Books We Love: Not Your Typical Parenting Books!

For this edition of Books We Love, I wanted to share some of my absolute favorite parenting books. These are my parenting go-to's, the books I read when I seek advise or assurance of how I'm bringing up my daughter. Okay, okay, so they won't tell me anything about potty training or developmental milestones, but they are seriously fantastic resources when it comes to being an informed mom. These are books for this modern mama, raising a strong, imaginative, and independent girl who LOVES to read!

How to Get Your Child to Love Reading by Esme Raji Codell

Madame Esme is a personal hero of mine, for not only is she a brilliant novelist and picture book maven, she is a champion for teachers, librarians, and readers of all ages. This book has EVERYTHING you will possibly need to get kids reading. It is a work of literary genius. You can also check out the Planet Esme Book-a-Day Plan for more wonderful resources and titles.

The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

And while Esme is a hero of mine, her hero is the magnificent Jim Trelease. This literacy guru has been telling it like it is for six editions of his Handbook, which frankly may as well be called The Read-Aloud Bible. Packed with information and tips for making parents and teachers better readers for the children in their lives, Mr. Trelease keeps it entirely readable and entirely wonderful.

A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play by Vivian Gussin Paley

This oldie-but-goodie gets into the research of why fantasy play is so important for kids...and what we as parents and teachers should be doing to foster this important work. Filled with anecdotes from Paley's own years as a preschool teacher, this book is a very enjoyable read. I wrote a paper on it in college and though that was some years ago, I still often think of this book as a great resource for fostering pretend play in the kids in my life.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein

Peggy Orenstein's handy guide to raising strong, independent daughters exposes the dangers of the princess culture we live in and what parents need to know about the unethical ways marketers are targeting young girls. A feminist from the start, I read this book when L was just a baby (thankfully AFTER I had politely exchanged all of the pink stuff we were gifted for baby showers) and it has really changed the way I look at media culture and advertising. I recommend this book for everyone with a daughter (it makes a great baby shower gift!) for learning about how corporations are selling sex to four-year-olds and what we parents can do to fight back.

Hope you find something here worth checking out! What parenting books, traditional or otherwise, have you found helpful?

10 Reasons Public Libraries ROCK!

The first thing I do when I move to a new area? Find the public library, of course! Ahead of even finding the grocery store or nearest gas station, I scope out the locale of the public library. Why? Because public libraries ROCK! Let me tell you all about it!

1. They're free. Or virtually free. Mine generally costs me a few bucks a month in late fees and the like, but if you're even slightly more responsible than me in this area, they are free. FREE!

 

2. They are a wealth of resources: books, newspapers, magazines, reference materials, music, movies, children's materials, even Internet access.  All right there at your fingertips.

 

3. They pretty much have any book you could possibly want. Even ones that are (sadly) no longer in print.

4. They contribute to the local community in so many ways: children's programming, book clubs, readers' circle, various other interest clubs, you name it. Libraries bring people together.

5. Even when you owe them money, they are still nice to you.

 

6. They encourage kids to become readers. Having a personal library card does wonders for getting a reluctant reader to check out some books. Literally and figuratively.

 

7. They bring in authors and other great speakers so that you can quietly hyperventilate about seeing your idol (like I do!) or you can learn something new.



8. They are air conditioned in the summer and toasty warm in the winter. (This may seem like a lame one, but when you're in the grueling heat of summer or the frigid chill of winter and you need to get the kids out of the house, the library is your best friend.) While you're in there, you may as well pick up a book or two!

9. They put together great thematic lists and compile book recommendations so that when you finish that excellent novel you're reading, they'll be right there with another title you're likely to enjoy. They also make magic happen when your kids are stuck on one subject (be it trains, dinosaurs, the ballet, what have you). They'll help your kids find other titles on subjects that interest them...just in case you need a break from reading Knuffle Bunny for the 712th time.

10. They are filled with people who love books as much as you do! From staffers to other patrons, you can always find someone who will love to talk books with you!

Also, did I mention that they are FREE?!

Raise a Reading Superstar!

We are a family of readers and books hold a lot of clout in our house. I am often asked how it is that L is such a lover of books (and treats them so reverently) at the tender age of not-quite-nineteen months old. The truth is, since before L even joined us in the world of oxygen breathers, we were reading to her. One of the first things we did with her after she was born was read. We've been reading nearly nonstop ever since. When I get asked how to raise a reader, I have lots of advice to offer. Heck, sometimes I'm not even asked. I just love books and there are lots of things parents can do to raise superstar readers.  Mostly parents need to be reading superstars themselves first. Kids emulate that which is modeled for them, so if you want to raise a reader, a reader you must be.

Ways to Be a Good Reading Model for Your Kid:

Let your child SEE you reading. And read varied materials: books, newspapers, magazines, cereal boxes, anything with print.

Let your child HEAR you reading. All of the above, plus traffic signs, labels at the grocery store, letters and emails, advertisements...all types of environmental print.

Show your child that reading is a priority. Make time in your schedule for shared and independent reading. Have a family reading night in your weekly household schedule. Attend family story times at your local libraries and bookstores.

Limit screen time. TV takes away loads of time that could be spent reading. Let your child know through your words and actions that reading takes precedence over television.

Give books as gifts to your own child and encourage him or her to pick books to gift to friends and family for special occasions. Discuss what a gift reading is and encourage your child to share that gift with others.

Participate in reading programs at your child's school or at your local library.

Teach your child the value of the public library. It is a treasure trove of resources and costs little to nothing. Get your child a library card in his or her own name.

Donate books to your child's classroom in honor of his or her birthday. If your child doesn't have a formal classroom, you can donate books to gift giving organizations such as Angel Tree or Toys for Tots, or choose an organization that supports child literacy, such as First Book or Reading is Fundamental.

Get involved in a book swap (for an explanation, click here). These handy little programs can be done within a group of friends and for the cost of just one book, your child can expand his or her library by dozens.

READ, READ, READ!! This is, of course, the most important thing to do when cultivating a reading superstar. A love of reading is fostered early, and kids learn by what is modeled for them. Show them how much pleasure comes with reading a book and they will associate that pleasure with the books you share with them.