Reading novels to your family

It is so good for you and your kids to spend time sharing the same story. Studies have been done that show that reading aloud to your kids improves reading and writing skills, all the while creating family bonds.  It may be difficult at first, but reading to them from a novel just 10-15 minutes a day, just before bed, or while their eating breakfast is so wonderful.  When my kids were really little I let them work on puzzles or some other quiet activity while I read.  More often than not, they would ask for another chapter.  Here are a few ideas:

Seven Chinese Brothers

I love this book, and luckily so have my boys. Clever, powerful, and exciting - it's a perfect book for boys, but girls like it too.  Already, my 2 yr old is taking an interest in the book - maybe it's the crazy look of the emporerer :)

Little Critter by Mercer Mayer

I love Little Critter - so much like a kid, so loveable, but still learning.  These are a couple of my favorites.  They show feeling so well and I think it's so good for little ones to see feelings and sort of "talk" about them with you as you read.

Favorite Easter Books

My absolute favorite Easter book is the Country Bunny - I remember it from my childhood in the 70's.



I like to have some books about the REAL Easter Story...

Pelle's New Suit

I truly love this book - it's Swedish, my favorite ancestry heritage, and it teaches the value of work.  And it's simply beautiful!  A wonderful addition to a children's library.

Berenstein Bears - the best of...

I am not one to get an entire collection of books - I can't afford and don't want to store them all.  The Berenstein Bears books are great, but there are so many, my favorite are the rhyming ones...

Best HALLOWEEN BOOKS

I love reading Halloween books, at least the funny ones.  I seriously look forward to Halloween just so I can read these books to my kids.  Here are some of my faves.

The Purple Crayon and The Carrot Seed

How can you not love these books!  So sweet and simple.  Definitely should be part of your collection.

 

The Littlest Matryoshka

The story and pictures are endearing and who doesn't love nesting dolls!  I bought both of these for my daughter for Christmas and she loved it (and so do I).

Suddenly!

This book is fun and silly!

I remember my niece saying the word "Suddenly!"  before she was 18 months old.  It was so cute and suprising to hear such a big expressive word coming from just a little thing.  Books help children, even babies, develop their vocabulary, both spoken and written, I've seen it in my own kids.

"Old-Timey" Books

Goodnight Moon is a classic and even gets me sleepy if I read it at 2 pm or 9 pm.

Pat the Bunny has been around since 1940.  It's fun and amazing how fast a baby will start to interact with the book and start waving bye-bye at the end.

Richard Scarry Books

Richard Scarry Books are so fun, if you have never tried one - you must.  Find yourself a child 3, maybe 4 years or older and have fun looking a all the details.  Cars and Trucks... is one book I grew up, it's my favorite of his and I love sharing this book with my kids. Love that Goldbug!

 I also like the Please and Thank you - great to read when you feel your children need a little dose of manners.

And What Do People Do All Day is a fun exploring and beginning to understand the working world.  Great preschool book.

Skippyjon Jones

 I love those books that just beg to be read aloud - and this is one of them.  I love trying out my Spanish accent, which is terrible I would add, but fun to try out, and my kids don't know any different.  This character is truly a character - naughty, lovable, and brave.  This is perfect for little boys.

There's something about a Miniature Book that babies love...

 
Miniature Board Books just seem to beg for your baby or toddler to pick them up and flip through them.  I have this set and even the case is fun for my baby to open and close.  It has a magnetic closure that he loves to open, put books in, then close, then open, and repeat.  Lots of cute fun.

 

I love Max and Ruby - well the show can get annoying, especially if you grew up with older siblings like Ruby, but Max makes me laugh.  I love this book - what little toddler doesn't love to say "GO!!" Before you know it they'll be shouting "Go!" the minute you start to pick this book up.

This book is a great one to read, say until they are 3, then leave it alone for a while until they are ready to read - age 5 or so and this is a great one for them to read on their own.

Favorite Infant Baby Board books

When you are first reading books to a baby say at 4 months - keep it short - one book or even just 2 pages of one book.  These are some of my favorites: You've got to share books with babies - because as we all know, babies love seeing other babies:

Tom Arma's Zoo Crew

Tom Arma's Water Babies

You have to share books with animals and make the noises, that's half the fun of reading to a baby is making all the noises and seeing if they will copy you:

Usbourne Farmyard Tales Animal Noises

Good Night Gorilla

The first book I that I really get excited to share with my babies is Good Night Gorilla - so cute and tender and the perfect just before bed book.  It has layers if you look closely and can be read until a child is 5 or so.  There is the moon, the balloon, the people in the window - don't let out all the secrets of the book at once.  Start with just reading the text, then when they get to about 18 months-2 start pointing out the banana, or the balloon, and progress from there.

My favorite time of day...

My favorite time of day with my kids has always been reading time.  I love the closeness, the stories, and the interaction with my kids.  I was just thinking today that I may not read some of these stories for a while - my baby is 15 months old now, and already he is outgrowing some of the stories I love to read to him.  But, I hope to have many grandbabies to read to and I don't want to forget all these books I love, and at what age my kids love to hear them.

So, I thought, I'll write up a blog and add books as I go so I will never forget.  I am forgetful...there is a book about being forgetful that I love:  The Forgetful Bears, perfect for age 5-7.  This little chid of mine may be my last baby, but I hope to have many grandkids.