Two books I've read lately:

The Reading Promise

Honey for a Child's Heart

Both books are important to me because they affirm what I know to be true.  Reading is essential, crucial, empowering.  

The first, THE READING PROMISE, is the author's story of her single father's promise to read aloud to her for, at first, 100 days.  That began when she was in the fourth grade.  Though they called it "The Streak" it was a promise that lasted from fourth grade until the little girl went to college.  The premise is simple, the result, safety and sanctuary for a girl whose mother left the family, whose sister left for college, and whose father, through reading to her kept her close and secure though simply sharing stories and time.  Granted the father was a librarian, and content to read but the value of reading together and sharing friends and fears in books is priceless.

After she receives a C in English, her best subject, this is what she writes:

"I can't remember what we read that night, because I was still too upset to really concentrate on it.  But I remember how comforting it was to lie there and let his words surround me, wrapping me up like a blanket and keeping out the cold.  He believed me.  He believed in me."

Now a confession, I didn't read much with my children, I modeled reading all the time, read a picture book or two, and with Wes, our youngest read some wonderful novels: Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery, Hatchet, Johnny Tremain, maybe a few others.  Do I wish I had, YES!

One thing I lacked then was a knowledge of children's literature.  Both these books have great lists of wonderful reads.  Many of the books they mention are on my all time favorites list.

Honey For a Child's Heart has one added plus for me.  Ms. Hunt is unabashedly Christian and what she believes is demonstrated in the books she lists in part two of her book:  Best Loved Books for Children.  A few of them are no longer in print but all of them are good choices and the lists are broken down into age groups from Pre-school through Young Adult.  

A passage from the book: 

"Good books have genuine spiritual substance, not just intellectual enjoyment.  Books help children know what to took for in life.  Reading develops the taste buds of the mind as children learn to savor what is seen, heard, and experienced and fit these into some kind of worthwhile framework.

What is unfamiliar becomes close and real in books.  What is ridiculour helps children see the humor in their own lives.  Sympathetic understanding is a generous byproduct of sharing the emotions of stories and standing in someone else's shoes.  Book are not substitute for life, but a keener pleasure comes to life because of books."

When you find that you've read a book that someone else has read it is as if you've lived in the same place in the world for a time, made the same friends, faced the same fears, understood life's challenges together.  Isn't that the best reason to read as a family?

"You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be--
I had a Mother who read to me."

from The Reading Mother

by Strickland Gillilan

It is never to late, do I read to my grandchildren?  Whenever I can.  Do I ask them what they are reading?  Always.  Do their parents read, yes!

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for book suggestions:

Children's Book a Day Almanac