drama:

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of N.I.M.H.: R.C. O’Brian

Masterpiece: E. Broach

The Thief Lord: C. Funke  

The Borrowers: Mary Norton

Good Old Fashioned Fun:

Henry Reed Inc: K. Robertson

Henry Reed’s Journey: K. Robertson

Henry Huggins: B. Cleary

The Complete Adventures of Homer Price: R. McCloskey

The View from Saturday: E.L. Konigsburg

 

Fantasy:

The Princess and Curdie: G. Macdonald

A Wrinkle in Time: M. L’Engle

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis

The Horse and his Boy: C.S. Lewis

As a girl I have little interest in sports, so I was unable to recommend any such books here. With regards to nonfiction, too much depends on the needs of the individual, there are many good historical biographies out at the moment written specifically for children, and an abundance of books on every topic under the sun at bookstores all over the USA, so I decided to not mention them here. The above mentioned books are good for either reading out loud during bed time or by one’s self depending on age and interest.

Betsy-Tacy: a Classic Series

Betsy-Tacy: a Classic Series

Many girls who grow up loving books have heard of all the all the classics, Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, Anne of Green Gables, etc… but few have heard of Betsy-Tacy, a series of stories about a little girl named Betsy Ray and her best friend Tacy Kelly. Written around the 1940s by author Maud Hart Lovelace, this series begins with a five year old Betsy meeting, and becoming friends with the five year old Tacy, the series goes on through the years ending with Betsy’s wedding. Although not as popular as other series for younger girls such as Little Women or Anne of Green Gables, this series has gained a rather large following over the years and remained in print ever since the initial publishing in 1940.

 There is even a Betsy-Tacy Society in Mankato Minnesota where the books are said to be about and the author spent many of her growing up years. A surprising number of people begin reading this series at an older age, since it is not necessarily a series carried by local bookstores and libraries, but upon learning about and reading the first few, often become lifelong fans. There are three other books that are considered deep valley books, but because the main character is not Betsy, they are often not considered part of the series. These books are, Winona’s Pony Cart, Emily of Deep Valley, and Carney’s House Party. Each book takes place in the same town and with many of the same characters, but with a different feel and atmosphere than those of the Betsy-Tacy books.  I would recommend the Betsy-Tacy books to anyone who had read and enjoyed Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

 My personal favorite of the many books by Maud Hart Lovelace is Carney’s House Party, since she is the character I feel to be the most relatable. Carney is a young lady in the middle of her college education at the beginning of this story, and although she is mentioned frequently in many of the Betsy-Tacy books, it is only here in her own story that we the readers can get a real sense of what she is thinking and feeling. Betsy is a charming girl with many thoughts and opinions, but she is somewhat silly at times and I feel that her enthusiasm often outweighs her sense in making a decision, which is not a character flaw to be found in Carney.

There are ten books in the Betsy-Tacy series and three other books that can be read either on their own or as part of the series which I will list below:

The Betsy-Tacy Books

Betsy-Tacy (1940)

Betsy-Tacy and Tib (1941)

Betsy and Tacy go over the Big Hill (1942)

Betsy and Tacy go Downtown (1943)

Heaven to Betsy (1945)

Betsy in Spite of Herself (1946)

Betsy was a Junior (1947)

Betsy and Joe (1948)

Betsy and the Great World (1952)

Betsy’s Wedding (1955)

The Deep Valley Books

Winona’s Pony Cart (1953)

Carney’s House Party (1949)

Emily of Deep Valley (1950)

The Importance of Picture Books

Children’s books have come a long way over the past 200 years, from poems to picture books, and everything in between, there are books for almost every taste and style preference. I believe that children’s picture books play a vital role in the development of reading and book appreciation. Without pictures to spark interest, or words to help us build mental pictures, we miss out on one of the greatest pleasures in life, building memories! I remember reading with my parents as a child, both picture and story books.

  These images make up some of my fondest memories, from sitting with my dad learning about the American Revolution, to reading my first book out loud on my own. A picture book is more than the sum of its parts, more than just amusing words and charming illustrations; it is a means for readers to connect, for parents to bond with their children, and for people to spend time together. One of my favorite activities at work is listening to story time at our local bookstore. I have been the reader on an earlier occasion, and there is nothing quite like reading a book and watching children and parents alike get drawn into the narrative. Some books cause us to think, others allow us to stop thinking, but for many, the purpose of a book is escapism.

 Books give us a means of building, and changing our minds. Unlike movies, which enable children to repeat lines but rarely build upon them, books give children the mental building blocks they need to spark their imagination. Who does not remember playing Princess with their dolls, or Trains in the living room? True, many children do not need to read in order to imagine other worlds, but the special link formed between parents who read to their children, and how those children perceive books as they grow towards adulthood cannot be overestimated. What child does not love the prospect of spending time listening to the sound of someone they love as they read about other places and characters? I encourage parents everywhere to try and take the time to read to their children, it is an investment you will never regret!

Picture Books for Anyone and Everyone:

Paddington Bear: by Michael Bond & Fred Banbery

Anything by Sandra Boynton                

The fantastic flying books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: by William Joyce

This is not my Hat: by Jon Klassen

Anything by Dr. Seuss

The Giving Tree: by Shel Silverstein

Eloise at the Plaza: by Kay Thompson

Hooray for Amanda & her alligator!: by Mo Willems

Knuffle Bunny:  by Mo Willems (3 books in the series)

The Velveteen Rabbit: by Margery Williams

Recommending a Good Book for Children

Everyone has different definition of what makes a children’s book worth reading, for some, it is the number of copies that were sold during its initial publication, for others it is the number of years the book has been around, and for still others, it is simply remembering the book from childhood. When it comes to children’s books, my thoughts are simple: you are never too old to read children’s books, and there is nothing like recommending a good book.

Children’s books have come a long way over the past 200 years. There are classics, series, fiction, non-fiction, bestsellers, and long forgotten favorites. Children’s books come in a variety of themes as well, from mystery and detective fiction, to fantasy and historical fiction. There are countless options when it comes to choosing a book for children, and I think it is impossible to ever run out of choices, so the best place to start is with the child. Choosing the right book means knowing the audience. Asking questions can help narrow down the options and make choosing the right book easier. Some questions to start with are:

·         Is this book for a specific child or a group?

·         What age?

·         Male or Female? (Some books work well for both boys and girls, while others are more gender oriented, like “Little Women” is better suited for girls and the “Tom Swift” series is better suited for boys.)

·         Is this book for school or fun? (Books for school should be easy to write about, and interesting, with identifiable characters and themes, like “Masterpiece”.)

·         Will the book be read out loud or silently, by you or the child? (Some books are better for reading out loud than others, for example, “Watership Down” has many hard to pronounce words which may make reading out loud a little more complicated.)

·         How much time does the reader have? (If the book is for school, determine how much time the reader has, since longer books will only make school assignments more challenging.)

·         Does the reader prefer a specific type of book? (Some readers like lots of action, while others like simple plots with lots of dialogue.)

When it comes to picking a children’s book, there are almost no wrong answers, just some answers that are better than others; so the next time you are thinking about helping a child chose a book to read, consider some of these questions, hopefully you will have helped the child or children chose a book that will both stimulate the imagination and make reading fun!

If at this point you are still having trouble thinking of some books to recommend, I have listed below some books that I consider appropriate for almost any age, for both boys and girls.

Books about animals:

·         Black Beauty: Anna Sewell

·         Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH: Robert C.O'Brian

·         Masterpiece: Elise Broach

·         Trumpet of the Swan: E.B. White

·         Watership Down: Richard Adams

Books in a series:

·         The Borrowers: Mary Norton

·         Ramona Quimby: Beverly Cleary

·         The Chronicles of Narnia: C.S.Lewis

·         Little House on the Prairie: Laura Wilder

·         Henry Reed: Keith Robertson

·         The Great Brain: J.D.Fitzgerald

 Books about boys and girls growing up:

•   Chasing Redbird: Sharon Creech
•    The View from Saturday: E.L. Konigsburg
• From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler: E.L. Konigsburg
• Ella Enchanted: Gail Levine
• The Secret life of Ms. Finkleman: Ben Winters

For me, there are few things more exciting than helping someone chose a book to read. Reading is about more than just spending time, or getting a school assignment done, it is a means of expanding the mind, and growing as a person.

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”  - Dr. Seuss, "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!"

Recipe for a Comfortable Afternoon

 This Blog is dedicated to my wonderful amazing mother, who has taught me everything I know, not the least of which being the importance of a good cup of tea and a love for all things Austen! Without her I would not be the person I am today, I love you mom, the following recipe is dedicated to you!

1.       Ambiance

Nothing says comfort like a good space. To find that perfect space, choose a room that is clean and tidy; some work may have to be done first so don’t be afraid to break out the vacuum and dust cloth! Once the space is clean and you have a comfortable place to sit and relax, think about what kind of lighting you want. Bright and clean or dim and soothing, candles can help create this effect in addition to adding a nice scent to the room. Depending on the time of year, you may also want to add a few soft pillows and a blanket to the mix. And given the choice and time of day you could also decide to light a small fire if you have a fireplace in the room.

2.       Physical Comfort

When it comes to comfort, choosing the right clothes is a must. So when choosing what to wear for this special you time, make sure you pick clothes that you can lounge in without any discomfort. A soft cotton T-shirt and flannel Pajamas are my personal preference. Physical comform also means picking out the right place to sit or lie down, so take the time to make sure you are chosing a place that you can be comfortable in for a while and deciding if you will want a soft blanket (or two!) in easy reach.

  3.       Drink

Nothing says comfort like a nice drink, whether hot or cold. Hot drinks depend on the season, although there is nothing to say that Hot Chocolate cannot be just as nice in the middle of summer as it is in winter. For hot drinks choose something that you enjoy that adds to the feeling of relaxation, such as Tea or Coffee. For Spring I like Coffee, Summer I like Tea (Fruit or White are good), Fall I like Hot Cider with a little Cinnamon, and for winter I like Hot Chocolate with little marshmallows. For cold drinks there are plenty of options, and even cold variations on the hot drinks mentioned above. Again, this is about your preference, so pick something you like.

4.       Food

Everyone has their own favorite comfort food, whether it is a rich chocolate cake, or pasta with meat sauce. When deciding what treat to have for your relaxing time, it helps to think about what kinds of food would best accompany the chosen drink, or vice versa. For example, if I chose Hot Apple Cider as my drink, I would either choose a Molasses cookie or a cinnamon spice donut as my treat, or if Tea is your choice, try Biscotti or a Lemon cake. Food and drink must complement each other for maximum enjoyment.

5.       Means of Entertainment

When it comes to relaxing and having a comfortable afternoon, choosing the right activity is probably the most important part, since the activity is going to determine what room you will want to use, and which refreshments are going to accompany you. If your relaxing afternoon is a solitary event, reading a good book or watching a favorite movie can be fun. There are so many kinds of books and movies out there that it can be hard to choose, so  think about how much time you have and whether or not a nap is part of the plan before deciding on which book or movie is going to be your means of entertainment.

 For the girl who enjoys all things Jane Austen, I suggest Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (either book or movie form) as both are classic Chic Lit, easy to read and watch. For something a little more serious and Dramatic but with romance I recommend L.M. Montgomery of Anne of Green Gables fame. Her books and the movies based on her books are good for girls of all ages. If the afternoon is long, and a movie is the way to go, I recommend the Canadian show “The Road to Avonlea” this is a seven season series based on L.M. Montgomery’s books “The Story Girl” and “On the Golden Road.” If comedy is more your line, there is no shortage of movies from classics like “It Happened One Night.” For Books try one of the many books written by fames humor columnist Erma Bombeck.

In the event that you prefer to spend your entertainment time with one or more friends, them the movie option still works, but another means of entertainment could be a game. Games always depend on the individual, and can be as classic as Go Fish or Canasta, to as modern as Tellustrations. Again, the point is spending an afternoon in a relaxing manner, so go ahead and plan your relaxing time, whether that time be a day, afternoon, or hour.