National Book Festival and Raising Readers

Posted by Patience on September 29, 2009 at 7:14 AM in Books and Reading

Jen and I headed to the National Book Festival on Saturday to celebrate our shared love of books with thousands of others. We ran into a few of our PBS friends while we were there.
I was missing Ethan especially, but Sid said, "Hi Ethan! I hope to meet you one day."

I was very excited to meet Wyatt. Can you tell how intense I felt?

The highlight for Jen was getting to meet and interview Judy Blume. She was lovely in every way.

I was beside myself to get a chance to talk to Tony DiTerlizzi, the author of The Spiderwick Chronicles. I was so excited I forgot to get something signed for Josiah but I think the interview was almost as cool.

Last but certainely not least, our very favorite Mr. Steve was there!

Wandering the mall all day I was struck but how much excitement and buzz literature still has over people. How authors can be rockstars, kid's faces lit up connecting stories and hearing them read. You can learn more about the Raising Readers program here. It gave me all kinds of ideas to help my kids dream about offering their own ideas and art to the world.

Are you concerned about reading? Wondering when and how it should start?
Learn how kids become readers and writers here.

Look for more interviews soon too! Did you go to the festival this weekend? How's the reading going at your house these days? Are you sick of reading that same board book 1,000 times? What books are your grade schoolers devouring at the moment?

Check out more pics from the festival here.

Go, Books, Go!

Posted by Jen on September 23, 2009 at 11:23 AM in Books and Reading, Jen, bedtime

Remember me, the mother who was waxing eloquent about the dawning of the conceptual age where children will cherish their Kindles and Zelda just as much as their books?

This diatribe was followed by this episode with Carter who cried buckets during his last bedtime reading session (something that rarely happens now since he discovered Calvin and Hobbes) because he'd unearthed a copy of Go, Dog, Go.

Go, Dog, Go would not be on my top list of books that make children love books or reading, but evidently I am mistaken.

Carter (sobbing): I just love this book so much.
Me (reading on automatic since there is no real plot or narrative arch to this book whatsoever): Buddy, are you okay?
Carter (wiping the snot from his tear-streaked face): I used to read it when I was a kid.
Me (because I can't resist asking kids ludicrous questions like this): Are you missing your childhood?
Carter (still quietly weeping): Mom, don't worry. They're just tears of happiness. Because I love this book sooooo much.

So books aren't dead after all. Who knew? What books are your kids loving at bedtime at your house these days?

Booklights and Blogging Buddies

Posted by Patience on May 8, 2009 at 7:00 AM in Books and Reading

I can still remember as a little girl grabbing a big pile of books and climbing into bed with Jen. She would read to me for hours. I still love to be read to. The love of books has been carried on to our kids. I often find Josiah reading Calvin and Hobbes books to Jack late into the night with a fashlight. Lucy is way into labeling every obscure animal in the ever popular animal books from D&K Publishers. Lyra likes to both eat and listen to the famous and every little person's favorite Goodnight Moon.
We all know the books that we can recite in our sleep from years of toddler requests and yet we can't even be annoyed. It's pure learning goodness. I find that books are the one thing I'm a total sucker for. If the kids ask me for a book, it's as good as done.

Did you know we have our very own blogging book experts here at PBSparents? Superpeople, meet the Booklights.
Susan, Gina, Pam and Jen are our new blogging buddies and supersisters. Welcome friends! We can't wait to see all the wonderful suggestions you will be sending our way.

So tell me the current book obsessions at your house. For all of you, your kids and you!
What is the one book being pushed around in the toy baby stroller or the one sitting on your kitchen table that you are determined to read, even in 5 page increments?