Summer Reading

Hannah and James are participating in a cute little program at the library to encourage kids to keep reading while school is out for the summer.  Hannah can't read yet but is eager to learn, especially since her big brother has become quite the little pro himself.  The kids constantly ask me to read with them, which is always one of my favorite parts of our day together.  And when I'm tied up with laundry or preparing lunch or getting us out the door to one of their many activities (swim lesson, karate, gymnastics, etc...), sometimes I'll find James reading to Hannah, cozied up in their dad's comfy chair.  It melts my heart.

Adults are responsible for logging how many minutes the children read on the internet, with the goal of reaching 600 minutes but the summer's end.  But, since James had a reading log throughout kindergarten, I've decided to let the kids be responsible for keeping track and then I input it all online at the end of the week.  This makes Hannah feel like a big girl, and James is so used to logging his reading that he doesn't mind it, either.  It also gives Hannah a leg up with perfecting writing all her letters, too.  The kids love it and having a goal and the possibility of a prize at the end of the summer pushes them to want to read way more than they may have otherwise.

I love reading, and I hope that they continue to love it, too, as they get older.  Most kids are enchanted by reading storybooks that allow their imaginations to soar, but some lose interest as they get older and I just hope that that never happens to them.  Using your imagination is important at any age.

Do you remember summer reading lists?  I remember how proud I was to finish all the Arthur books one year, completely by myself, and another year I remember becoming engrossed in Amelia Bedilia books, having to force myself to infuse some variety into my reading that summer. :)  What were your favorite childhood books, or if you have kids of your own, what are their favorite stories?  Hannah loves anything related to fairies and princesses, while James prefers Star Wars, Transformers and comic books.  Happy reading!