Do you have readers in your house? I grew up reading voraciously, spending every free moment in a book – when I wasn’t playing belle of the ball, that is. But between socializing times, I really did read a lot. We had the sort of household that had encyclopedia books in the bathroom. One where my mom would give us the choice between doing dishes and reading three chapters of a book she chose. So it was a little surprising to me to find out that only two of mine have that same appetite. So far. I’m still working on the others.
There are days when Eli will drag himself out of bed – at 10 in the morning. He gets so wrapped up in a book that he doesn’t want to put it down, even for sleep. I can’t really fault him because I remember a lot of sleepless nights courtesy of Tom Clancy and John Grisham. We try to steer them to books that stimulate their minds, and we are more restrictive than some of our friends, but less restrictive than others. Right now, he’s in to Star Wars novels. And, of course, the Redwall series (ask your teenaged son). I know he’ll move on eventually.
Because he reads so much, I always have an eye out at book sales for new material. Harper-Collins has the perfect program for him (and me!). It’s their First Look for Kids program. Every month, they send out new books to junior reviewers. The kids get a free peek at what’s due to come out, and H-C gets valuable feedback. Win-win. Not everyone is selected every time, but what a treat when they are. This month was Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls. While Eli wouldn’t have been very excited, I have two girls that would have been thrilled had they been chosen.
To sign your child up for the program, go to Harper-Collins First Look Program page.