Read-Aloud

We have recently added some good parenting resources in our church library including one that I enjoyed using when my sons were young. The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease is now in its fifth edition and still contains wonderful information. The author writes not only about the importance of reading aloud, but also some of the do’s and don’ts. He also includes a listing of over 1500 books from wordless books to full-length novels to be read-aloud to children. Each listing has a brief description and recommended age-level.

Looking through The Read-Aloud Handbook certainly took me down memory lane. Authors such Margaret Wise Brown, E. B. White, and Dr. Suess were early favorites of my sons. I remember Dan laughing at Amelia Bedelia and Curious George. Rob loved James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl and Soup by Robert Newton Peck. Later, The Cay by Theodore Taylor and The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis were at the top of the list of must-reads.

During our sons' elementary years, I especially liked the books by Katherine Paterson, Beverly Cleary, Betsy Byars and Judy Blume as their writings had a sensitivity to the issues important for us to discuss. Matters of life and death, friendship, family, justice, and heartache were often explored in a way that invited healthy conversation. It is interesting to note that our sons liked these books, also.

I don’t think I fully understood the importance of this time we spent reading. I was focused on doing the right thing so that they would be good readers and enjoy it. However, the parent-child relationship strengthened, the questions spawned, the imagination inspired, and the creativity nurtured were also important rewards. It certainly is part of sacred memory for me. May my grandchildren and all children share such rich moments.