"Books do for children what they do for adults:
they inform, they stimulate, delight, amuse, and transport us all into other worlds
of thought and experience. Most importantly, they make us think and feel and respond,
and they can put us in intimate touch with the best that has been known
and thought since the first words were written down.
Good books make us more aware of others and lead us
forward into a surer knowledge of ourselves."
they inform, they stimulate, delight, amuse, and transport us all into other worlds
of thought and experience. Most importantly, they make us think and feel and respond,
and they can put us in intimate touch with the best that has been known
and thought since the first words were written down.
Good books make us more aware of others and lead us
forward into a surer knowledge of ourselves."
Andrew Clements
As of late, my favorite part of the day is around 8:30-9pm when the little girls call me into Liza's room after they are all ready for bed. I find the lights off, lamp on, and my "reading pillow" propped against the wall with the book Wonder lying on the floor just waiting or the next few pages to be read aloud. No matter what has happened during the day - if I wasn't at my most patient or loving, if the girls engaged in warfare, or if they just have been to busy to even notice one another . . . these few minutes together make it once again feel like everything is all right in the world (and our family) once again.
We have always had a tradition of reading books aloud, but it usually happens very
s l o w l y . . . life gets in the way, evenings get busy, mom has more pressing duties after the kids are in bed, etc., etc. For example, about this time last year we decided to read Dicken's A Christmas Carol because it was Christmas and it's one of the greatest classic tales every written, and hey, it's great exposure to Dickens. Ya, well, we finished just before Easter.
s l o w l y . . . life gets in the way, evenings get busy, mom has more pressing duties after the kids are in bed, etc., etc. For example, about this time last year we decided to read Dicken's A Christmas Carol because it was Christmas and it's one of the greatest classic tales every written, and hey, it's great exposure to Dickens. Ya, well, we finished just before Easter.
That's usually how we roll, but this time it's been different. The girls beg each night for just "one more chapter" and we're cruising through this tender book that I would recommend to every child and parent. Wonder is a treasure and I delight that my girls look forward to our time reading. I wouldn't want to spend my evenings doing anything else.
