Written by Dr. Sandy Portko, Early Childhood Expertise
Karissa Monzo, Family Support Navigator
Reading
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I am an avid reader. If I don’t have a book in my hand, I have my earbuds in listening to a book. I’ll read just about anywhere. I take a book with me wherever I go! I’ve tried very hard to instill a love for reading in my kids as well. We love visiting the library and finding local bookshops to explore. Every night it’s a debate between the kids which book we’ll read before bedtime!
We’ve compiled a list of our favorite reads as a family, and we’re excited to share them with everyone. Here’s a list of children’s books we love:
Pout Pout Fish, By: Deborah Diesen
With a catchy rhythm my entire family can repeat this story by heart! A sweet story of a fish that learns how to change his mood from the help of one single friend.
Can’t You Sleep Little Bear? By: Martin Waddell
This story holds a very special place in my heart. It was my favorite book as a child, and I added it to our library as soon as I found out I was pregnant with our first. A father bear helps his baby cub learn to face his fear of the darkness. It’s a repetitive book, so it’s great for emerging readers to practice their reading skills! I love the illustrations, and my daughter adores the cute cub!
Don’t Push the Button, By: Bill Cotter
A fun interactive book for toddlers. Teaching them how to listen and follow directions, and what happens when we can’t resist some silly temptations!
If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, By: Laura Numeroff
A curious and overly excitable mouse takes his new friend on quite the afternoon adventure! My kids love how the story comes full circle by the end, and love help fill in the blanks on certain words! It’s a great book for early readers to practice with.
Flat Stanley, By: Jeff Brown
There is an entire collection of Flat Stanley chapter books for new readers. Stanley goes on all sorts of adventures throughout all four books. My 9-year-old loves these books. They challenge him, and give him a great sense of accomplishment when he’s completed an entire book!
Harry Potter (The illustrated set), By: JK Rowling
For your more advanced readers, Harry Potter is such a fun story about choices, love, friendship, and adventure! My kids aren’t old enough to read these on their own, so we read them chapter by chapter together (or listen to the audiobooks). The illustrated versions keep even my six-year-old engaged. There are some tough themes in the book mainly focused on death, and good v. evil that may require further discussion before, during and after the reading, so be sure that you and your family are ready to tackle those conversations!
Reading is such a fun activity, and many people think it needs to be a solitary hobby, but I think that reading together as a family, and having discussions about each book is one of the best ways to instill a love for the written word!
As my kids have gotten older, I’ve noticed that they pick up books on their own to read. My daughter brought home a huge chapter book the other day from school. It was mostly filled in pictures and short stories, but she loved sitting next to me all weekend and looking through the pages. She picked out her “red words” that she knows from class, and described the pictures to me. She was so proud to sit next to be under a cozy blanket and read with me!
Reading helps kids become great communicators, it teaches kids how to use their imagination, expand their vocabulary, and creates opportunity to explore so many different worlds!
