"Hand-selling" children's books = engaged readers

The world is addicted to media and technology. Information whether accurate or not speeds from one corner of the globe to the other in a matter of minutes. Got a question? Google it. Want a book or music? Download it. Want to create a reader? Slow down.

An article about New England booksellers getting back to basics — how to "hand-sell" children's books — reminded me that talking about books to children and the adults in their lives remains vital.

Being in touch with authors is still a thrill to kids and grown-ups alike. I recently saw Rosemary Wells and her Hyperion editor, Stephanie Lurie, speak to a group of teachers and college students. They talked about how they worked together to make the forthcoming Yoko Learns To Read a rich experience for readers of all ages, the process of writing, editing and publishing books, and more.

The teachers and future teachers and librarians who shared the afternoon with them are sure to share the insights they gained with the young children in their lives. They'll hand-sell Wells' books — and look for ways to do the same with other books.

They'll probably share some of the ideas or get more using the various media now available in so many formats — very useful tools. But let's not forget that young readers often start with an adult who shares their passion for books.

'Tis the season to read and write

Like everyone, we're in for a busy couple of weeks. Our homework and storytime routines sometimes get pushed aside, and at first I was feeling guilty about that. But when I think about how the girls are spending their time, there's plenty of reading, writing, and math going on...it just looks different! Here's how Anna spent her afternoon yesterday on the computer:

Dear Santa,

I have ben a very good girl this yere I wood like moor jump rope and
Samatha and Emily a pegwin that is cold and cuot my onn bitty baby and
My onn jres up close a nothr cabich pach sum moor books that are
Little bear sum moor bitty baby close sum moor crittrs
My onn safty bag that hooks on to my bike
My onn aret araya

While she was doing that, Molly and I were writing our grocery list for chocolate mint wafer cookies. Things got complicated when we decided to double the recipe! A quick tutorial on fractions kept things on track. Between our grocery list and the directions for putting together our Advent calendar (like this one, but I didn't pay that price!) Molly got her share of reading and writing too.

And there's more in our future — reading our Christmas cards and letters, sending out our own (at some point...), writing our letter with Santa's cookies and also thank you notes. So, if your schedule is like ours, it's okay! Step back and see where literacy is really taking place. I'll bet it's there.

'Tis the season, again!

Was it really a year ago that I wrote this post about feeling frenzied and guilty about the lack of quality reading and writing time at our house? Because it's happening again! And once again I realize that my girls ARE engaged in reading and writing. It just looks different this time of year.

Here what we're doing, language arts style, to get ready for the holidays:

Molly used Audacity to record herself reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. And because my Mom will be in SC for Christmas, we'll send her the .WAV file so she can enjoy that traditional retelling as much as we do. If you have a microphone on your computer, it's a pretty easy program to use.

Anna's been hard at work typing her list for Santa. New this year is her interest in learning more word processing features. Her (numbered!) list is complete with alternating fonts and a fancy Word Art title.

Our copy of The Elf on the Shelf gets read and read and read and read. This set is new to us this year, and Anna's very concerned that Santa takes the Elf when he comes (as the illustrations suggest). For anyone else out there who has one….does Santa take the Elf until next year?! Help!

Both girls have spent lots of time making Christmas cards for their friends. After filling our art area with holiday-oriented supplies, both girls happily design snowmen on skateboards (item 4 on Anna's wish list) and beautiful glittery snowflakes. Their handwritten greetings always bring a smile: We hope you have a great Christmas and have you got your tree?

And so it goes. What are your kids doing (language arts style) to get ready for the holidays?

A book on every bed this holiday

We started a new tradition in our family last year. We'll do it again this year, and I hope you'll consider adding this tradition to your family holiday too! It's a simple one: put a book on every bed.

Last year, the Family Reading Partnership and Ask Amy from the Chicago Tribune launched a homegrown, grassroots literacy campaign with a goal to raise a generation of readers. The idea was inspired by the author David McCullough, who says he woke to a wrapped book at the foot of his bed every Christmas morning during his childhood.

Here's how it works:

Take a book.

Wrap it.

Place it on a child's bed so it's the first thing the child sees on Christmas morning (or the morning of the holiday you celebrate).

Thats it.

"A Book on Every Bed" is an appeal to spread the love of reading from parents to children. It also encourages families to share books by reading aloud.

I particularly like that, within this idea, the books don't have to be new. They can be books parents are handing down to their kids. Last year, I gave our younger daughter my much loved copy of The Giving Tree, and my husband handed down to our older daughter his well-worn copy of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Our girls had already read those books, but now they are the proud owners of their own worn and loved copies. I hope one morning they'll be wrapping up those books for their own growing readers.

Last year's choices were highly sentimental for me. This year, not so much. Our choices were based on books they couldn't seem to get enough of at our school book fair. My older daughter will have Are You "Normal"?: More Than 100 Questions That Will Test Your Weirdness (National Geographic Kids) waiting for her, and our younger daughter will waken to The Encyclopedia of Immaturity: Volume 2.

Who knows? Maybe a book on every bed will keep them in bed Christmas morning! (Doubtful). Happy holidays to you and your family. I'll see you again in 2012!

A day for moms

This weekend is Mother's Day. I always thought of it as a holiday created by, well, by Hallmark.

But it's not. I learned that it has roots in a feisty woman named Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor her mother. And apparently mothers were celebrated even farther back in history.

I admit that I have a particular point of view; that any day and any celebration is better with a book.

Much lauded artists, Leo and Diane Dillon, introduce readers to mothers and children around the world in a stunningly illustrated book entitled Mama Says: A Book of Love for Mothers and Sons (Scholastic). The simple words of wisdom, written by Rob Walker, appear in English as well as Russian, Hebrew, Korean, and other languages. The words are universal but the images go places quite literally.

For younger children, My Mom and Me (Little Simon) celebrates what mothers and children enjoy sharing. It, too, presents families from different cultures and uses words from different languages.

And look for a new Martha Alexander book recently completed by James Rumford. In Max & the Dumb Flower Picture (Charlesbridge), preschooler Max rebels against coloring in the lines of a pre-drawn flower to give his mom for Mother's Day.

Here's to mothers and celebrations — and to books shared between moms ands kids.

A new year and a new National Ambassador

A new year has started and with it a new National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. Our new Ambassador continues a short but highly distinguished group of spokespeople for the importance of literature in the lives of children and young adults.

Walter Dean Myers will assume his newest role next week at a ceremony at the Library of Congress.

Walter Dean Myers writes books for every age. Each unique book reflects a particular interest of the author, his passion for history, and a depth of understanding about young people's emotional response to difficult situations including war.

Mr. Myers has been a longtime presence in our home.

One of my son's favorite books as a young child was Brown Angels (HarperCollins). He enjoyed the lively, rhythmic poetry and meeting children who lived long ago. It didn't matter that the children in the old photographs dressed differently and didn't really look like my son. He instinctively understood that they all shared something more meaningful; perhaps it was simply childhood.

My son was introduced to the Viet Nam war (in which his favorite uncle was involved) in Fallen Angels and later what soldiers experienced in Iraq through Sunrise Over Fallujah (both Scholastic). He was able to glimpse prison and the justice system, pondering guilt and innocence — from the outside and from the inside — with Monster (Amistad).

Readers of all ages can go on a Blues Journey (Holiday), listening to its music in the poetry while envisioning the period from which it grew through the evocative illustrations by Myers' son, Christopher Myers. They can meet a real African princess taken to England At Her Majesty's Request (Scholastic, o.p.) and feel the pressure of guns and gangs with Jamal in the Newbery honor Scorpions (Amistad).

So, congratulations Walter Dean Myers, Mr. National Ambassador of Young People's Literature! We look forward to an exciting term — and always, always to your next books.

A time to remember

The anniversary of 9/11 is here. The impact continues to be felt in subtle and not so subtle ways. One day changed our society and frankly, our world — the world of our children.

Older children and adults can grasp — to some degree at least — what caused these changes. But young children don't have the reservoir of experience to make sense of it.

When 9/11 first happened, my son returned to books in which the weak were able to gain power over stronger forces. To him, books provided a sense of control.

Books can also pay subtle homage to an event without confronting it head-on and may even help young children develop — or deepen — their emotional reservoir.

I still like Mary Pope Osborne's New York's Bravest (Knopf). Though he lived in the 19th century, Mose Humphreys is a larger-than-character whose courage lives on — just as the contemporary fire fighters to whom the book is dedicated. Not only do readers glimpse a real life hero through an old-time hero but presents another time.

Philip Petit was a daredevil who broke the law to walk between the Twin Towers back in the 1970s. His very real activities inspired Mordecai Gerstein to create The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (Roaring Brook). The stunning views will take your breath away and won this book the Caldecott Medal.

A less place-specific book about coping with an unexpected crisis is presented for young children by Jean Gralley. The Moon Came Down on Milk Street (Holt) tells the story of how a community comes together to return the moon to the sky in a simple rhyming text. People everywhere make a difference.

Like an earlier date, 9/11 is one that will live in infamy. For more books about 9/11 and children, visit Kay Vandergrift's (Rutgers University) site.

Adult book club inspires the young

What can an adult book discussion do for young children? More than I'd imagined.

A friend of mine copied me on an email she'd sent out for her first grade son with, of course, a note to the recipients' parents. This 7-year old wanted to share books with his friends much as his mother did with hers.

Rafe wrote that he wanted to "start a book club with you…It will be all kids' books, of course. We can go in order for who picks the book, or we could all decide together, or the moms (or dads) could make suggestions and we could all decide together."
He goes on to suggest a book (Charlie & The Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl because his class had read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and watched the movie) as well as a time and place (his house where his mom will provide snacks).

Rafe added that "moms and dads are invited if they want to give suggestions about things to talk about."

Children more often than not do what adults do, not necessarily what adults say to do. My friend understands that and is providing her children with a model to build friendship, fun, and learning, around books.

Not only is Rafe inspired to read and talk about books, the book club (which won't meet until next month) has inspired another child to try to read a longer book. Whether he reads it with his parents or independently really doesn't matter as much as the fact that he's willing to become part of a community of readers and talkers and maybe even thinkers.

I'll have to think about books that may be appealing to a young, fledgling book club. If you have any suggestions, let me know!

An award for the world of children's books

Three of my very favorite illustrators have been nominated for a very prestigious award, the Hans Christian Andersen.

Every other year, the names of an author and an illustrator are put forward for consideration for this international honor, selected by the National Sections of the International Board on Books for Young People (better known as IBBY). The award is given for their lasting contribution to the field of children's literature.

The illustrator nominated by USBBY (the United States chapter of IBBY) is Caldecott Medalist, Chris Raschka. American readers are very familiar with at least two other illustrators: John Burningham, the British nominee, and Peter Sís, nominated by the Czech Republic.

I find it interesting how illustration seems to translate more readily than text even though each culture seems to have its own unique way of presenting things visually. Take a look at some of the picture books in the International Children's Digital Library and let me know if you agree. (It's also interesting to note that the award for illustration was established ten years later than the author award.)

Like letters in print, images need to be decoded but it's assumed that illustration is easier to understand. Perhaps it is — if the viewer has the context in which to make meaning. (I'll never forget the city-bound child who made the logical assumption that the four-legged creature with two ears and a tail was a dog; it was a picture of a cow.)

It's a marvel to observe a young child pour over illustrations in a book; talk to them about what's going on, and maybe start a conversation about it. Ask about color (what do those colors make you think of?), line smooth or jagged, bold or thin (how do they make you feel?), composition (why do you think the character is over here rather than in the middle?). The illustrations of Raschka, Buningham, and Sis are unique to each artist and perfect for starting this kind of discussion.

Each is a winner — even though the HCA awards won't be announced for almost a year. It will give the nominees time to bask in their country's recognition of their contributions to children's literature.

And the winner is ... children!

It's always heartening to be with other booklovers — especially those who recognize that the younger we start sharing the power and pleasure of language and story with children the more likely they'll grow into lifelong learners.

It was exciting to attend what has become known as the Youth Media Awards announcements at the midwinter conference of the American Library Association.

I sometimes wonder about the effect of too many awards (it sure made for a lengthy program). Is there such a thing as too much of a good thing? Are there too many honors given? But I've concluded that awards can help identify books (in one form or another) that are in some way outstanding in this overcrowded field.

Sometimes authors and illustrators are recognized more than once, as was the case with this year's Caldecott Medal winner.

Chris Raschka received the 2006 Caldecott for The Hello Goodbye Window (Hyperion) and the 2012 Medal for A Ball for Daisy (Schwartz & Wade/Random).

While Raschka has a unique style, he uses it very differently in ...Daisy. The story, which is told almost entirely without words, unfolds rather like a comic book. The visual storytelling, however, needs no words to convey the small dog's joy in a toy, the devastating loss, and ultimate friendship. Young children are the most likely to take the time to carefully examine the illustrations, but readers of all ages will recognize the emotions in this seemingly simple presentation.

So congratulations to all the award winners and especially to Chris Raschka who has joined a select group of artists who can claim more than one Caldecott Medal!

Anniversaries of note

Summer of this year marks several things worth remembering. Some are happy anniversaries, others not so at all.

What do these events mean to children? Are they relevant to them in any way at all? What do stories — real or fictional — offer to children? Can they inspire as well as inform?

It was in July 1969 that Neil Armstrong left the relative safety of his spacecraft to walk on the moon. Many books are available about Apollo 11, about the moon itself and this special anniversary.

Nelson Mandela, stalwart leader of South Africa and the world, celebrated his 91st birthday this month. Frankly, a recent and accessible biography for young readers would be useful.

Anne Frank, the Jewish child who left a diary in revealing daily life in hiding during German occupation of Amsterdam, would have turned 80 years old this year. Instead, she perished in a concentration camp; this year marks the 65th year since SS Sergeant Karl Silberbauer arrested her.

A new book about how Simon Wiesenthal identified Anne's captor — proving once and for all that her diary was authentic — is tough but valuable reading. Don't let the picture book format fool readers into thinking that this is a book for younger children. The Anne Frank Case: Simon Wiesenthal's Search for the Truth (Holiday House) by Susan Goldman Rubin tells a difficult though riveting story and is most appropriate for grades four and above.

Carefully chosen books can share stories in memorable ways, perhaps at least familiarizing adults with real stories to share (or choose not to share) with children.

Arriving late to the Read Aloud party

Who knew March 9 was World Read Aloud Day? I'm sure lots of people did, but sadly I didn't until very late at night on March 9. And besides the directions on the box of brownie mix, I'm pretty sure I didn't read anything aloud to my girls that day. As our girls get older, I'm finding it harder and harder to find that family read aloud time. Soccer schedules, Destination Imagination (DI) practice, and playdates all result in one rushed (and tired!) dinner — shower — bed routine. On top of that, both girls are highly engaged in their own reading these days. Anna (our 8-year old) cannot get enough of Garfield, and Molly (our 10-year old) disappears into one of the Artemis Fowl books. It's tough to get her to put those books down.

But, in some form of divine intervention, March 9th's book in the Book-A-Day Almanac was about Anita Silvey's favorite recent read-aloud, Inkheart. Her review included this, "All the chapters are just the right length for reading aloud; they contain a lot of action, cliff-hanging endings, and beautiful language. The book has been perfect for use with nine- through fourteen-year-olds, in class or at home. Reading this book slowly, savoring the scenes and the details of the plot, actually makes it more enjoyable than reading it independently." I read that, and headed to the library!

So, while I missed World Read Aloud Day, I have a rejuvenated interest in Family Read Aloud, and got our next book. Hopefully we'll start tonight! (although we have soccer and DI…)

Related posts:
Dropping a dud of a read aloud
The best way to sell a book
Choosing the year's first read aloud

Learn more about World Read Aloud Day.

Being told what to read

We're experiencing a strange phenomenon in our house this summer. Molly, who turns 11 in August, has two books she's required to read before she starts 5th grade this fall. The two books are Little Women and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book 1: The Mysterious Howling.

This required reading list marks the first time Molly has ever been told what to read outside of school. The result? No interest. Absolutely none! In fact, she's completely ignoring both books. They've been on the kitchen ledge for two weeks.

I think Molly's reticence to read Little Women stems from its being a "classic," which in her mind translates to boring! I know her opinion will change once we crack the book — IF I can get her to crack the book. All of this from the girl who will willingly read for hours on her own when she's allowed to choose what she's reading! I find the situation very interesting.

Borrowing some tips from the research on motivation, here's our plan for enticing our nonreader (and former reader) to read her required books. Wish us luck!

• We're going to read Little Women as a family read aloud. This will give us a chance to talk about the story, and promote deeper understanding of the book. Our discussions will hopefully enhance Molly's interest in the story.


• I've promised that we'll watch the movie adaptation when we're done reading. I think Molly will prefer the Winona Ryder version to the original June Allyson one, but we'll see. It will be fun to compare the two, and will hopefully keep us talking about the book!


• I'll continue to provide lots of opportunities for Molly to choose her own books to read in addition to her required ones. Guthrie's research on motivation (also a classic!) reminds us just how important choice is in engaging and motivating a reader.

Books + preschoolers = magic

I spent this morning with an astute group of art critics who judiciously examined several picture books, noting specific tools and techniques used by various illustrators. The evaluators were able to gain nuanced meaning from the use of line, color, and even the placement on the page.

Not one of the critics was older than 4 years. You see, I had been invited to a preschool classroom to talk about the Caldecott Medal.

Admittedly, books are an important part of these children daily experiences — but it was the children who decided by voting — that they wanted to study the Caldecott Medal as a class. It also is noteworthy that their teacher is an aficionado of children's literature in a school that believes in — and supports — the power of books.

We talked about how each year a new Caldecott Committee votes for the one book that will get the gold medal and dubs others as Honors.

When talking about Jerry Pinkney's Lion & the Mouse (Little Brown), one child noted that it didn't use words; another boy clarified that there were no words except the animal sounds. But, the first child, continued, "I told the story using my words."

After we read Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes, I asked the children how they knew how Kitten felt. It was because of the illustrations, of course. But there is no color, so how did the artist show it? Through the use of line with a dot in the middle. But there is color: grey and white and black….(silly me!)

I continue to be amazed at how much children can see and what they can handle intellectually. It's always fresh, often surprisingly in-depth and unique. But because young children lack the vocabulary or the experience to verbalize what they know or intuit, it's all too easy to forget that they are incredibly sharp.

Talking about books today reminded me.

Books as play

Recently I was looking for a birthday gift for a soon-to-be five year old girl. As I wandered into the toy department of a well known chain store, I was struck by the number of toys that included some kind of electronic noise or light — a gimmick to grab attention.

I heard guitars without strings, came across talking dolls (fuzzy and not), and even digital cameras for the very young. There were animals that talked, clocks that asked questions, and more.

While I understand that entertainment and education are not mutually exclusive, I do wonder these toys leave enough space for a child's creativity and imagination.

The dog days of summer seem to be a particularly relaxed time to share stories or even create them before children and parents gear up for Fall and the start of another school year.

Books can spark child-centered and child-initiated play — and, of course, are very portable playthings.

Have you ever asked a child what they might take on a trip to the pool or beach or how they might travel there? Even if you don't actually go, you may want to share How Will We Get the Beach? (North South Books). This clever and attractive book in both English and Spanish is a guessing game that introduces different modes of transportation, colors, and believe it or not, reasoning. It's great fun to figure out how the mom and baby with all of their prize possessions will get to the beach.

Closer to home, children may want to help with outdoor chores such as mowing and hoeing. Join the adult wolf and his child and try to figure out what the mishap will be in another bilingual (Spanish English) book called Can I Help? (North South Books).

Or imagine what your container of valuable would hold as the boy does in The Treasure Bath (Holt). In this wordless picture book, a boy bathes as he and his mom wait for a cake to bake. The bathtub becomes a fish-filled ocean with a treasure chest complete with soaps and shampoos just right to clean up for bed — and a piece of cake.

And so, for the gift I was looking for I wound up at my local bookstore and got the birthday girl an imaginative gift that didn't even need batteries.

Celebrate Children's Book Week May 2-8, 2011

There are celebrations for virtually everything these days but few have the staying power of Children's Book Week. It was established in 1919 and is still going strong!

Children's Book Week is under the auspices of the Children's Book Council (CBC), the national nonprofit trade association of children's publishers. One of the more significant actions taken by the CBC in conjunction with the International Reading Association was the establishment of the Children's Choice Awards.

Since 1975, these awards have provided a voice for young readers who can now vote online for their favorite books. (The 2011 winners will be announced tonight at a fundraising Gala in New York City.)

Children's choices for award winners may not be the same as those chosen by adults but adults can learn a great deal by looking at what children select. There's a lot to learn when you look at the 2010 choices.

There's lots of nonfiction on the list — and not what I consider merely "functional" nonfiction (you know the type — books that look like they came out of an encyclopedia: think "school reports") but informational books that inform as well as intrigue and inspire.

There's lots of humor and suspense in the books selected (e.g., The Book That Eats People by John Perry (Tricycle) and Let's Do Nothing (Candlewick) by Tony Fucile)

All of the books seem to have an emotional truth to them. Some are more subtle or better written and illustrated than others, which must be expected, of course. All, however, demonstrate a respect for the audience.

These are books that mostly reflect children's likes and dislikes and that should of interest and concern to adults. In the very adult field of children's literature (in which adults write, illustrate, edit, publish, and ultimately purchase books for young readers in homes, libraries, and schools) it is critical to keep in mind the young reader and what books can do: introduce children to a lifetime of learning and pleasure.

Celebrate Día all year long!

El día de lost ninos/El día de los libros or Children's Day/Book Day — also known simply as Día — has officially come and gone for the year.

Día celebrates children, books, families, and reading. Though it officially culminated on April 30, this fete deserves the entire year!

Día was the brainchild of author Pat Mora to spark interest in family reading. And that is something that can be done through lots of easy activities that revolve around reading.

You can share ideas as well as gather them — sharing "Bookjoy" on a blog devoted to it. (I like the idea of joy in books — delight in all kinds of books. It's an idea that holds a special place on my shelf.)

I take great joy in cooking. And when combined with a good story and children, it seems that there are two terrific, enjoyable, and even tasty, activities.

One of my favorites is Cook-a-Doodle-Doo by Janet Stevens (Harcourt). It's a take-off on the traditional tale of the Little Red Hen with a pot-bellied pig, an iguana, and a turtle as willing and hungry helpers. Not only is the story clever and quite funny, the directions for strawberry shortcake is clear, easy (with adult supervision, of course), and absolutely delicious. (I know; I've made it.)

So is the recipe in Honey Cookies by Meredith Hooper (Frances Lincoln) in which a grandmother and grandson make honey cookies as the child learns about where the ingredients begin. Good information and another good recipe for children and adults to make together. (I know; I've tried this one, too.)

Other ideas to celebrate books and reading with children? Take a minute to post it to Bookjoy or right here. I'd love to hear from you.

Classic slow downs

Have you been around a school or even a group of children in the past few days? They seem to be having a tough time sitting still, concentrating. Lots of adults are, too. December is a busy month: presents to buy or make, wrap, give or receive; parties to prepare for; friends and family to see. And more, lots more.

Maybe it's time to slow down and celebrate the season with a good book.

You may want to start with a couple of holiday classics, like Chris Van Allsburg's Polar Express (Houghton) or How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Random) by Dr. Seuss. Though they couldn't be more different in style and presentation, both books deal with believing and faith.

Readers can visit familiar friends like in Karma Wilson's Bear Stays up for Christmas (McElderry) or share Clement Moore's The Night Before Christmas (Little Simon) again with Robert Sabuda's amazing pop-ups.

If you tired of all of the holiday brouhaha, then how about taking a look at the season? There are lots of snow-filled classics that share well again (and again and again).

Share Peter's fun on The Snowy Day (Viking) or join a girl and her father as they search for a nocturnal bird when there's an Owl Moon (Philomel). Take a close look at snowflakes with Snowflake Bentley (Sandpiper) or see how a dull town is transformed by Snow (Farrar).

And if you do slow down with a book, then maybe — just maybe — the busy season won't feel quite as frenzied.

Do as I say, not as I do

I heard that expression for the first time when my mom was teaching me to drive. She has a bit of a lead foot, and had gotten a spate of speeding tickets when I was a teenager. The new driver that I was, I stepped on the gas to reach the speed limit as quickly as possible. She turned to me and said, "Do as I say, not as I do, especially when it comes to driving!"

I find myself using that same expression these days as I talk to parents about reading to their kids: Do as I say, not as I do. Yes, it's true...I haven't been reading to my girls.

But don't take that to mean there isn't any reading going on at our house — there's plenty of that! Our trip to the library last week ended with both girls challenging the media specialist's rule: You can check out as many as you can carry. They both walked out with an armful of books they couldn't wait to read.

The problem (?) at our house is that now that both girls are reading comfortably on their own that's all they want to do — read on their own. They're really not interested in listening to me read to them.

I've faced this problem before — really not knowing a good book to use for our family read aloud. Our last dry spell catapulted me into the library to discover read alouds that we could read as a family. We've ready many, and it's tons of fun to have a family book going. We just finished James and the Giant Peach, which they loved, (maybe not as much as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) but now we're between books. And I'm not reading to them.

I know the value of reading aloud to them. I long to be the one to introduce them to some of the classic books they're not able to read on their own yet. I want to share new authors and genres, longer books with interesting vocabulary...but we're in a dry spell.

What have you read aloud? What chapter books have left your kids begging for the next chapter? Any recommendations would be MOST appreciated!

Early and often

I don't remember learning to read, really, but I do remember the warmth and pleasure when my mother read aloud to us as children. I was reminded of the power of books shared early and often when I saw a Mother's Day video done by First Book.

What is the greatest thing that adults can share with young children? How is this achieved? Certainly not by skill and drill as a recent blog by Joanne Meier suggests, but rather by supporting children's natural curiosity about their world and igniting a passion for learning.

The program to which Joanne refers relies on repetition of a particular sort. And nothing sucks the joy out of learning quicker than an unstoppable barrage of skill and drill when there's only one way, one right answer — almost like brainwashing.

All parents want the best for their children, but life is busy and often complicated. They feel that introducing math and reading concepts early on is a good thing — and it is, but it has to be appropriate and it's got to be pleasurable for both the adult and the child.

Think about it: since most adults choose not to make a habit out of something that causes incredible discomfort, why would children?

Parents need help in recognizing that small things support young children's learning a great deal. A recent project called "Where Literacy Begins" helps parents and caregivers of young children get solid ideas for children from birth to age 3 (that are readily adaptable for 3 to 6 year olds). There's not one bit of drill in it but there are books, and lots of them.

And for young children, there's no better way to stimulate an interest in their world while learning more about it than books.

Earth day and the stories in nonfiction

I remember when Earth Day was first celebrated (but I won't date myself and tell you where I was in school!). The 40th celebration will take place on April 22, 2010. In other words, Earth Day is older than the children who will celebrate it this year — and probably older than many of their parents.

It really is a worthy celebration. This is the only planet we have to live on with truly unique and diverse, multi-species inhabitants, so it seems fitting to start teaching children at an early age how they can take care of the Earth on which they live.

I had the chance to meet Sy Montgomery, last week. She not only respects the planet and its residents, she celebrates them through her exciting books. (She was in town to receive the Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award for her consistently fine body of work.)

What Ms. Montgomery does is find the story in real life, the drama in interacting with some of Earth's most intriguing and endangered creatures. She contends that every animal (including those with 2, 4 or even those with more legs or no legs at all) can teach us something. And when you read her books about flightless parrots, snow leopards, pink dolphins or some other intriguing subject, I bet you'll agree.

Good writing brings nonfiction to life. And there are many fine writers of books for children. In fact, I.N.K. (Interesting Nonfiction for Kids) is a blog by some of those writers.

Three of those fine nonfiction authors are participating in a free webinar to enhance the K-8 curriculum using nonfiction books. Better hurry though; registration closes at the end of today.)

Earth Day is a great time to bring the natural world into focus and help children realize that not only are they part of it, there's a lot more to learn about it; that discovery is still possible. And empowering a young person through books and information is truly the best! It's learning that is fun with lasting effects.