Change Up Your Book Nook

I had to share this little post about books and reading today because my little Audette gave me the sweetest surprise last night. I love books. I love to read so much. I was the little kid who kept a flashlight under my bed at night, so when mom said "lights out", I could stay up just a little bit longer. She caught me all the time, but at least I was able to sneak in a couple more chapters of Nancy Drew or The Chronicles of Narnia.

Lately, Audette has been ending her day with a craze for book reading too. She has a shelf in her room that is just barely low enough for her to reach, where we keep all her books. Just high enough too, that she can't pull every single book down with ease. After Audi gets her pajamas on, she will open up the cupboard, pull out a book and carry it to her little corner, where she sits up against the wall and starts to read to herself. The only thing she can really do is turn the pages, and she usually does it pretty quickly, but then she will return to her shelf and find another book. Pretty soon we have a stack of 10 to 15 books on the floor, that keeps growing if we don't slow down her reading rate. Well last night, as I was putting away her towel, toothbrush and other bath items, I heard a little peep from her reading corner, "night night, night night." I looked over and saw her reading Goodnight Moon. She was turning the page and saying good night to everyone in the book. If you aren't familiar with this classic children's tale, please do yourself a favor and check it out from the library.

I knew this day would come, when Audette would show me she understood what we had been reading or when she recognized and could read along with the pictures and words in a book, but it still was such a sweet surprise. So in the spirit of reading, discovering and learning we share our "change up your book nook" activity.

Not everyone is a huge fan of reading and kids can find it boring sometimes, especially if your little one is busy and more interested in what's around him rather than what is on a page in a book. That is why every once in a while we switch up our book reading location. Books are fabulous because you can take them just about anywhere. The park, the zoo, the bus, the library, to church, to work, just about anywhere, especially if the book is small enough. We decided to do some afternoon reading in the sun and sit on our patio.

A couple of books we chose for the day:

• Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?: I love this book for all of the fun sounds. Audette is learning how to moo, so this is a particular favorite.
• Romeo and Juliet - A Counting Primer: This little collection of counting primers is adorable. They are all based off of classic novels. We have several from the collection. Your kid might not understand everything, but for a parent who loves to read, this is a fun book to have on your shelf.
• Sammy the Seal: This book was always one of my mother's favorite books as a child and so we were excited when we came across this used edition. We love when Sammy visits school on his trip away from the zoo.

Part of the fun in finding a new place to read is that you can interact with the book in so many different ways. While counting the flowers in this Romeo and Juliet book, we were able to find and count the flowers that we could see from our patio. Or if you are around a lot of people at a library, help your child point out the little girl from the story around her. Books don't have to only be about what you see on the page, books are inspired by real life and teaching your child this at a young age may spark their interest in reading and learning.

You can also make their reading time special by catering your book nooks to your child. Find a chair that is just there size or a special stuffed animal that only comes out during reading time. Whatever it is, encourage your child to look forward to that special time when he or she gets to sit down with a good story.

Do you do anything special to encourage reading in your home? Please share!