What would you do with a cardboard box??

I'm not talking about packing, although that's something I've been doing an awful lot of lately. I'm talking about using your imagination - something I find kids these days don't do enough of. What would happen if you put away the TV, the video games, the toys that do all the work for the kids, and just gave them a good old cardboard box?

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis is about just this. In this very simple and appealing picture book, a rabbit is repeatedly questioned about why he is sitting in, or standing on, or wearing, a box. Each time he explains that it is not actually a box. The accompanying pictures show him driving a race car, climbing a mountain, putting out a fire in a building, and so on. As the book progresses, the rabbit becomes less patient with the person questioning him, which gives the reader (you!) a wonderful opportunity to play it up a little bit. (Lose your patience, get a little loud!)

What I love about this book is that it gives you the opportunity to then give your child a cardboard box to play with...without them looking at you like you're insane! How much fun would it be to watch them be creative and come up with their own scenarios for this box? A little imagination can go a long way, and this book is perfect for sparking a little bit of imaginitive fun.

If you find you and your child like this book, you may want to check out Not a Stick, which is almost exactly the same, except the bunny is a pig and the box is a stick. And what kid wouldn't want to play with a stick?

The absolute best version of Mother Goose (a MUST read for little ones)

Every child simply has to listen to Mother Goose. It's a requirement of childhood. There are hundreds of books out there to choose from, but I can tell you right now which is the best. Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose cannot be topped. I dare you to try to find a book that beats this one. (Really, I do. Let me know if you find one.)

You probably know Mary Engelbreit from those calendars and postcards and such. At least that's what I always thought of when I heard her name. But when my daughter was a baby, we got this book for her, and now I will forever associate this woman with Mother Goose - and some of the best times I had with my daughter when she was little.

We read this book every single day, over and over again. I have just about all 100 of the rhymes in here memorized. My daughter loved this book, even before she could talk (or probably understand what the heck I was reading to her). What makes the book so appealing are the illustrations. Mary Engelbreit did a brilliant job of illustrating these rhymes with so many details that kids just can't get enough. One of my favorites is the illustration for "There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe", probably because the woman looks completely exasperated - and I'm pretty sure I looked like that quite a bit in those days. (Ok, I still look that way. Quite frequently.)

I now read this book to my son, and my daughter, who is now 4 1/2, still loves it. They will both sit and listen to me read the entire book. That takes a long time! But I don't mind at all. Even when I have a sink full of dishes waiting for me.

Even if you don't go out and get this book, please, please, please read your kids Mother Goose rhymes. And fairy tales. (I'll give some suggestions for those shortly.) There are far too many children out there who have never heard of these poems and stories. Not only are these a great way for children to learn and practice oral language, but they are referred to far too often for our kids to have never heard of them. And they're so much fun!

It would be hard not to like Ida B...

Ida B...and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan is just as fun, quirky, and charming as the title makes it sound. I picked this one up a few months ago at the library, but because I chose such a huge stack that day, I didn’t actually get around to reading it before it was due back. Shortly after I returned it, the professor in my middle school lit class mentioned it as a book definitely worth reading, and I figured that meant it was time for me to grab it once again. I’m so glad I did.

This is the story of Ida B, a fourth grader who is fun-loving, so happy I think it better to call it joyous, and very quirky. She has to have a schedule, she eats the same things every day at the same time, and she talks to the apple trees in her family’s orchard. And they talk back. Strange, I know. The first few chapters really focused on this, and I was a little worried about where the story was going to go… but I’m really glad I stuck with it. In fact, by the end of the book, I almost wanted to try to go talk to the trees in my backyard! (Ok, maybe not really.)

Ida B just loves life while she is home-schooled by her mom, but then her mom gets cancer. Not only do her parents not have enough time or energy for her anymore, but they sell some of their land (along with her beloved apple trees) to get money to pay for treatments, and they send her back to school. Ida B transforms from a happy-go-lucky kind of gal, to a hard-hearted, angry, and mean girl.

Over the course of the story, Ida B learns a lot about herself, her relationships, and life in general. The story has a happy ending – Her mother heals from the cancer (so no worries about that conversation) and she learns to be happy in school. She learns that it’s ok to be happy – even if things don’t work out exactly as planned.

There are a few things that were really great about this book. The language is fantastic. The way the author describes Ida B’s feelings is sure to make even the youngest reader (or listener) understand exactly what she’s going through. For example, when Ida B hears that they are selling her trees and sending her to school, her heart begins to shrink and gets smaller and smaller until it is a sharp, black stone that is small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. The author also uses phrases to “name” things in the book that are really quite hilarious. School is “that Particular Place of Slow but Sure Body-Cramping, Mind-Numbing, Fun-Killing Torture”. (Don’t worry… Ida B ends up with a fabulous teacher who shows her, and your child, that school can actually be a wonderful place.) The school bus is “the Yellow Prison of Propulsion”, and when Ida B has a great idea, it is her “Golden and Supremely Important Nugget of Wisdom”.

The other thing I thought was really great about this book was that it handled several really heavy, serious topics in a light, funny way. It deals with cancer, being a new kid, and dealing with anger, but it is in no way a really heavy or depressing book.

It’s always important to talk about a book as you’re reading it, and once you’ve finished. I don’t mean asking simple questions to see if your child “got it”, but really having conversations. This book lends itself really well to discussions about illness, and how it affects all members of a family. It’s also a great way to discuss the “mean” kid in school, and the fact that s/he probably has some bad stuff going on at home, and is just having a hard time dealing with the sadness or anger that comes along with it. It could also lead to an interesting debate on home-schooling vs. traditional schooling.

I would recommend this book for kids in grades 3 through 6. I think it could appeal to both boys and girls, even though the main character is a girl. (Boys usually don’t like that, but I think they could probably make an exception for this book.) It would be great for a child who knows someone with cancer, who is starting a new school, or really for anyone who is feeling angry over something, and might be struggling to deal with it. You could just hand it to your child to check out on their own, but I think it would make a great book to read aloud as well.

Good Ol' Shel

I am surprising myself that I’m going to start with poetry, because I’m definitely more of a story girl, but these are books that I have read over and over again, and have found that children of all ages love. I also think they’re a great place to start if you want to try reading aloud to your kids, because they are just so easy (and fun!) to read.

When I think of poetry, the first person that comes to mind is Shel Silverstein. I remember my kindergarten teacher reading his poems to the class, and it was my favorite time of the day. You have probably already heard of A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and maybe even Falling Up. (If you haven’t, you should definitely check them out.) But did you know that a new book of Shel’s poems have been released? His family found and published them. It’s called Every Thing On It, and the moment I heard about it, I knew I had to have it.

After reading the first poem in the book, I knew I was going to love it. Well, I guess I knew that before I even opened it, but you’ll see what I mean.

YEARS FROM NOW

Although I cannot see your face

As you flip these poems awhile,

Somewhere from some far-off place

I hear you laughing – and I smile.

Does that not give you chills? I mean, this brilliant man is no longer with us, and he’s still giving us these poems. Ok, maybe you’re not quite as excited about it as I am, but I promise you won’t be disappointed with the book.

Another of my favorites from Shel is not a book of poems, like the ones mentioned above, but a long poem turned picture book. A Giraffe and a Half is funny from beginning to end, and will have children of all ages laughing. The illustrations of what the child in the book does to this giraffe are just as funny as the words themselves, and are sure to send your kids into a laughing fit. A suggestion for reading… Try to read each page in one breath. This means you will have to read quickly, with a rhythm, and you’ll probably be running out of breath by the end. Reading it this way makes my kids laugh hysterically.

One more book that I feel must be mentioned here is The Giving Tree. Unlike most of his other works, this book is not funny. It is the story of a tree that loves a boy. The boy grows older and needs the tree less and less, but the tree continues to do everything it can for the boy. Parents will recognize this as the story of a parent and child, but children (who usually don’t make this connection) love it as well.

If you’d like to hear Shel read some of these poems himself, you can buy the A Light in the Attic CD. I found that I really enjoyed Shel’s voice and style of reading, and in fact, I didn’t even mind when my kids insisted on listening to the 39 poems on the CD over… and over… and over…

Snuggle up, get comfy, and grab a good book... It's time to read aloud.

When our kids are little, we read to them. It’s just something parents of young children do. But at some point, we stop. Our kids become older, more independent, and they learn to read themselves. So they read on their own. In this post, I’m suggesting that we should continue to read to them for as long as they’ll let us. I know many children in middle school who still love being read to.

There are so many benefits to reading aloud to your kids. The obvious one is that it’s time spent together. It’s even better if you snuggle up together somewhere comfortable while you do it. This is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my kids, and they love it too. Besides being time well spent, it helps kids to learn to love reading. And simply put, the more they enjoy reading, the better readers they will become. If they see reading as a wonderful thing to do, a chance to get comfortable and escape into a good story, they will be much more likely to do it, and to do it well.

We hear all the time about reading comprehension, and making sure kids are reading books they are able to comprehend. This is very important. If they can’t understand what they’re reading, because the words are too long or complicated, or the vocabulary slows them down, there isn’t much point to reading it. But do we really want them to be exposed to only those books they can figure out on their own? What about their oral comprehension? Kids can understand stories that are much more complex than those they can read themselves. Reading aloud to children, even older ones who are reading chapter books on their own, can expose them to more complex story lines, more fully developed characters, and more sophisticated language. These are all things that will ultimately help improve their reading abilities.

There is a right and a wrong way to read aloud. Have you ever listened to a parent read a story to their child in a monotone voice, with no change in pace or tone, and no facial expression? That would be the wrong way.

The first thing you want to do is pick a book you enjoy. It’s very hard to read a book you dislike in an engaging way. Then when you read, all snuggled up and cozy, use your voice to tell the story. Use different voices for different characters. You may feel funny doing this at first, but kids love it, and it’s actually quite fun. When a story is building suspense, read slowly. Pause right before exciting events. If something very exciting is happening, read quickly to build upon the excitement. If there is something bad happening, or about to happen, lower your voice and speak slowly. You might even whisper. If a character is feeling very happy or excited, read in a high-pitched voice more quickly than you otherwise would. And always read the last sentence of a story very slowly. It’s a great way to end a book.

It’s very easy to read this way when sharing picture books with your kids, but you can do it with chapter books as well. Keep in mind, though, that even older kids (and some adults!) enjoy picture books. They aren’t just for the little guys!

If you want to learn more about reading aloud to your kids, there are some great books out there. My absolute favorite is Reading Magic by Mem Fox. She is the author of dozens of children’s books, and this book for parents is really just wonderful. You might consider getting the audio version, as she is really amazing at reading aloud. I don’t necessarily agree with all of her ideas on how kids learn to read, but the tips she gives on reading aloud are really great. Another book you might want to check out is The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. This has more read-aloud tips, as well as lists of books to start with.

The most important thing you can do is to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone involved. You don’t want to feel rushed, or stressed, or pressure your child in any way while you’re reading. Just relax, pick up a great book, and give it a shot. Remember, what you’re really doing is teaching your child that reading is fun, and therefore making it something that they will want to do. You are creating a reader.

I've finally gone and done it...

I've thought about doing this for years, and have finally decided it's time to stop waiting. Why not start my own blog? I love reading, I love writing, so why not write about what I read? Being a mom and a teacher means that I love reading children's books. I also understand that many parents could use a little help finding good books for their kids to read. So... That's what I'm here to do!

I have read hundreds and hundreds of kids' books, from board books to teen novels. I plan to write about as many of them as I possibly can. I figure after just a few weeks of doing this, I ought to have plenty of books for you, my new readers, to choose from. :)

My posts may be all over the place a bit at first... board books, then Harry Potter, then some random book that caught my eye at the library and I had to read. I'll also probably do some posts about my views on getting children to read. I am a teacher, after all!

So I'm off on my blogging journey! I hope you can find something of use to you here (and that you'll want to keep coming back)!