Encourage Reading with a Book Allowance

I'm always looking for new and interesting ways to put books in the hands of young readers and I hope you give this idea some thought.

Do your children get an allowance? How about offering them a book allowance?

This would be money that your kids use just to buy books. If finances allow, it would be great if this wasn't tied to chores. Let them earn their "fun" money - the money they use for music, video games, movies, etc. Think about it, you give them money for important things such as lunch, clothes, shoes - why not books? If you encourage them to buy a book, whether or not they've "earned" it, they will understand that reading IS important.

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all." — Jacqueline Kennedy

Matt's Pick of the Month: Patrick's Dinosaurs on the Internet

This was a birthday gift to Matt and he loves it! It is also a favorite of the little boy who gave it to him. This is a cute book about a little boy who, while trying to fall asleep (or is already asleep?) is contacted by a dinosaur from outer space. He is taken on the spaceship and travels to another planet where they all live. There isn't any "learning" in this book - you won't learn about dinosaurs or space - but it does help develop the love of storytelling!

It is a great book to read to your child and one that they will enjoy reading themselves when they are able.

Classics

My favorite book of all time is "Jane Eyre". I read it every couple of years. Having said that, I must admit that the first time I tried to read it I couldn't finish it. I just couldn't get through it. The sad thing was it was a Reader's Digest Condensed Book! The language bogged me down. A few years passed and I tried again. By that time I had matured and I could appreciate everything about the book.

I have discovered the Usborne Classic Collection and have to recommend these books to introduce kids to the classics. I just finished "Jane Eyre", "Tom Sawyer" and "Moby Dick". Never having read the original "Tom Sawyer" I can't compare the versions, but I can say that I liked it, a lot. Boys would really enjoy it (as well as a certain 10 year old girl I know who recently read it also!). "Jane Eyre" was only missing the formal English language and phrasing. The only condensing I found was that some of the conversations were just summarized. In other words, the very things that can intimidate a young reader were omitted. These books should help smooth the transition to the original works. After reading "Moby Dick" I am actually planning on reading the original - I enjoyed it that much! I found it a little slow to start, but once Captain Ahab appeared I was riveted.

The Classic Collection is an excellent way to introduce children to the great authors and their works.

Click Here to get your own copy of "Jane Eyre", "Tom Sawyer" or "Moby Dick" from Miss Stacey's bookstore

A Friend

This was a book I saw at a show and just fell in love with it immediately. What MAKES a real friend? How can I BE a real friend? These are concepts that little kids (AND adults) struggle with every day.

How many times have we, as parents, witnessed our kids being hurt by another child that they called friend? How many times have we witnessed our own child telling their friend "I'm not your friend"?

This book helps explain what being a real friend entails. Someone who is there to help. Someone who tells us the truth when others laugh. Someone who holds us when we need it and who lets us go when we need it. Aren't these the truths we want our child to learn? AND practice?

This is a Kane/Miller book from Germany. Be sure and point out to your child that this is a book from another country and that kids there are just like us.

Miss Stacey

Click Here to get your own copy of "A Friend" from Miss Stacey's bookstore

Matt's Pick: Llama Llama Red Pajama

This was a book I stumbled across by accident and had to buy it. We were going through a period where almost every night Matt was having a "hissy fit" about going to bed. This book is about that topic as well as a child's fear about being alone. Matt really enjoyed it and we were able to use it to talk about Llama Llama's bad behavior. It really helped Matt see how wrong his own behavior was. The best part was that Matt enjoyed it (and still does)!

The book has a lyrical quality to it and because of that it was an easy book for Matt to memorize. It is also a fun book to read! I enjoy speeding up the reading to match Mama Llama's mad dash and using my voice to show how each character is feeling!

Matt really enjoys this book at bedtime. So find a copy of this and cuddle up!

A Squirrel's Tale...

The squirrel says, on the front cover, "Please come with me through the woods and help me to find my nuts!" What child doesn't want to help? The great thing is that while they help the squirrel, they will be working on their pre-reading skills, pre-writing skills and fine motor skills.

The book comes with a little squirrel that sits in a pocket on the front. Encourage your child to take the squirrel out and follow the dotted line. Every page has a slot for the squirrel to "hop" through as he goes through the woods and asks other animals for help.

One little thing that I appreciated was that the people behind the book understand the reality of kids. Just in case your little one destroys the squirrel, instructions on creating a new one is included! I looked at them and they are really simple.

Every child who has looked at this book has loved it! So much so, that their mothers have gotten them its sister book, "There's a Mouse About the House."

Miss Stacey

Click Here to get your own copy of "A Squirrel's Tale" from Miss Stacey's bookstore

Matthews's Pick of the Month: Why?

This is a really cute book for the 4-to-8 year old set. Inside, questions, such as "Why do zebras have stripes?" are asked. Then several silly answers are given. The real answer is also provided.

Matt enjoyed the silly answers and we were able to make a game of it all. I asked the first question and Matt's response was "Because God made them that way". I then gave the first silly answer and asked if that's why God did it. Matt said "Nooooo". We proceeded that way through every silly answer until I gave the real answer when Matt very happily said "YES!"

The book is published by Kane/Miller, which distributes books from around the world. This book is from Slovenia.

Matt & Miss Stacey

Interested in more about Matt's Pick of the Month?
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