My daughter, Janice, took pity on me this week since I'm trying to finish a manuscript and have it ready to turn in before leaving for a family vacation. She surprised me by writing a blog for me. She's a big fan of children's and young adult books. Here are her reasons why.
Why I read books written for kids.
1. Reading a picture book out loud to my preschooler is a fun way to spend time together. It's also a great excuse to stop doing house work for a few minutes.
2. Reading middle readers to my emerging reader is a good way to entice my children into the world of reading. When my oldest child was intimidated by real chapter books, I read a chapter out loud and then put the book down. He couldn't stand the suspense and had to pick it up. (I finished it after he was done.)
3. Reading the same books my children read provides great conversation topics. I also get inside jokes that my husband doesn't.
4. My 11 year old loves to recommend books to me. I guess I've recommended so many books to him, he feels like he should return the favor. And I must say, the kid has pretty good taste.
5. I get to revisit some of the great books from my past as I introduce them to my daughter. My son won't read Anne of Green Gables, but my daughter will.
6. I pick books out at the library and read them first, then tell my kids that they'll like them too. They've come to trust my judgment in books. Now if only I could get them to be so trusting at dinner time.
7. Since I've read so many YA books, I know which books I prefer my children not read - either for a few more years or ever. The choice will be theirs, but I will tell them what I don't like about books I find objectionable.
8. YA books tend to be funnier than books written for adults. I also don't find as much objectionable content in them.
9. YA books also tend to be shorter than books written for adults. I can start and finish a book on the same day.
10. Like my mom, I'm a writer too. Unlike my mom, I've only had a couple short stories published, I write YA, and my characters don't wear cowboy hats. So reading YA is research. In fact, I think I hear some research calling now.
4 comments:
Thanks for sharing. And giving a mom of young children some good tips and insight. This is good motivation to me to get my kiddo's reading, and it will also open some more lines of communication between us.
Thank you!
I have read and loved children's and you young adult books for all of the same reasons, plus I'm a school teacher. Some of my favorites to this day are Y.A. books. Nice post.
For years I have been very sneaky about getting my children interested in books. With my first chapter reading child, I would take all my children (3 at the time) into the dining room and have her read a chapter while I prepared dinner. It was a real saving grace because there was no hair pulling, name calling or burning things on the stove top. Now I read right along with my 10 year old son. We have both enjoyed Percy Jackson, the Fablehaven series and Slogbog's Gold and are anxiously awaiting any sequels. My father always told me if you can read you can do anything and he was right. I like YA fiction because I can exercise my imagination.
My kids love to read. They range in age from high school to 2nd grade. Unfortunately books don't come with a rating system so it's important to read what our teenagers are reading for pleasure and for school. Thankfully my younger sister's area of study is secondary ed english so if there is a book I haven't read YET that my children are reading for school (or by recommendation from a friend) I am covered. Some I veto (not often) and some I read first so that we can discuss the content.
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