One of the greatest privileges I have enjoyed as a mother is reading aloud to my kids. I don’t get to do it very often anymore but for a few years, I read aloud to all three at the same time and occasionally the youngest will still sit long enough for a chapter or two.
I have a few rules for these books I read aloud:
- NO fantasy. Can’t stand it. (although I LOVED “A Wrinkle In Time”)
- NO books based on a Disney movie. Yuck!
- Finally I try to not read books told from the point of view of talking animals. I try. Can’t say I’ve never done it, but it’s not my favorite.
Occasionally a picture book from the children’s section with crazy, animal and people stuff is OK (Can somebody say “Skippy Jon Jones”? ) but typically, I prefer reading real-life stories that make you think and feel; stories that TEACH.
Serious, funny or sometimes both, typically these stories deal with many of life’s challenging “coming of age” issues and the solving –or not– of real life problems. There’s not always a “happily ever after” because ….there’s not always a “happily ever after”. Let me tell you more…
