I readily admit it: I am a bibliophile. I am pretty much hopelessly addicted to anything pertaining to books.
I bought my first Nook a few months ago, and this was a decision that took me many many months to make. On the one hand, I don’t have a chance often to go browse bookstores by myself looking for a new book, and with a Nook, I could browse in my leisure, and I could buy them with a click of a button.
On the other hand, I would be missing the tactile experience which is huge for me. I love the feel of book, and I love the smell of new books. (I’m actually allergic to the scent of old books.) Nearly every night, I read myself to sleep, and often when I turn out the light, I will keep the book in bed with me just as a comfort and reminder of the joy within it.
Yea, I’m a bit weird, but what can I say. Some people sleep with teddy bears, I sleep with paperbacks. My husband doesn’t mind — they take up less space than teddy bears.
Since having kids, however, I realized that even more than adult books, I am infatuated with children’s books. They contain everything adult books have but on an even grander level. The books contain more magic and beautiful illustrations. The themes might not run as deep as in adult books, but they are no less important. And if you share the magic of a book with a child, that gift will last a lifetime. In fact, one of the only things better than falling in love with a book myself is watching my girls fall in love with a book on their own.
Seeing as how I’m so passionate about books, I spend a lot of time reading about reading and reading about books. I came across Scholastic’s website, and I wanted to share it with y’all. It’s a goldmine.
They have a list of the 100 greatest children’s books of all time. Overall, I liked the list, and I was happy to see that my girls have read nearly all of the books in their age group.
There were a few I was confused by. Goodnight Moon for example. I know this is the quintessential bedtime story for young children. Parents and children alike rave about the book while I seriously cannot understand why. I guess the drawings are detailed which is good, but there are so many books out there that seem to surpass this one in both text and drawing. It’s not that the book is bad per se. I just don’t see why it’s that great.
I was also a bit concerned about The Hunger Games. I am not in favor at all of book banning of course, and I think students should have access to this book at school and in libraries. However, I know I would be a bit hesitant before I let a young teenager of mine read this book unless she had close guidance on the themes. It’s great in that it is fast paced and can really draw a child’s imagination, but the book is so rife with violence that I would prefer they turn to Fahrenheit 451 or Brave New World if they are interested in post-apocalyptic fiction. And I realize that those are both violent books, but the violence isn’t glorified as it is in The Hunger Games.
But for the few books that confused me, there were dozens of gems. Moo Baa Lalala, A Wrinkle in Time, Where the Wild Things Are, and Corduroy are books that can shape a child’s imagination and provide lasting reminders of their childhood.
Their Parents section also has some great resources about reading to kids as well as age appropriate activities and milestones.
I’m not sure how many of you out there are as interested in literacy as I am, but if you are check these out. An no, Scholastic did not pay me to write this post. I’m just that crazy passionate about their little old website.
But next time your child asks you to read him or her a book, instead of just sitting down and getting comfortable with the book, remind yourself of what you are doing. You are helping to instill a passion in your child that will take them through academics, professional training and development, as well as through countless hours and days of mindless, entertaining reading. You are giving a gift to combat boredom and complacency. You are teaching them to relax in an active way rather than passively in front of a television. You are showing them worlds that they might then be inspired to explore.
I’m telling you — it’s magic. Discover that with them, and I think you will find you might become a bibliophile yourself.