Wednesday, April 08, 2009

The Joy of Reading

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Thomas Jefferson said "I cannot live without books." I so understand this quote! While I could technically live without books, I can't imagine doing so.

We recently went to the mall together and I found a wonderful book sale. I was excitedly looking through the preschool books deciding what I was going to buy, when I saw a lady dragging her son past the book table. "Books are overrated," she said loudly as she propelled her son forward.

I looked at my husband, barely able to contain my irritation.

I'm usually reading about 4 books at a time, minimum. Lena is definitely following in Mommy's footsteps. In fact, we usually have to go into Lena's room before we go to bed and remove about 8-10 books from her bed. She carefully arranges them on her bookshelf, separating Shana's books from her own. If one is missing, we have to scour the house until we find it. She mourns over a ripped page or crayon mark in a library book. "A little kid did this," she always says sadly.

Monday, we started phonics flashcards with her, and I can't tell you how excited I am! It's going to be wonderful when she can read her little sister a book.

6 comments:

Brooke from The Bluestocking Guide said...

As a book blogger I'm appalled by this kind of attitude. No video games are overrated. You're a good egg. I probably would have said something.

Stacy said...

This reminds me...
when we came home from the hospital with Isaac, Ella- then almost two- immediately toddled into her room and disappeared for a few minutes. Mark and I wondered, "Where did she go?"... surprised that she had left when we'd just come home after being gone for two days. We went to find her and discovered her pulling books off her shelf for daddy to read to her. She was stacking them between her legs, and the stack was nearly as high as she was! (I think she figured that was a good way to get daddy's undivided attention- the more books, the more time with just daddy!)

So cute, your Lena. And I'm with you- how irritating to think that books are overrated! AACK!

Cathy said...

I'm sure you got your love of books from your sweet Mom. And that is so cute about Lena loving her books like that. She is going to be very smart like you all. I love children's books and reading to them. I read to my grandson and he reads all the time, is very smart.

HOPE said...

My children were bookworms...and one desires to be an Author. Actually she has published an article in a Christian magazine when she was a teenager.

BOOKS were the mainstay of our home. We didn't own a t.v. so their adventures and their learnings came from good wholesome sources. I still have some of their books (25 yrs old!) and yes..they were taught to turn the pages carefully and NO crayon marks or dogears (now those where hard to stop!) we made a lot of bookmarkers too!

Wonderful post and happy phonics..she'll be reading on her own in no time!

God bless you..
HOPE

Maxine said...

How well I remember when it all started! You had just begun to learn to walk and tried to carry all your books from one room to the other, never wanting to be without them! So it continues on to another generation!

Anonymous said...

"Books are overrated" - duh. This just makes me shake my head. I have loved books from the very beginning. There are worlds in them and I love reading as much as I did when I was a kid.
I love reading to/with children, seeing their huge eyes when they follow a story. Passing on the love for reading is a real treasure!