Raising a Kid that Loves to Read

Reading is something that has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have so many memories of reading book series like The Baby-Sitters's Club, Boxcar Children, American Girls, Goosebumps, and Fear Street when I was growing up. Combine the facts that we didn't have a lot of extra money when I was a kid and I was a fast reader, my parents rarely bought me brand new books. Building my collections required a lot of work visiting used book stores, libraries, and yard sales to find the books I was missing. As I got older I continued to read anything I could get my hands on. I eventually allowed my love of reading to guide me into the wonderful liberal arts program at Boston College where I completed an English degree alongside my science core for medical school.

My husband on the other hand, well, he just doesn't read. I don't think he ever completely read a single book we were assigned in high school or college. After years of begging him, he did finally read the HP series and a few biographies about Walt Disney, but that's about it.

Keeping both of our book backgrounds in mind, I really, really wanted to raise our kids to love reading the way I did. Below you'll find some tips on how I've made literature a big part of my kids' lives...

1. Build a collection early. If you have any say in your baby shower, ask your friends/family to do what mine did for me - encourage guests to forgo cards and sign a book for the baby instead. After two showers I had a great beginning library for my bug with many classics.
2. Start reading to your kids as early as possible. I really don't think there is any time that is too early. With my first I was spending SO much time working on breast-feeding that I decided to start reading the first HP book out loud to her while she was nursing. Reading one chapter was just about the perfect length of time for her to eat.
3. Make a daily routine that includes reading. When my bug was a few months old I started this routine - each morning I would choose a new book (and toy to coordinate if we had one) and place it on the changing table. After each diaper change I would read her the book and play with the toy for a few minutes.
4. Books at bedtime! We probably didn't really start reading at bedtime until bug was a little older (I want to guess 18 months or so), but now that we have two kids, baby bear has been part of our nighttime reading since she was born. The bug gets to pick out 3-5 books and we snuggle in bed and read them together. Daddy and I swap this routine so we are both involved in reading to them.
5. Have books in every room that your kid spends time for easy assess. We kept a bookshelf in the bug's bedroom, added a bookshelf organizer to the playroom ,and have a bin under the sofa table in the living room.
6. Start the tradition early that books are gifts. Encourage family to buy their favorite books to pass on - my bug always asks who gave her which books when we read them so it's a nice way for her to remember different family members.
7. Visit bookstores and libraries regularly. We try to go to the local library at least once a month and I let bug pick out any books that grab her eye.

Friday Five: Children's Books

I'm a book nerd. Always have been, always will be. I'm not ashamed either. I 100% embrace my love of books, reading, and quoting obsure Harry Potter literary references. It's who I am and I'm proud of it! I figured I would celebrate this love today by featuring the five children's books I most enjoy reading to my little bug.

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar: We love reading this book! We have the small board book and it's in our regular bedtime rotation. After reading this literally hundreds of times, bug asked this week as the caterpillar was chowing through the "junk foods" - "Why doesn't he just eat the nice green leaf?! He's gonna get a tummyache!" - lesson learned.

 2. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie: This book has been one of the bug's favorites for as long as she could request books. She loves all the variations (If you give a cat a cupcake, If you give a dog a donut, etc), but I'm a traditionalist and prefer the original because the "flow" of the story feels like that of a child's trail of conscience - meandering here and there and finally back to the start all over again.

 3. Go, Dog, Go! This book has to make my top five because of my history with this book. Although it is definitely one of bug's favorites and she requests it on a regular basis, I have been reading and re-reading this book since my sister was bug's age. This was by far her favorite book (and she is NOT a book lover) and she used to ask me to read it to her over and over and over and over (you get the idea).

4. Ladybug Girl: I adore this feisty little protagonist. Although as Lulu she's "just a little girl", when she steps into the role of Ladybug Girl she "can do anything!" From overcoming scary obstacles (imaginary sharks), to making a difference in the world (picking up a rock to clear the way for some ants), to adding perspective to the situation (noting that her brother looks "little" from far away) there is a very empowering undertone and I love it!

5. The Lorax: I can't remember ever reading this book as a kid, but if I had I would have LOVED IT. I thought of myself as a little hippie-save-the-whales-recycling-club activist when I was younger and this book would have fit right in with that image. Now the bug loves this book and wants to be the Lorax for Halloween. Although she isn't quite big enough to really get what he stands for, it still makes me happy.

The good, the bad, and the just plain ugly

Due to my dear husband's constant requests, I've decided to post my review of the newest Harry Potter film. Beware there are SPOILERS GALORE if you have not yet seen the film or read the book.

The GOOD
I found the opening scenes of the movie which pictured Harry, Ron, and Hermione preparing for their departure from their respective homes a very fitting and moving way to set the tone for the rest of the movie. And, I won't lie, watching Hermione wipe her parent's memories had me in tears before the movie had even really started...

Although it was a departure from the book, I liked that Hedwig wasn't a "sitting duck" in her cage during the battle above Privet Drive and she was killed trying to protect Harry instead - it made her death more heroic than tragic.

Everything from Harry following the doe into the woods to Ron destroying the Horcrux was very true to the book and I thought it was depicted well.

The little "cartoon" to represent the Tale of the Three Brothers was a creative way to depict the story while Hermione was reading it and I really liked it.

The end of the movie was done very well and it felt like an appropriate breaking point. Dobby's demise was as heart-wrenching as it was in the book and Voldemort's triumph at retrieving Dumbledore's wand was chilling. It all set the stage well for the final movie.

The BAD
I found it unfortunate that the filmmakers chose to eliminate the "good-bye" sequence between Harry and the Dursleys. Having Harry and Dudley shake hands really brings closure to their relationship and I missed it in the movie.

I thought the film rushed through the stay at the Burrow. Cutting out the "ghoul in pajamas" underplays the lengths that Ron also went through to protect his family.

They rushed through the stay at Grimmauld Place far too quickly as well. I think this creates a "fatal flaw" in the plot as Hermione never takes the portrait of Phineas Nigellus with her. Without his picture in her bag there is no way for Snape to know that they are in the Forest of Dean later on in the story so that he can place the sword in the pond for Harry to find.

The Ministry of Magic scene was a disaster. Harry didn't rescue Moody's eye, it was awkward how Harry and Ron's characters charged into the questioning of Mrs. Cattermole, and it was ridiculous that the polyjuice potion wore off and Harry was able to just walk out of the ministry without any one of the hundreds of wizards present stopping him.

Another unfortunate omission from the movie was the Potterwatch radio show. Although not necessary for the plot, the show helped place everything that was going on with Harry in the woods into the larger prospective of the wizarding world and I missed it.

The UGLY
The first awkward moment of the movie to me was when all of the Order members arrived at Privet Drive. Bill Weasley introduces himself to Harry as if they have never met before. Although the filmmakers may have adjusted their scripts to eliminate interactions between their characters, in the books Harry has known Bill since The Goblet of Fire.

The incredibly awkward "dancing" scene with Harry and Hermione in the tent after Ron leaves should be lying on an editing room floor somewhere. This scene is not from the book because it is entirely inappropriate based on the sequence of events preceding it and does not fit the personalities of the characters at all.

The capture scene after they escape from the Lovegood's house makes absolutely no sense. Unlike in the book where Harry saying Voldemort (breaking the taboo) allows the snatchers to invade their camp, in the movie the snatchers just appear out of nowhere. It just doesn't fit that they would be caught then when they were never caught before.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but those were the issues that were most obvious to me. If you've made it through, congrats! Please make sure to remind me what a huge dork I am the next time you see me in person:-)