What we're reading now.

Until last month, Turner and I or Turner and Hubs were reading small books before bedtime. Books with short stories and lots of illustrations. We enjoy books like that very much. However, I was encouraged by a librarian to begin reading a larger book to him.

I hadn't thought of doing that before, but as time passed, the more appealing it became. I wanted Turner to listen to a story, ask questions, and imagine the characters as he sees them in his mind. I wanted him to anticipate each chapter as the story unfolds.

So, together, we chose our first book.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling.

 

 

I thought that the adventures of Harry Potter would keep his interest as most children are fascinated by magic. There is also a bit of tragedy in the book, as Harry Potter's life started out a bit difficult. Turner asked a lot of questions about Harry's home life and it also allowed us to talk about bullying and being a new kid at a new school. The timing on this couldn't have been more perfect since Turner will be starting Kindergarten in the fall.

 

So far, the book has been a success!

 

Parents are encouraged to read to their children for 20 to 30 minutes a day. We always have a quick story time before nap, and now we read Harry Potter for twenty minutes at bedtime.

 

We are three-fourths of  the way through the book. When we finish, I plan to have a Harry Potter evening where we can put on our cloaks, carry our magic wands, and watch the movie. I'm also glad that this is a series so we can continue our Harry Potter experience for months to come.

 

 

Meet Olivia!!

 



Olivia by Ian Falconer.

Olivia is Lauren's new fascination.

Olivia is a big sister who always has good intentions, but often encounters obstacles. Like most children, Olivia is a dreamer and an independent thinker. She has a big imagination and despite what happens, she remains an optimist and is always willing to try. I think her values and lessons are wonderful for Lauren to learn from.

We borrowed an Olivia book from the library and she really enjoyed it so I found an Olivia book that came with a LeapFrog Tag Reader bundle that was also available at our local library.

Now, every time Lauren sees anything with Olivia, she smiles big and says, "Livia! Livia!" I found an Olivia app for her LeapPad and I discovered that Olivia has her own cartoon series on Nickelodeon.

There are quite a few Olivia books that we will be adding to Lauren's collection.

You can also learn more about Olivia by going to her page. myolivia.com

I highly encourage you to check it out!