Out of the Mouths of Babes
My daughters have always had lovies that went everywhere with them, but in typical firstborn fashion, my son never strayed far from his book. Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle, to be exact. It was read so often by the people who loved him that our neighbors could recite it along with us. He was mesmerized by being read to from an early age and will still pull up a chair if someone reads aloud. For my May book review, I thought it would be fun to allow my three little readers a platform to review what they are currently reading and their favorite books.
I greatly advocate reading what you love, no matter your age. Magazines? Newspapers? Comics? Literary Novels? Subtitles? Fine by me. Reading is reading, so let's get rid of the egocentric stigma. It thrills my soul that my three children have found books that interest them, and I wish I were the kind of parent who read to them every night before bed, but that would not be the whole truth. Without further adieu, here are the verbatim words from Harrison, Mary Frances, and Millie Flowers.
At age 10, my son, Harrison, is an avid reader graduating from Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and is currently fascinated by the mythical creatures of Percy Jackson.
Q. What are you currently reading?
A. Percy Jackson: The Battle of Labyrinth by Rick Riordan and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Q. What's the best book you've read recently?
A. "Probably Percy Jackson. I've read three of the five books this year and am halfway through the fourth book. I'm also enjoying the first book of The Hunger Games."
Q. What do you think makes a good book?
A. "Well, I mean, every book has this, but a problem that you figure out at the beginning and a solution that you figure out at the end."
Q. Are there any books that you've read more than once?
A. "I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid all the time when I'm bored or need a break from The Hunger Games or Percy Jackson."
Q. How do books make you feel?
A. "Books make me feel relaxed. Especially when I read them before bed. Books take my mind off other things because they are interesting, and something important happens in every chapter."
Q. Would you recommend your current books to your friends?
A. "Maybe! I feel like everyone reads different books and likes different things, but most of my friends read The Hunger Games. Not many of my friends read Percy Jackson, and I would recommend it to many people!"
My eight-year-old daughter, Mary Frances, took longer to find the right books that sparked her interest in reading, but when she found The Baby-Sitters Little Sisters, based on the novels by Ann M. Martin, it inspired big aspirations to one day create her own Baby-Sitters Club.
Q. Why do you like The Baby-Sitters Little Sisters?
A. "Because it's a really good book to read and has really fun activities and stories."
Q. What's one of your favorite activities from the book?
A. "My favorite activity is from The Baby-Sitters Little Sisters Karen's Worst Day book because it is really creative, and it tells me all the things she does when she has a bad day."
Q. How do these books make you feel?
A. "These books make me feel funny. They make me feel happy because they make me laugh."
Q. Would you recommend this book to your friends?
A. "Yes! Because I've already recommended these books to my friends, who love them. Our school library got them, and they made my friends laugh too!"
At four years old, the baby of our family, Millie, has dreams of one day becoming a rainbow unicorn. I fully support this dream, as it has never been done. Coupled with our newly acquired growth mindset, it could perhaps be that no one has worked hard enough to fulfill this dream.
Q. What is your favorite book to read?
A. "How to Catch a Unicorn by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton."
Q. Why do you like it?
A. "Cause I like the Unicorn!"
Q. How does the book make you feel?
A. "It makes me feel silly!"
Q. Would you recommend How to Catch a Unicorn to your friends?
A. "I would tell them this book is the goodest book in the whole world. It's the really bestest book in the whole world. I like the guy with the unicorn on his shirt."
Out of the mouths of babes! They are my most proud accomplishments, and it makes their mama a teeny bit happy that they are developing a love for reading. If you read every day or just when you remember, I want you to know there is good reading out there just waiting for you to find it.
