The World is a Book: How to Help Your Kids Prepare for a Family Trip (Guest Post)

Some of you might remember a post I wrote several months ago about motherhood. In it, I encouraged all of us to identify the parts of motherhood that bring us joy and focus on those instead of on the things that make us stressed or frustrated. Today I'm pleased to introduce you to one of my dearest friends, Kathy, who has a whole set of mothering strengths that will blow you away.

When I was a brand new mother myself, we lived in a little white duplex; Kathy lived across the street in a little apartment above a dry cleaners. Our days were spent walking back and forth across the busy road, babysitting each other's kids, exercising in the early morning hours, sharing dinner, and talking about absolutely everything. Kathy was my lifeline, a true friend that I could call up at any hour of the day and she would come running to my aid. I can't tell you how many times I've wished we were still neighbors.

Last summer, Kathy and her husband, James, went on a vacation to Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany . . . with three of their young children. Mike and I thought they were crazy! But the great thing about Kathy is that she is a planner. For months leading up to the trip, she did activities and read books and prepared her kids for all of the adventures they were going to have. Today she's sharing a sampling of what they did to get ready for the trip, and it is amazing and inspiring, but I wanted to preface her thoughts with the reminder that we are all different mothers. Kathy LOVES to plan and create. She is extremely talented at both, and these things bring her joy as a mother. My hope with this post is that you won't feel like a trip can only be a success if you do all these things leading up to it, but that you will take away the things that inspire and bring you joy and make them a part of your next vacation.(And if an overseas trip isn't in your immediate future, you can take a virtual trip by reading all of the fantastic books recommended in this post.) And now, here's Kathy . . . 

As a little girl my dad gave my seven siblings and me a national parks passport book. We were fairly poor and had limited vacation days in the summer, but we had a big van, an equally big tent, lots of family and friends scattered across the nation and undying love for adventure.  Before I was 16, I had been to nearly 40 states and had visited everywhere from Mount Rushmore to George Washington Carver’s Farm and Monument. Not only did it teach me a love for people and places, it taught me to cope with my natural anxiety and fears. As an adult I still tend to get a little or a lot nervous before trips, but I have discovered that reading, researching, and preparing mentally before a trip is super therapeutic.  I am not a professional trip planner or a home schooling mom with tons of experience, but I am a mom of 4 great kids, a world traveler, and a former junior high teacher, so that counts for something, right?! I asked Amy if I could share on her site some ways that I have prepared and planned for a family trip we took last summer, in hopes that these books or ideas could help spark some ideas for you and your family on your next great adventures.

Last summer in 2017, we took three of our four kids to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. My sister is like a second mom to my kids and convinced us to let her watch our 18 month old. (Yes, she’s a saint and yes, it was a hard choice but it turned out that our 7, 5, and 3 year olds kept us plenty busy!) I lived in Italy for 18 months as a missionary, so we spent most of our time there visiting places and people that I love. I could spend an entire post telling you about all the exciting activities and details, like getting four of our bags stolen from our car parked in Pisa, but since this is a website about books, I’ll share with you my kid’s favorite books that helped them to prepare for the trip. 

The Flying Bed by Nancy Willard has the most incredible illustrations and is so magical! Even if you never plan to visit Florence, you should read this book. Stone Giant by Jane Sutcliffe also is beautifully illustrated but it also teaches so much about the Statue David in such a fun, easy to read story. We all loved this book, and it helped us to focus on the meaning of the statue instead of the nudity…which was good to talk about as well. I,Galileo by Bonnie Christensen was a fantastic biography that made us all marvel at what a scientific genius and determined forward thinking soul he was. Pinocchio by Carlo Callodi was long and way less sugar coated in its original, non-Disney form. But the kids learned a lot from this Italian classic and all ended up purchasing Pinocchio dolls from vendors in Italy. Ciao Bambino  by Danna Leahy is a very simple, cute book that my littlest enjoyed. It gives good exposure to their first Italian words. Who was Leonardo da Vinci by Roberta Edwards was a favorite for my 7 year old. She also read the Magic Tree House book about him, but I’d agree with her that this biography gives you more cool facts about him.

Each week over the summer, we worked on a project or craft that helped us learn more about the places we were going to visit and celebrate their unique culture and history. We presented what we did each Monday at our family night. The kids made research posters,  acrylic paintings, clay sculptures, dioramas, power point presentations, ancient looking maps, gondolas out of tinfoil, venetian masks out of plaster & paint, and short stories. They also colored information cards about each major landmark that we’d see. I love to sew and I couldn’t resist sewing matching Sound of Music play clothes for the kids out of this fabric. We went on a few hikes over the summer to practice hiking and walking long distances. I also rubbed relaxing scented lotion on their feet every night for a month as they laid down to fall asleep in hopes that it would help program them to relax and fall asleep on the airplane and in unfamiliar beds. I’m not sure if it was purely the lotion trick or running laps around the airport during our 6 hour layover, but they all slept the entire flight from Toronto to Rome. So maybe it’s worth a try.

I wanted to make a book for this trip so that the kids could get more out of each day but once I pondered binding costs and the time and effort, I decided to just buy this darling travel journal made by Lonely Planet. It has lots of cute activity pages and prompts that my kids loved! I bought one for my 7 year old and one for my 6 year old. It was a hit and hopefully something they can look back on when their memory fades away.

The journal, however, was missing some personalized pages and elements that I really wanted so I made these pages above.  I borrowed my friends Polaroid Zip Wireless printer  and let the kids print off a picture of their favorite moment each day and stick it in the square I had made for each day. It helped them know what was happening next, as well as documenting the silver lining in each day. I also made a page for what they ate and watched on the airplane, a page for each of our homes or apartments we stayed at with lots of pictures so they knew before what to expect, a Gelato score card, and a job chart with a spinning wheel so each person got a special job and responsibility each day.

When the aforementioned stolen luggage incident happened in Pisa, my husband and I pondered cutting our trip short and flying home early. We counseled with our kids and asked what they thought. My seven year old was still heart broken over the loss of her favorite toy and soft baby blankie, but she emphatically said, “No way mom! There is still so much beautiful stuff we haven’t seen yet. We’ve got to keep going.” She was right. Just look at those Austrian Alps! So if after all your planning and hard work, things don’t turn out just how you hoped, just remember that there is still so much beauty waiting for you to discover! You’ll find it if you just keep exploring and trying!

Kathy and her family are headed to Mexico later this summer, and she has agreed to come back to the blog and share some of the books they've read and activities they've done to prepare for that trip. If you have any specific questions for her, feel free to ask them in the comments!

And finally, here are a few more book recommendations from Kathy:

More Books About Italy and Austria that We Read :

o    Agatha, Girl of Mystery by Steve Stevenson

o   Austria by Sean Sheehan

o   Beethoven for Kids by Helen Bauer

o   Best Book of Ancient Rome by Deborah Jane Murrell

o   Carnival at Candlelight (Magic Tree House) by Mary Pope Osborne

o   Columbus by Demi

o   Count Silvernose by Eric Kimmel

o   Hero On a Bicycle by Shirley Hughes

o   I, Vivaldi by Janice Jordan Shefelman

o   Kids in Ancient Rome by Lisa Wroble

o   Michelangelo for Kids by Simonetta Carr

o   Mira’s Diary: Home Sweet Rome by Melissa Moss

o   Monday with a Mad Genius (Magic Tree House) by Mary Pope Osborne

o   Neo Leo: the Ageless Ideas of Leonardo DaVinci by Gene Barretta

o   Roman Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann

o   Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak

o   Sound of Music Story by Tom Santopietro

o   T is for Toscana by Gary Kelley

o   The Airport Book by Lisa Brown

o   The Diary of Melanie Martin by Carol Weston 

o   The Italian Riviera by Fabrizio Ardito

o   The Mystery in Venice by Geronimo Stilton

o   The Tower of Pisa by James Barter

o   The All Powerful Ring: A Primo Story by John Marciano

o   Venice by Rossi Renzo

Raising Readers: Everyday Tips (Guest Post)

I feel a certain kinship with today's Raising Readers guest. Ana is a mom of four boys who loves to read. Sound familiar? (wink wink) I found her blog several years ago and felt that instant connection that comes from similar interests and experiences. Her boys are a little bit older than mine, and I love her posts about what they're reading (she breaks it down into the 4-6 and 8-12 year range) because I always come away with new ideas for my own kids. I also enjoy the things she shares about the books she's reading herself, personality types (we're both introverts), parenting, and cooking.

In this post, she gives a number of easy-to-implement, but instantly rewarding, tips for raising readers. We follow pretty much all of these in our home in one form or another, so I can vouch for them! Please share your own tips in the comments!
 

By reading a book, we learn compassion and empathy by walking alongside a character with a completely different worldview and life experience than our own.  We can relive history, or explore fantasy worlds that exist only in the imagination.  Reading engages our creativity and imparts wisdom.  It connects people across time and space.  It allows us to vicariously experience things we would never otherwise be able to.

I've always been a bookworm, so it makes me happy and proud that today my boys are all strong readers.  However, they weren't all born loving to read.  Anyone, child or adult, can develop a love of reading.  Reading is something I've spent time nurturing and reinforcing in my children, because I feel it's important.  Here are my secrets to raising kids who love to read:

Start early, if you can
Two of my four boys started life out as preemies in the NICU.  The doctors and nurses encouraged us to read to them, so we sat next to their crib, making our way through piles of children's books.  Babies love the sound of your voice, and the earlier you can start reading to them, the better. However, I freely admit that this strategy was much more difficult to implement with my last baby.  We logged a lot of reading time in the quiet NICU, but once he came home, one-on-one time was scarce, as I also had a houseful of older brothers to contend with.

Use technology to include reading in more active parts of their day
I often play audio books when the boys are busy with Legos, trains, cars, art projects or play dough.  (This helps the overall noise level of our house as well, which helps keep me sane).  I fight my type A personality's tendency to push pause if one of them leaves the room, or to meticulously note the exact second where we left off at our previous listening session.  I think they absorb a lot while the audio book plays, even if it doesn't have their undivided attention.

We also use audio books on car trips of 45 minutes or longer. It makes the time pass so much faster, and is great for books that are slightly above their reading level.

My oldest son really enjoys listening to books on playaway devices, which he checks out from our library.  If you're not familiar with them, a playaway device is about the size of a deck of cards.  They're battery operated, and you listen to them with ear buds.  They're so small and light, you can take them about anywhere.

Don't overwhelm kids with books too far above their reading level
I have learned to relax and adjust my standards a lot over the course of my parenting journey.  I read Farmer Boy to my oldest son when he was three years old, and I expected him to sit quietly and listen attentively for long periods of time.  I had this idyllic image of him sitting for hours on end, enraptured with the story, and I was disappointed when that didn't happen.

As a bookworm parent, I knew the world was filled with great books, and I just couldn't wait to introduce the boys to my favorites!  So I jumped the gun a little.  Many classic books have early reader abridged versions for children, and even picture book adaptations for toddlers.  These are wonderful ways to introduce characters and story lines to children, and as they grow, they can revisit these familiar friends in more advanced and original editions.

Let them read what they want to read
One of the most important lessons I've learned when it comes to books and kids is that reading is reading is reading.  Often what I want my boys to read doesn't line up with what they're interested in.

One of my middle sons didn't begin life as an enthusiastic reader.  In my struggle and frustration, I searched for anything he would read, and I struck gold with Star Wars.  In my desperation, I brought home bags of Star Wars books home from the library, and they ended up converting him into an eager reader.  He now reads well above his grade level in school and reads a (mostly) wide variety of books.

I often remind myself that I loved Baby Sitter's Club books as a young teen.  Even if your children NEVER read the classic literature you want them to, reading books improves the mind.  Period.  (Although on the flip side, I also believe in gently encouraging your children to stretch their comfort zone in the reading material they choose).

Reward reading and encourage growth in reading selections
This summer, I came up with my own reading program, which we'll do in addition to our library's summer reading program.  My program gives more points for reading books they've never read before, and less points for books about video games.  There are also bonus points available for types of books I would like them to read.  They're still free to choose what they want, but hopefully the incentive will influence their book choices.

We let our boys check out anything (appropriate) they want from the library. I also check out things I hope they'll read, and leave the books around the house in plain sight. It doesn't always work, but it often does, and I don't make a big deal out of it if they don't want to read my choices. I just keep requesting more.

Visit your local library regularly, and for more than just the books
When the boys were little, we were regulars at our library's story time. We're really blessed to have a great library system that has lots of quality children's programs and events. Just making the library a familiar, happy place with good memories in it, lays the groundwork for the habit of reading.

Libraries  are a goldmine of resources for all kinds of interesting learning experiences for children and adults.  Our library has classes on making artisan ice cream, growing berries, reading clubs for children and adults, concerts put on by local musicians, and much more.

Limit screen time
Outside of school, our boys get 30 minutes of screen time of their choosing, for either TV or games/other electronics. Some families probably think that's too harsh, and some probably think it's too lenient, but it works well for our family. As a result, our house watches little TV, which means more time for reading.

If you watch a movie, make sure to read the book first
I also try to always have my boys read the book first, before we watch the movie version. Often, movies are somewhat empty shells of books, and that's even when they're done well. Most books contain way too many details to fit into a hour and a half time frame, so lots of things get cut. By reading the book first, it forces their imaginations to do all the work.

Reading has brought so much enjoyment to my own life, I naturally wanted to share that with my children.  By instilling the love of reading in a child, you broaden the horizons of their world.  For a little while, they can see life through the eyes of a King or Queen, an astronaut, a Roman soldier, a pioneer, an alien or a dog.  Summer is a great time to strengthen your child's love of reading, no matter where they're starting from, so visit your library and help them pick out books they're interested in, and read together.

Ana lives in an old farmhouse, where she wrangles a pack of boys.  When she's not refereeing light saber battles or watching backyard baseball games, she loves to read, garden, craft and cook from scratch. She blogs about it all at Lessons From Yesterday.

Raising Readers: The Quick and Easy Method (Guest Post)

Out of all of the Raising Readers guests I've had here on the blog, today's is the first one I've actually hung out with at the park. Jen is one of my very dear friends, and, after today, I'm pretty sure you'll wish she was one of yours, too. Jen was a special guest at my little preschool co-op, she filled in as book club host for me one time at the last minute, and she even saved my life after a bad reaction to the flu shot (true story, although maybe slightly exaggerated).

We share a love of books and reading (although she likes science fiction quite a bit more than I do), and you've probably heard her name mentioned on the blog before because she's the reason why I stuck with Middlemarch last year. Ever practical and down-to-earth, I think you'll enjoy hearing about the way she's fostered a love of reading in her home.

Let me just start by saying that I am a Sunlit Pages superfan.  I am lucky enough to know Amy IRL (in real life – see? I’m hip) so I know that her blog isn’t a carefully curated game of smoke and mirrors.  She is actually that awesome. IRL.

Now, I’ll be honest, when I read Sunlit Pages, I am 90% inspired and 10% overwhelmed (the ratios skew toward overwhelmed if a glue gun is involved).  When Amy asked me to write this post on Raising Readers my initial thought was, “what could I possibly have to add?” because probably the most thoughtful thing I do to foster a love of reading in my kids (my son is 8, daughter 4) is follow this blog for suggestions!

But Amy and I are Book Friends. I’m sure you know what I am talking about. Yes, we have kids the same age (we met while pregnant!) and we are both stay-at- home-moms (or co-workers, as I like to say) but the core of our friendship is our mutual love of books. We are in the same Book Club and have even branched out to our own mini-book clubs (Middlemarch, now Crossing to Safety). So, how could I say no?

As a way of introduction, I should mention that I am a bit Type A. I am a physician by training and one does not survive medical school and residency without organization skills. I am a planner, a researcher, an organizer. I subscribe to Consumer Reports, I was buying BPA-free plastic before it was trendy, and this is what we look like during a smog-filled inversion:

So I guess I was a little surprised when I realized I haven’t been exactly meticulous with respect to my children’s reading education (it’s also surprising that I am fairly messy – my husband is nodding in the background). I have spurts of effort where I try to be more thoughtful and intentional about encouraging a love of reading. (These spurts usually involve searching Sunlit Pages and putting a flurry of holds at the library.)  But mostly I depend on it just soaking in somehow. But I do have one tip.

Are you ready for my secret technique?

Ignore Your Children.

I am confidently teaching my children that reading is important by showing them that it is even more important than them sometimes!

I remember when my son was learning to walk and I moved the furniture around our small apartment’s living room so as to form a sort of pen.  He wandered around and around the pen holding on to the furniture while I sat in the middle with a book, periodically looking up to smile and clap.

I still do that. My kids build forts, set up imaginary shops or play in the backyard, and I am reading.

One thing I am always careful about is reading an actual book.  Since I get the majority of my books from the library, this is not difficult.  But I don’t want there to be any confusion about why I am ignoring them.  Mommy is not on the iPhone, she is not playing Plants vs. Zombies, she is READING. A book.  It’s Important.  Even when I listen to a book with my headphones while cooking dinner I make a point to tell them that’s what I am doing.

Ok, I have one more.

Let Them Have Farts.

There appears to be no end to an 8 year-old’s fascination with farts, poop, burps and all other manner of grossness.  I have just decided to accept it and move on.  When I think back to my favorite books as a tween and teen I would be remiss if I didn’t note that in addition to James Harriet and Beverly Cleary, my addiction to Sweet Valley High was profound. So when my 8-year- old wants to read Calvin and Hobbes before bed or checks out Captain Underpants at school, I shrug and am grateful he is reading.

I come from a long line of Bibliophiles. Long before everyone was sitting in the same room ignoring each other by looking at their smartphones, my family was sitting in a room ignoring each other while immersed in our books. My mom has over 500 titles on her Amazon reader account, and it is only 5 years old. My dad spends more time planning what books to pack for a trip than clothes. This is considered normal behavior:

(One of my father’s bookcases)

So, I guess what I’m saying is that in justifying my parental laziness when it comes to encouraging my kids to love books, it boils down to this:

It’s never occurred to me that they wouldn’t.

Jen will always be a Californian at heart but is ecstatic to have landed here in beautiful Utah. She has an abiding love of books and all the questions contained therein. She's into Dutch braiding, Bento box lunches and the Twilight series, and she doesn't care who knows it. 

Raising Readers: How to Raise a Family of Readers (Guest Post)

Today I'm pleased to introduce you to my blogging friend, Erin, who hails from the land down under. I believe we first "met" through the Read-Aloud Revival facebook page (when it still existed). Erin is a homeschooling mom of ten children (yes, ten!), and I'm continually inspired by the way she balances education and real-life experiences and fun. They are currently renovating their house, and the whole family is involved in the construction. (I'm especially excited to see their completed home library--squeal!!) Her blog posts about books and glimpses into everyday life in rural Australia are not to be missed, and she is just an all-around really nice person. I hope you'll appreciate her insights into how she and her husband have raised a family of readers.

Reading in our household is an integral part of our family culture: our children are read to from birth through to their teenage years, reading independently is nurtured, and reading as a pastime is highly valued. Our children are surrounded by books as our home literally contains thousands of books: books purchased, gifted and found at book sales. Both my husband and I are readers as are our children; conversations, activities and movie watching are entwined around our love of reading.  Simply, reading is something we do as a family. 

As I reflected upon how we have grown a reading culture, I asked our adult children and teens who have been nurtured in this environment to contribute their thoughts as to how we’ve managed to raise readers; the younger children also wanted to contribute. The children’s insights are fascinating,
and it was enlightening to hear reoccurring themes. Essentially, our children felt the key components of raising readers in our family have been: our family read-alouds, the emphasis placed on the value of reading and the time allowed for this, our insistence on quality literature, the teaching and nurturing of burgeoning readers, sibling interest and passion shared, a family culture created, the sheer amount of books they are surrounded with, and my willingness to search for books of interest for each individual child and my quest to provide them with these books, whether via our own shelves, the library or purchasing. Admittedly, scouring book lists and searching for the ‘morsel to tantalise the taste buds’ of some of our children is an endeavour that has consumed many hours over the years.  I’ll allow the children to speak for themselves.

Question: “Why do you think you are a reader? What did we do to support reading in our family?”

Anna Maria – 22

“You read read-alouds to us as children. We enjoyed a wide range of quality literature; you made sure the books we read were quality books. Lots of emphasis was placed on reading. You bought lots of books; we went to book sales and the library.  You modelled reading and you talked about books.”

Carpenter – 21

“We had a ready supply of books and options. You found books in the genre I liked and supported me in my love of series. You would search to find books I was interested in and were willing to buy the books and series if we couldn’t find them at the library. You would go through our shelves at home and find books I might be interested in and give me huge piles to select from.

You read read-alouds to us, taught me to read, and encouraged me to read. When I was younger and learning to read, the ‘reading caterpillars’ (a family competition) motivated me to learn. I was also motivated by them later.”

Einstein – 19

“From a young age reading was encouraged. When learning to read we received lots of praise; when we had progressed and began reading short books and later chapter books we received lots more praise. Learning to read was a big deal. As we continued strengthening our skills it was all praiseworthy.

We were encouraged to read; a love and care of reading was fostered. I love reading.”

Michelangelo – 16

“You taught me to read, provided books at my level of reading ability. You had a good selection of books. You found books and series of interest I would enjoy. My older brothers and sisters shared their enthusiasm for and encouraged me to read particular books. Our rule of having to read the book before watching the movie created interest.”

Princess – 14

“We live in a reading environment. You are constantly suggesting books for me to read. Reading is considered important; it’s ‘the way’ to relax.”

Jelly Bean – 11

“You found books I was able to read that were interesting and made sure there were library books all around that I would like, that helped me want to learn to read. It helped having a supportive Mum who didn’t get angry, who was patient when I was learning to read."

Jack Jack – 9

“I want to read interesting books; I want to know what happens in the story.”

Jem – 7

“Reading is fun; I want to be able to read interesting books. It’s not fun learning how to read, but it is worth it. “

A reading environment doesn’t automatically translate to early reading. In fact, not many of our children learnt to read at a young age; indeed, most read at an average, or later than average, age, with a couple not reading independently and for pleasure until the age of eleven. Our goal however is to create a love of books and reading within each of our children and that we have succeeded at.

Our desire and commitment is to expose our children to primarily quality literature; whilst we are by no means purists, the benefits of exposing our children to rich literature and ideas which are manifold are now playing dividends.

We are in the enviable position that while ‘reaping the fruits of our labour’ with our older children, we are still able to experience the wonder of introducing a two-year-old to the world of books, a pastime she loves as her demands ‘read to me’ indicate. Our five-year-old is at that beautiful stage
where he is beginning to discover the magic of the written word for himself, as well as continuing to enjoy picture books and transitioning to listening to chapter books with his older siblings.

I encourage you to begin creating a reading culture within your family today. Begin with one chapter at a time; snuggle, share, cry and laugh together. The rewards are rich indeed.

Whether you have one child or ten, grandchildren or nieces and nephews, how are YOU raising a family of readers?

Erin wanted to be a librarian as a child, issuing the neighbourhood children with library cards and stamping the family books in and out, she can’t remember a time she couldn’t read. She makes her home in Australia with her husband and ten children ranging from twenty-two to two years, where they are literally surrounded by thousands of books. She chats about books, family and home education at Seven Little Australians and @sevenlittleaustralianscounting.

Raising Readers: What You Need to Know About Nonfiction (Guest Post)

I discovered Alysa's blog a couple of years ago, and we instantly connected over our love of children's literature.

Alysa is a graphic novel enthusiast (she just finished serving as a Round 2 Cybils judge in the graphic novel category), and since that is not a genre I am particularly well-versed in, I love to go to her blog for recommendations. In February, she made a goal to write a post on her blog every day (every day!), and she totally accomplished it with wit and style and humor.

Today she's sharing some tips about how to raise a reader who loves nonfiction. I feel like I'm constantly on the lookout for great nonfiction books that will please all my kids, but especially my rather picky six-year-old. I hope you find this post helpful, too!

Over the past month or so, I've had a couple of friends ask me about how to help their kids get into reading non-fiction. Perhaps they asked because they know I have an elementary education background. Maybe they asked because they know I judged non-fiction for kids in the Cybils. Or maybe they just asked because we are friends and it was on their minds. Anyway, I thought what I told them might help you, too. 

There are two types of non-fiction: narrative and non-narrative. Actually, there are many types of non-fiction, but they can all be roughly divided into two categories: narrative, and non-narrative. 

You know that a narrative is a story. So, narrative non-fiction is true stories—think about biographies and historical accounts. Non-narrative non-fiction is true facts—think about the Guinness Book of World Records or My First Book of Numbers. 

If your children enjoy fiction, I recommend introducing them to some narrative non-fiction. This category of non-fiction book is designed to be read straight through. My friend Kirstin said that she had tried some non-fiction with her kids but, "they asked me to stop reading! They said they were done. And they never say that they're done with a book." I asked her a little bit about the book, and it was non-narrative. Since her three kids are all pre-kindergarten, I'm not surprised they didn't stay interested in the book. 

What keeps us interested in non-narrative (sometimes called expository or informational) non-fiction, is that it is answering our questions. I know kids who read the dictionary for fun, but I wasn't one of them. I use the dictionary when I have a question. And that's perfectly fine. Informational non-fiction is designed to be dipped into, to be picked up in the middle. It's organized so that you can quickly find what you want and get out. It's a beautiful thing, but it's different from narrative, and kids who don't know how to read in this way might need a little more help from you. Kirstin's kids might have stayed more engaged with their book if she had guided them towards some questions about the subject. If you're not accustomed to pausing during reading and talking with the kids, this could seem strange at first. But if you think of non-fiction books as a way to engage your kids in deep and meaningful conversations, you'll find success. 

It is definitely worth it to help your kids enjoy non-fiction. And it's easier now than ever to get them going on it. Remember when I said you could think of biographies and historical accounts as two kinds of narrative non-fiction? Well there are so many more. There are picture books that tell the story of volcanoes creating island. There are bird watching guides that have a conversational tone and just really suck you in. 

That's the biggest thing that I learned when I judged the non-fiction category for the Cybils. The Cybils only accepts nominees that are narrative, it doesn't take workbooks or collections of facts or other informational non-fiction. And I was totally shocked by how much amazing narrative non-fiction is out there. The quantity and the diversity of the nominees blew my socks off. "This is NOT the non-fiction I grew up with!" I found myself saying. 

So, next time you take the kids to the library, I hope you take a minute to browse the non-fiction in the children's section. (If they have a "new" shelf especially for non-fiction, go praise your librarian.) Now that you know a little more about narrative and non-narrative non-fiction, you'll be better prepared to help your kids pick something they like and learn how to read it.  

Remember, if it's narrative, you can treat it a lot more like a typical read-aloud. If it's non-narrative, don't be afraid to dive in the middle, stop once your questions have been answered, or just enjoy the pictures and captions. Different books are meant to be read differently. 

Alysa makes her online home at Everead, where she has been writing about children's literature since 2008. Her offline home, in Connecticut, is equally well stocked with books, opinions, and optimism. She loves refried beans and being a stay-at-home-librarian to three young patrons.

Katy and the Big Snow (a Guest Post on What Do We Do All Day)

Today I'm over at What Do We Do All Day sharing a favorite winter picture book and a sensory activity to go along with it.

From the post:

"One of our favorite spreads in [Katy and the Big Snow] is the map of Geoppolis. All of the buildings are numbered, and then, along the perimeter of the page, there's a closeup of each labeled building. It's one of those pictures you really have to stop and study for at least five minutes before moving on.

That picture was the inspiration for this fun, sensory-related extension activity. We decided to make our own city with various types of "snow" that Katy could dig her way out of."

To read the rest of the post and see just exactly how we made it snow, head on over to What Do We Do All Day. (And while you're over there, be sure to check out Erica's two most recent book lists: one for kids who love Roald Dahl and the other for kids who love The Chronicles of Narnia--I added a bunch of books to our future readaloud list.)

There was something really satisfying in seeing the realization of this activity because it was something I'd had in my head for a long time. Every time we read Katy and the Big Snow, I'd think, Wouldn't it be fun to create our own city, and if we did, what types of materials could we use for snow? My kids really took control of the project and were even more creative and excited (and, I admit, messy) than I imagined or hoped they would be. It was exactly the kind of activity we needed to get us through February.

Raising Readers: How My Parents Raised Readers Without Being Avid Readers Themselves (Guest Post)

It's the first Monday of the month, which means it's time for another post about Raising Readers. Today you'll be hearing from my friend, Carolyn--a mother, reader, blogger, and fellow advocate of raising readers.

Over the last year, my path has crossed virtually with Carolyn's many times, and each one has been a delight. She is friendly and encouraging, and she has a wealth of knowledge that is enviable. Her blog, House full of Bookworms, is a great source for new books, book lists, and realistic tips. It's a treat to have her here today, sharing some of her insights on how to encourage reading even if you don't have a lot of time (or interest) for it yourself.

My brother and I have always gotten along well. And one of the greatest things we've always shared is our love of books.

Beginning in middle school, I can remember my brother and I sharing book recommendations with each other and becoming immersed in the same fictional worlds. Even today, we enjoy sharing new series and authors we have discovered with each other.

I've often thought it was a fluke that my brother and I both turned out to be such lovers of books. My parents didn't read much, other than their Bibles, as we were growing up (although they are both readers now, particularly my mom).

Or maybe, I thought, the reading gene had skipped a generation. My grandmother was an avid reader. Maybe my brother and I inherited our obsession with books from her.

But as I've thought more about this topic, I believe there are some very essential things my mom did that fostered our love of reading.

In the reading community there is a lot of talk about what parents can do to create life-long readers. Some of the most highly touted techniques seem to be reading aloud, letting kids see you read, and filling your home with books.

I grew up with none of these. We had some books, but certainly not a large library of them. Nor did my parent take us to the library often. I never remember seeing my parents reading, nor can I recall being read to (though I know my parents read to me before I could read on my own).

So, for my brother and I to have both become avid readers, different forces had to be in effect.

Here are the three things I think my mom did right to foster our love of reading.

1. My mom took us to bookstores and allowed us to pick what was interesting to us--Now, I'm not saying you should give your kids carte blanche at the bookstore. Things have changed, and even in the children's section, there are many books that may not be appropriate for your child or family. And I should point out that my mom generally took us to the Christian bookstore, so I guess she was able to feel comfortable with whatever we might pick out. Taking your kids to the library is wonderful, but owning your own books is something altogether different and special. I still own most of the books I collected throughout my childhood.
2. My mom recommended books, but she never took offense that my tastes differed greatly from hers--My mom and I have very different tastes in books. Most of the classics she recommended to me I now adore, like Little House on the Prairie. Some I still loathe after multiple tries (like The Great Gatsby). But, as a kid, I adored fantasy, a genre my mom doesn't particularly care for. But she never criticized my choice of reading material, and she continued to buy me the books I enjoyed while gently recommending others that might broaden my horizons.
3. My mom made room for free time and allowed us to be bored--I think this is key. We had activities and things we did, but we were by no means over-scheduled (at least not before high school rolled around). Nor were we given many chores (for good or ill). We had time to play outside, think, dream, and read. We also played Nintendo and watched movies. But we read because we had time.

So, I want to say thank you, Mom. You have more to do with my love of reading than you (or I) may have realized.

Carolyn is a Texas gal who believes the proper plural of you is “y’all.” She loves reading children’s books with (and without) her four children. She reviews her favorites (books, not children) on her blog, House full of Bookworms.

Raising Readers: A Tale of Two Boys (Guest Post)

I have mentioned Erica of What Do We Do All Day at least a dozen times on this blog. She is one of my go-to resources for book recommendations, math activities, and game suggestions, and today I am so pleased and thrilled to welcome her to Sunlit Pages.

Erica is the mom of two boys, both of whom approached learning to read in very different ways. At one level or another, I think this is something most parents can relate to, and so I asked Erica if she would talk a little bit about how she embraced and and encouraged these different styles of learning. Her advice is both practical and applicable, and I'm pretty sure you're going to love it.

Reading aloud to my kids has always been a mainstay in my parenting toolbox. It is my go-to activity when my kids are annoying, fighting, tired, needy, upset -- essentially all those kid behaviors that I find very difficult to manage without losing my mind. I can always diffuse a difficult situation by picking up a book and starting to read aloud. My kids will stop what they are doing and come right over. The lure of stories is much greater than the lure of annoying one’s brother. You might argue about the merits of this parenting technique but one positive result is that both of my boys, ages 7 and (almost) 11, adore books.

(Not) Teaching My Kids To Read

Even though I read aloud to both boys as much as possible they each took very different paths towards learning to read. Whereas my approach to reading aloud was “do as much as possible”, my strategy to teach reading was exactly the opposite: do almost nothing at all.

Kid #1: Early, Often and Everything

My older son surprised me by teaching himself to read at the tender age of 3.5.  Of course I attributed this to my totally amazing plan of reading aloud all the time! Okay, not really. He just has the kind of brain that picks up systems really easily. As soon as his brain realized that decoding text was a system, he figured it out.

From that point on my entire job was to find appropriate books for him to read. I had only to set a stack of books in front of him and he would sit down and read them all. Six years later, even though he now chooses his own books, my son cannot see a book without picking it up and reading it. Non-fiction, fiction, short, long, easy, challenging – if it contains words, he reads it with zero coaxing from me.

Let me tell you that having a young child who loves to read independently is wonderful when you need a break from the daily grind of parenting.

Kid #2: Late, Rarely and Selective

My second child took a much more typical path to becoming a reader. Although I read no less to him than I did to his brother, he did not show signs of sounding out words until the age of 5, neither did he express any desire to learn to read. I wrote about how I decided not to force him to learn to read and some of the alternative strategies I employed but mostly I was hands off. We are lucky to be in a school which exerts zero pressure on kids to learn to read before they are ready. (I know this is not the case in many schools.) All his teachers confirmed that his skills were age appropriate, and all I needed to do was continue to read aloud.

So, that’s what I did.

It took about 2 years of very, very slow progress, and he now reads at a level appropriate for his grade. But can I put any type of book out and expect him to read it on his own?

No way.

I have had to make peace with the fact that my youngest son primarily reads Star Wars, superhero and Pokemon books. I had a small success with a few others, but not much. For now (and probably forever) I will let it go, allowing him to pick his own reading material, no matter how much I cringe at the quality. Instead of bringing home books for him to gobble up like I did for his brother, I rarely choose reading material for him. He knows where his favorite books are in the library and he heads straight for those shelves. I’m okay with this and the main reason why is that I get to choose our read alouds. I bring home piles of wonderful picture books and read aloud novels that have nothing to do with intergalactic war or superhuman strength. And he loves them. Our favorite novels this year were books like Apple Blossom the Possum, The Perilous Princess Plot, and Little Dog Lost (a book written in verse, no less!). I’m curious to see where his reading path takes him but for now I’m just letting him find his own way.

My (Non) Advice for Raising Readers

I don’t claim to have any wisdom beyond the standard about how to raise voracious readers because honestly, looking back, I took the path of least resistance. I read aloud more than the average parent because I am too lazy to engage in more challenging activities, and I did almost nothing to formally teach my kids to read. This, of course, won’t work for everyone and I readily acknowledge that! I enjoy hearing about what other families are doing to raise young readers. What are your strategies?

Erica chronicles her ongoing parenting adventures on her blog, What Do We Do All Day? where she shares weekly book lists and easy learning ideas. She has outrageously ambitious plans to teach her children to love and memorize Shakespeare in 2016. Wish her luck.

Raising Readers: Discovering Kids' Books on Audio (Guest Post)

In my Raising Readers post last month, I opened up the series to you, my readers, and asked for your unique perspectives and insights. I received emails from many of you who were interested in sharing your experiences through a guest post. Thank you so much (and if you'd still like to participate, please contact me: sunlitpages [at] gmail [dot] com).

It is with great pleasure that I introduce Linnae Harper, the very first Raising Readers guest. Linnae and I met through this blog (she has been a loyal commenter for many months). We connected over our shared loved of children's literature and discovered that we have similar tastes. Today she'll be sharing some of her tips and tricks for listening to audio books with kids (a subject near and dear to my heart, as you might remember that my own Maxwell is an avid fan of audio books). Please join me in welcoming Linnae to the blog!

Hello, blog friends! I’m happy to be here on Sunlit Pages sharing my love of books. Before I had kids, I was a children’s librarian for 3 years, which was a dream job for me.  I am now happy to be a full-time mom of three, 2 boys with a girl in the middle, ages 7 ½, 6, and 3. I haven’t made the leap to a book blog (yet!) but you can find my book reviews on Goodreads.

So let’s get started! I love reading to my kids! Over the past few years, our reading time together has really blossomed into something wonderful, that we all look forward to.  That being said, discovering kids’ books on CD changed our world for the better. (We have not made the jump to other listening media yet. Perhaps just a matter of time?)

It all started with a Christmas present: a $30 boombox/cd-player.  It was simple enough for the kids to use all by themselves. At first, it was mostly for music. Then we checked out some picture books with narrated CD’s from our library. Then we made the leap to chapter books on CD. Before we knew it, we were having marathon story listening sessions!

It’s like having an on-call grandparent, ready and eager to read whenever they want it! While I would never use it to replace my reading time with them, there are some things I really like about it.

For instance:

1. This one is obvious, but it’s been huge: I don’t have to be there for it to happen! If they want a story, but I’m making dinner or helping someone else, they can take care of that all by themselves! It’s tremendously empowering, particularly for my younger children who can’t read on their own yet. 
2. They get to hear someone else’s pronunciations, inflections, accents, and overall take of the story. I think it’s good for them to realize (consciously or not) that there’s more than one way to interpret a story. (Also, I learned I was mispronouncing “porcine” from the Mercy Watson books. Oops!)
3. Often the CD’s include music or other sound effects which adds to the fun.
4. I don’t have to read the same story a thousand times in a row! Let’s just be honest—there are some books where I mentally zone out on page one and my mouth just knows what to do until the end. We’ve read them THAT MANY TIMES. Listening to it again and again can also become annoying, but at least I can be actively doing something else, while my child revels in the familiar story. I call that a win!
5. Car trips, particularly those with long twisty roads where I am too carsick to read. Simply pop in the CD and stare at those little yellow lines on the road. Done.

So if you are new to audio books for kids, my biggest tip for delving in may seem counter intuitive at first: start with books you have already read to them. Repetition is comforting to kids, not boring!  Already knowing the plot seems to make my kids more eager to listen to the story, not less. They’re snuggling down with a familiar friend, rather than getting a surprise. Believe me, once you find a few they like, they’ll be listening to them over and over anyway! (see #4, above).  There are several of our books on CD (Magic Tree House, I’m looking at you!) that I could probably quote word for word. Not kidding.

Once you find something you like, branch out with other books in the series, or by the same author. Often the reader will stay the same over a series, which will give that instant feeling of familiarity.  When you decide to try something new, don’t be afraid to stop and try something else if you or they don’t like the narrator. No harm done, and probably better to not ruin a good story!

As far as recommendations, the Magic Tree House books, read by Mary Pope Osborne herself, are excellent, and would be a great place to start. You can readily tell when it’s Jack or Annie speaking, and she has great accents for the villians and other minor characters. They’re almost all in the 30-45 minute range for the entire story, which is just right for a transition activity, or a slightly longer car ride. Also, there are so many of them! If you get hooked like we did, you’ll have days of listening pleasure ahead of you (probably weeks, really, by the time your kids listen to each one on repeat.) 

Some other audio book series to try:

• Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle / Betty MacDonald 
• Geronimo Stilton / Geronimo Stilton: My 7-year-old can’t get enough of these! 
• Ramona the Pest / Beverly Cleary 
• Henry Huggins / Beverly Cleary 
• Mercy Watson / Kate DiCamillo : My kids still quote this one sometimes, especially the policeman 
• Harry Potter / J.K Rowling, read by Jim Dale : If you’ve already introduced your kiddos to Harry Potter, these are excellent!

Great Stand-Alone Titles: 

• The Collected Stories of Winnie the Pooh / A. A. Milne: this one is a full-cast dramatization. We loved it! 
• Love, Ruby Lavender / Deborah Wiles 
• The Secret Garden / Frances Hodgson Burnett 
• The Little Princess / Frances Hodgson Burnett 
• Peter Rabbit and other stories / Beatrix Potter, read by Jim Weiss 
• Three Tales of My Father’s Dragon / Ruth Stiles Gannett

This just in! Okay, I just found out about Focus on the Families’ Radio Theater productions. I am so excited I can hardly stand it! They have full cast productions of many classics, musical score and sound effects included. I already ordered The Secret Garden for my daughter for Christmas. (You can find them on Amazon.) Just browsing their selection, they have the entire Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Oliver Twist, Les Miserables, Ben-Hur, The Screwtape Letters, A Christmas Carol, The Legend of Squanto, and more. Have I mentioned how excited I am?  Obviously, not all of these are children’s books. I want some in my stocking!  (Maybe I can give old Santa a nudge!)

Do your kids listen to audio books? What are some of your family’s favorites? We’re always on the lookout for more!

Linnae grew up in Alaska, as the only girl in a family of 10 boys. Her vote always counted extra! A former children's librarian, she is now a full-time mom. She has found that many of the same skills apply. Her book reviews can be found on Goodreads under the user name Linnae Harper.