Posted by: Trina | September 29, 2010

School has started, and as a parent you are hoping for a successful school year for your child, whether he is a new preschooler or she is an anxious third grader. And BUSY is the word for your child AND you: buying clothes and school supplies; arranging after school care if you are working; attending the school’s open house, concerts and other special programs; overseeing homework; getting the child to after school activities, and laundry, laundry laundry! The list goes on, unique to each household!

However, no matter how busy you are, it takes just a few minutes of reading to your young child every day to add to that academic success.  It’s amazing!  Reading aloud with a good book and other word sharing experiences, such as singing songs and nursery rhymes or pointing out words and letters on store fronts is directly linked to skills acquired in preparation for reading.  And reading, the enjoyment of reading, is the key to academic success.

So, do you have books in the house to read with your child?  I’m sure you do. Every home needs its own private library, a pile of books by the couch, some in the bedrooms, and next to the potty. We all have our favorite reads , but if you and your child are looking for something new, try one of these.

Barbara  Bottner’s  new picture book, Miss Brooks Loves Books! (And I Don’t) is about a librarian (yes, a librarian!)  The young narrator of the story is sure that Miss Brooks is a little too crazy about books until a subject grabs her interest and she is well on her way to being just as crazy.  The illustrations by Michael Emberley add to the story – no glasses hanging off this librarian’s nose, and doesn’t her hair look a little like dreadlocks?  Oh My!  No stereotypes here!

Laura Numeroff wrote a series of successful children’s books beginning with the words If you give….. You probably have at least one of the titles in the house or have borrowed them from your library numerous times.  Her new colorfully illustrated stories are about four little  girl  friends who understand that each is different and special, like jelly beans. In Jellybeans and the Big Book Bonanza the jelly bean friends, Bitsy, Emily, Anna and Nicole  each need to read a book on something they love. Their librarian (yes, a librarian!) helps them and they help each other with their stand-up-in-front-of-the-class report.  If you like this book, there are more stories about the jelly bean friends.

School has already started, but don’t miss reading First Day Jitters by Julie Dannenberg.  Sarah is starting a new school and insists that she doesn’t want to go.  She doesn’t want to get out of bed or get dressed. She imagines all that could go wrong that first day.  Children can understand her anxiety, but will be delightfully surprised by the ending.  A must read.

Here are a few more picture books to consider:

Amelia Bedelia”s First Day of School by Herman Parish

David Goes to School by David Shannon

Fancy Nancy: Poet Extraordinaire! By Jane O’Connor

Owen by Kevin Henkes

Your public library will have most of these titles for you to borrow.  The authors are prolific writers and you will find other books written by them.  Ask your children’s librarian to help you find more school stories; children’s librarians know how to do this very well!  If there is a book your family must have, then visit the book store and purchase it for your home library.

***Is there a new baby in the house? Next time let’s talk about when to start reading to your young child.  You may be surprised!  Until then, happy reading!

Our Guest Writer - Kathryn Urie

I remember sitting with my mother in an old stuffed and comfy rocker, listening to the sound of my mother’s voice and looking at the illustrations in the book, as she read my favorite nursery rhymes and folk tales. 
I was very young, and this was surely my introduction to the joy of the story and the cornerstone for future reading pleasure. I read voraciously in school; so much so that reading became dangerous.  I would leave our small one room public library,  books in hand and one already open, as I made my way down the road and around the corner, oblivious to any  car or other vehicles on the road.  If my Dad or Mom saw me coming they would call to me, “Close the Book!  I would do it dutifully, but regretfully.

I entered college with the idea of becoming an elementary school teacher but decided fairly quickly to  enter a Masters program in Library Science and then worked for nearly 35 years in public libraries in New York, Texas, and New Hampshire, as a children’s librarian and Children’s Services supervisor.

I never stopped loving children’s books, and hope to share feast with you.