*Whole Family Reading*

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

- Dr. Seuss

I grew up in a large brick home in the historical district with my half dozen siblings and Mom and Dad.  While we played upstairs and down, in the basement and out in the back yard, one of my favorite places was the Library.

Yes, this 150 year old home had a library, which we also occasionally called the "school room."  It had 6 little desks in it, and Mom's large one.  The walls were lined with bookshelves and books of every shape and size, topic and style crammed the shelves.

Just when you thought you had read every book within reach, you'd climb a bit higher, use a larger chair and reach taller, and find something you had never seen before.

Growing up, I read.  And read and read and read and read.  In the winter, I read all afternoon, sprawled across the flowered duvet my Mom made, upstairs on my bed.  In the summer, I swung lazily in the hammock outside, barefoot, nose in a book.

My Mom knew then, as I know now, not to disturb a reading child.  She also knew to line her shelves with books not only to entertain, but to instruct and inspire.  Books to spark the imagination and stir up motivation.

I'm the Mom these days, and I can sometimes find it quite overwhelming to search out really good books for my kids.  Standing in the children's room at our local library finds me quite distracted, not quite sure where to start.  That's where a handy little book list helps.  I knew just where to find one.

I headed once again into my Mom's library.  The bookshelves still crammed after all these years, but I headed to a section I hadn't before spent much time on:  The home educating area next to Mom's desk where she kept all of her homeschooling Mom resources.  It's there that I found it - her secret to finding excellent literature for kids.

"Books Children Love" is a must have for every parent, homeschooling or not!  It gives you lists of great books on every topic along with the intended grade/age level.  I flip through and make a few notes, write down a booklist of my own.  I'm ready when Nana calls and wants to know "What are the kids reading these days?"

Today, we've got a stack of new books to read:  "The Courage of Sarah Noble," "The Most Wonderful Doll in the World," "Blueberries for Sal" and a whole stack of G.A. Henty book's besides. Books to instruct, captivate, inspire, and motivate.  Books for the whole family to enjoy.

What are you reading these days?