Summer Reading: It’s Fundamental

For as long as I can remember, reading has been a huge part of my life.  Growing up, having a tv in our bedroom was not allowed.  But more often than not, you could find me in my bedroom, door closed, lying on my bed, completely engrossed in a good book.

The Trixie Belden series.

Nancy Drew.

Beverly Cleary.

Judy Blume.  Who could forget being forbidden to read “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret?“

The Sweet Valley High girls.

I dove head first into The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and the rest of the Narnia world.  Escapism at its best.  And without a remote.

Roald Dahl and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Followed by James and the Giant Peach.

How to Eat Fried Worms.  Which was more recently turned into a fun movie that I introduced the kids to.

Books have been such a big part of my life, and still are to this day, that it has always been important to me to pass a love of reading on to my kids.

I started them both with Good Night, Moon.  Nothing made me happier than seeing Madeline love the story as much as Nick did.  Words read from the very same copy I read from years earlier.

We read Dr. Seuss regularly.  The faster, the better.

Freckle Juice.

I counted nine bookshelves in the house.  Organized by type or by owner (mine versus the kids).

When Mystic’s teenage daughter mentioned that she wants to be a writer and is working on a few creative writing pursuits, I was thrilled.  She also mentioned she loved reading mysteries.

Have you ever read Nancy Drew?

“Who?”

Hardy Boys?

She shook her head.

Trixie Belden?

None of them.  Terrible!  These are classics.  I started keeping an eye out for copies for her during garage sale pursuits and trips to the used book store.  I’m building a collection of the original Hardy Boys series for Nick (an idea I stole from my sister – thank you!), and Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden and Judy Blume for Madeline when she gets older.  And now a set for Mystic’s daughter.  These are all titles and authors that should be passed on from generation to generation, without question.

This weekend I got her copies of a few Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume books, included a quick note with them, hoping that she enjoys them as much as I did when I was her age.

For the past two years, Nick has kept a summer journal.  I think it’s excellent practice for his handwriting and reading skills, and it’s fun to look back on the previous entries and see what he wrote.  This year is no exception, and Madeline will be doing the same.

And since it’s summer time, that also means summer reading lists.  He has a couple books to read as he readies himself for fourth grade, and there are a few national summer reading incentives that are perfect motivation for your little reader at home too.

TD Bank will give you ten bucks for your child’s current (or new) account if you fill in their form and turn it in.

Borders will give you a free book for your summer reading, as will Barnes & Noble.

There are plenty more places that are doing summer reading motivators (Half Price Books and the Old Spaghetti Factory, for example) – these are just a few that are local to us.  I’m ignoring the Chuck E. Cheese one.  No one needs to be tortured that way.

Tonight we read If You Give a Pig a Pancake.  We vacillate between a book for Madeline, or Nick reading to her, and reading a chapter in one of Nick’s books.

We would love to hear some of your favorite classic must-reads!

July 5, 2011 – Bonus Photos

Madeline recuperating from her first morning of summer camp.

The weather was too deliciously warm not to eat dinner outside tonight. Loving it.

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