A Good Book

I ordered some new books to read to Henry and Sophia.  I always wonder what it would be like if one of our kids hated to read.  I personally can't imagine why anyone would not be interested in reading as much as possible.  Lydia (11yo) reminds me of me when I was that age.  Constantly with my nose in a book.  My Mom is not a booklover (got it from my Dad).  She did not understand why I always wanted to hang out in my room and read, but she did keep a steady supply of good books coming my way. 

Once when I was around 12, Mom and I drove way out in the country to check out an antique store.  It was in an old barn.  We were the only ones there, and it felt as if we were the first ones to be there in a long time!  Looking around,  I found an old copy of Little Women that Mom bought for me.  Of course I started reading it in the car on the way home.  I read it two or three times during the first year that I had it.  Each time I read it, I would write in the corner of the page the date and time that I started reading, and then when I had to stop, the date and time for that.  Nowadays ya can't get me to even write my name in a book.  I like to keep them looking perfect.  A losing battle in a house with six kids!  Back when Jack was potty training, he let'er rip on a book that he found on the schoolroom floor.  sigh.  I was on the phone with a fellow homeschooling pal when it happened.  Every time she borrows a book from me she asks, "This isn't THE book, is it?"  hahaha  No, that book is long gone!  ;-)

One of the books I ordered for Henry and Sophia is a collection of Eloise Wilkin books.  Sophia was looking at it the first day we got it and has already accidentally ripped one of the pages.  Our books are destined to be well-loved.  ;-)  This one most of all, I think.  Sophia has taken to carrying it around.  It's a collection of nine stories, so it's a good, thick book for a 2-year old, but because the illustrations are so meticulously done and interesting, we read through the entire book without stopping for a break.

 

 

 

One of the really cute things Sophia does through the book is assign the characters in the book one of her brother's or sister's names.  Here is what she called Ben.

Here is herself:

Here is Lydia:
It doesn't seem to matter to her whether or not the cute little people in the book actually look like herself, or brothers and sisters.  It doesn't bother me, either, because she's so CUTE, giving the characters a name.

 

 

If you're a fan of Charlotte Mason, you might be able to relate with me on this.  Eloise Wilkin's books make me want to run out right away for a nature walk.  I've decided that her books are perfect Nature Study books for the Pre-K - K crowd.  There are a lot of flowers, trees, bugs, fish, forest and even jungle creatures to identify, and each in their own habitats.