Summer Reading With The Kids

I signed my girls ( ages 3 and 4) up for the summer reading program at our local library a few weeks ago. Now, they obviously can not read themselves yet, but they are great listeners. My husband and I have always read to them, even when they were brand new and all the words we said probably sounded like "blah, blah, blah". We hope that this is fostering a lifetime love of reading. I remember how much I hated reading that you "had" to do in school, but things you wanted to read were always fun.

I think all the reading is having a good affect already. They ask to get read to, they ask good questions about what we are reading, and they seem to retain much of what we read about. The program was about 6 or 7 weeks long. We had to read about 13 books a week to get to the 100 book goal by the end. The girls got different rewards at different milestones, such as stickers for reading 10 books, a bug ring for 20 books, etc. For reading over 100 books the girls got to pick a book to keep.

I wish I would have thought of this at the beginning of the program, but I think I am going to start doing book reviews from time to time on here. Mostly kids books I am sure because that is all I get to read these days, but I thought the other parents out there might appreciate the reviews. I love reading to my kids, but some books just drive me nuts as a parent. I will try and let you know if they seem like something you could read again and again,,,because kids LOVE repetition!

We have not read the one book yet, but the one we did read so far I really got a kick out of. It was called APPLES TO OREGON It gives a writer's creative flair to the true story of a pioneer family with eight children, that hauled 700 plants and baby fruit trees all the way to Oregon. The book has lovely full color illustrations and phrasing that is just as colorful and imaginative. Phrases such as " we came to a river wider than Texas, thicker than Momma's muskrat stew, and muddier than a cowboy's toenails." LOL with verbal imagery like that, we almost don't need the illustrations.

There is some interesting apple trivia on the back cover too. For instance, I did not know apples were related to roses...did you? Well we do now, and my girls were thrilled with the idea since they love roses so much!

I think this is a book parents and children will both like, and if you have to read it once a month or so from your child's stack of favorites I don't think it will make you too crazy..enjoy!