Books Books Books!

Our family absolutely loves loves loves books.  We love to look at them, read them, listen to them on CD or tape.  We seem to be the family that books just come to us, not frequently but when they do, it's a lot.  People are always giving them away.  You find them at tag sales or freecycle or craigslist for free and library book sales are obviously loaded w/books.  Ok, I have to admit, we tend to have a wee bit too many books compared to other households.  (awe, that's hard to admit!)  I am always thinking that if one child does not like a certain book, that another one will like it.  For that reason, I tend to hold onto them.  I do give some away every now and then, though. 

There are a few preschool books that melt my heart and that is what I am going to post now.  They are not considered to be homeschooling books, per se.  I do have a lot that I really really like, but here are a few that I really really love:

Eloise Wilkin Stories

Richard Scarry's books, esp. What Do People Do All Day?

I am a Bunny book

The Runaway Bunny

I love reading these books to my children.  Even though I love to read to them, oh I wish I could read to them more...  With 6 young children, life is busy, and they need me in so many ways.  I feel that reading to them gives them my attention, gives them still time to be held by me, and close to me, their Mommy, and gives them a love for reading that I hope they will have forever. 

Reading create bonds and memories.  My oldest son, 9, who is a fine reader, will read to his younger siblings, sometimes b/c I ask him to but other times just because.  I love to see that!  My oldest daughter, who is learning to read, will read to her younger siblings too a book she can read or even make up stories as though she is reading it or 'read' right from memory!  I love that too!

I find myself enjoying books just as much as they do.  Reading these same exact ones above to my little babies right now that I have read to my oldest ones just warms my heart.  I find that if I am sitting reading to my little ones, that my older ones will quietly and quickly join in listening to me read as though they never heard it before!  It is super sweet moments like that, that I am forever grateful.

If my husband or I are sitting down (ha!  how about that for a change!!! haa haa!) reading a book of choice for ourselves, we feel that encourages our children to have that desire to want to read too.  In fact, if they see us reading, they will many times grab a few books and just to be close to us, read their own books.  It is quite a sight to see my baby, my 18 month old, 'read' his hard board books for a good while, without a distraction!

Go read a book!  Even better, go read with your child!

God bless,
Mary