Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving.
I am thankful...

• that my children love reading! 
• for the new Junie B. Jones Thanksgiving book which we finished in less than two days. 
• for all of the wonderful things books can teach, like the book Thank You Bear by Greg Foley about thoughtfulness. 
• for waking up to the sight of my two kids cuddled up together sharing a good book. 
• for friends, especially other book lovers who share great ideas like making a literary advent calendar. 

Here are the books we are going to read this December, one a day through Christmas. I am looking forward to the new season despite all the busy preparations because I now have a plan to share wonderful Christmas stories with my children as we prepare our hearts for the holiday!

It's how they felt...

A colleague of mine said something recently that has stuck in my mind and keeps coming up as I'm reading with my kids. I wish I could remember the name of the wise person who said it, but if I wait until I find out, I'll never share it. So here goes... It was regarding those favorite books a young child brings to you again and again. This wise person noted, it's not usually the book itself that is the draw for them. It is the feeling they got from reading it with you. That is what brings them back to a particular book. When you think about it, there is usually a special book that MOM reads, or DAD reads, or GRANDMA reads. The child wants to relive the emotion that is associated with that book and its reader. As you are reading, think about the feelings and emotions you and your child experience. How can you make these feelings be the kind that will make that child want to come back to experience reading again and again?

In my search for the name of the wise woman who noticed this phenomenon, I came across this fabulous list of quotes about reading. I enjoy goodreads for their book reviews and the ability to create your own book lists. This is just another reason to go back again. I get warm, fuzzy feelings when I read these thoughts about enjoying a good book.