The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease

While we were in Michigan last summer, I needed some reading. I didn't have any books with me and so I purused my parents' collection. I came across this book and picked it up, thinking it would be one of those good parenting books. I didn't get to reading it while I was there, so I packed it in my bags (surely my parents weren't going to be reading this anytime soon) and headed back to California. It wasn't until now...nearly 7 months later...that I decided to read it. I'm really glad I did. It was a very short and fast read filled with really good information -- at least for me.

You see, some people are "natural" mothers. I'm not. I get teenagers (at least those who aren't my own, because I greatly suspect one day I'll be singing a different tune when it comes to teenagers), but little kids, I don't know how to teach them. I don't know what is age appropriate. There's so much I feel like I don't know. I can pretend to eat food Callie's prepared, I can let her help me cook, I can do a ton of stuff, but when it comes down to the academic teaching, I don't really know what I'm doing. So, I'm grateful for books like this. They lead. They guide. They instruct. And they point out things that I know, but didn't know I knew...or at least knew I knew but didn't know why I needed to know it. phew.

The best part of this book, however, is the list of books that he's compiled that are great books for reading aloud to your kids from infancy through teenage years. Even if I didn't read the book, looking at his reference list would be helpful as it would name books that are known to be among the best.

It was a good read. Interesting and I'm glad I read it.