Sometimes I feel like we just have books everywhere.  They are often piled up high next to the couch, on the couch, scattered on the floor in the kids play area, in their bedroom and even on our kitchen table.  We have two big bookcases but somehow the books never seem to be inside the bookcases.  But if I stop myself from worrying about the mess and look at what it means, it is just the way it should be.  The kids are enjoying their books, whether it is fictional or fact based they love getting lost in a book.  The thrill of seeing what the character is going to discover on the next page or the knowledge that this particular spider likes to eat a certain insect.  Books open up their world.

So why are our kids so into books ?  I think it is a combination of things.  We have always read books together both in the house and while we are out and about (yes I do mean out – at the local park, coffee shop or on a train trip – I always have a book stashed somewhere so we can read.  We don’t take iPads out the house unless it is for a specific learning activity.  If they need to occupy themselves while waiting we have books.)

And we have always made sure that they have access to good quality books.  For me this is important.  I don’t like books which simplified something to the point of actually not being correct.  Kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for.  So why not teach them something correctly from the beginning.  And when a child is reading a book and realizes they have “dumbed down” some fact they actually stop believing anything else that is written in that book.  So NO over simplified books.  Sorry.

Libraries – We love our local library but I am finding the book selection more limited for their current age (Daughter is 10) so we are making good use of their reservation feature.   It really comes in handy when the kids start to read book series as we can reserve the next book in advance so they don’t miss out on any.

The other way that we like to bolster the kids reading is by buying series from The BookPeople. It has become a bit of a tradition that every Birthday and Christmas they each get a new book series.  We have had such a huge hit with this. Last Christmas my son was given the How to Train Your Dragon series and boy oh boy it has been so loved and read so many times. (Cannot recommend these books enough)

I know people are quick to point out but the kids can just use a computer or device to read.  And yes that it true and we do.  But there is just something more magical about getting lost in a book, turning that page, hearing the sound pages make and feeling the paper in your hands.

(Just for reference the Books in the picture above the BIG CAT readers – Little Women: Band 18/Pearl (Collins Big Cat) and Roman Life in Britain: Band 12/Copper (Collins Big Cat)).

This is NOT a sponsored post in any shape, just me rambling about books.

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