I didn't need to be sold on the concept of reading to my children. We already read together every day, and I go through the children's section of our library like it's a candy store. A FREE candy store. I grab books with titles that make me laugh, and I grab books with spines that are the right color. I grab books because I think I may have heard of the author before. And every week, I need to come back because we've run through our larger than life pile of books and we need more.
(I'm not kidding about the "larger than life" part. Today, I held my book bag in one arm and my 2 year old son in the other. Books weighed more.)
As a result, I've got two school aged kids that love school and who are happily making the transition into independent readers. I'm feeling pretty confident that we're doing the right stuff at home.
However.
I do need desperate help recording our adventures. A few months ago, I discovered that my library website does NOT keep a record of the books I check out. This probably should not have surprised me, but it means that I am left to rely on my memory to recall the details of the larger-than-life piles of books we check out each week. I can't remember the name of a book or an author when I want to find them again. I accidentally check books out multiple times that have memorable covers but forgettable interiors. I can't recommend anything because I end up saying things like, "yeah, we just read a really great book. By this guy. It had a really cute pink cover."
And so I'm beginning this blog, where I'll take note of each book I read to my kids. It won't be the first 1,000, and it certainly won't be the last. But in the 18 months I have left before child number 3 begins Kindergarten, I'd like a record of where our delightful wanderings through the world of children's literature take us. I hope you'll join me!
