“I don't care what he eats as long as he is eating.” Have you ever heard a parent say this about their child? A parent who would feed their children a steady diet of candy, pop, and other junk foods? No conscientious parent would say that, since they care about what their children take into their bodies.
I just don't understand why I often hear seemingly caring parents saying “I don't care what they read as long as they are reading.” Shouldn't parents care just as much about what is going into their children's minds? There are so many wonderful, uplifting books available, why would you want to waste your time reading “junk books” to your children?
Why do we read books to our children? We want to improve literacy skills and a love of reading, of course. But by choosing good books, we can take it to a higher level. Their imaginations develop by leaps and bounds when reading good books. Good books can instill core values in our children. Children learn to recognize good vs evil by reading stories.
Thomas S. Monson said, “Our Heavenly Father has counseled us to seek after ‘anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.' (Article of Faith 13). Whatever you read, listen to, or watch, makes an impression on you.” (The Lighthouse of the Lord Nov 1990 Ensign)
How do you know which books are good books? You do your research. You look for classics, books that have won awards, and books that have been recommended by others you trust to recommend a good book. You can even look at and read the ratings on Amazon
A good book is one that you can read again and again and neither one of you will get tired of it. (Well, you might…) A good book doesn't “dumb down” the words. Your child can understand a level of language higher than you think. A good book also has a good message, there's a point to reading it. Good picture books have wonderful pictures.
Many people recommend you go to the library and allow your child to choose the books they think are interesting, in order to encourage their love of books. I, quite frankly, think this is a terrible way to find good books. If you watch how your child picks books, they generally grab a few off the shelves closest to them. And sometimes they'll find a couple with cool pictures. Nope, that's not the way to find good books, sorry. If you're picking out good books and reading them aloud, that will encourage a love of books.
This is not to say you can't let your children pick out a couple of books. But do guide them in this activity. And be prepared with a list of good books before you go to the library. Instead of letting your child randomly pick out books, teach them to help you find the call numbers of the books. That will give them the useful skill of how to use the library, rather than the un-useful skill of grabbing books off the shelf.
Here are a few good books to get you started:
Pigs from 1 to 10 by Arthur Giesert – you will LOVE the pictures.
The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson – get the Caldecott Honor medal version if you can
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina – a very funny story
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown – Creative way to make a tasty soup.
Do read aloud to your kids. President Gordon B. Hinckly said, “Begin early in exposing children to books. The mother who fails to read to her small children does a disservice to them and a disservice to herself.” (The Environment of our Homes June 1985 Ensign) And don't stop just because the kids start reading on their own. Keep reading out loud they'll love it and so will you. Even my 12 year old son will stop anything he's doing if I announce I'm going to read out loud.
Here are a few of our favorite read-alouds:
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett – Very imaginative story, even preschoolers will like this one.
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard & Florence Atwater – A humorous and basically absurd story.
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – Kids will love this book, and parents will too, at a deeper level.
You're a conscientious parent, I can tell. Choose only the best books for your children!
Molly Mormon
Molly,
This is exactly one of the reasons I picked the homeschool curriculum I use. (Five in A Row) It uses superb picture books to create unit studies. My children are tempted by the less than stellar books, but most of the time, they pick some really good books. I notice that they are beginning to differentiate the really good books from the so-so books.
Thanks for the great article.
We collect books. In my house we have a formal library on the main floor, a kids library upstairs, and a homeschool room full of books. Love, love, love books. We give books for Christmas, birthdays, anytime.
One of my criterion for what constitutes a “good book” is whether the book show evil as evil or shows it as acceptable. The scriptures are full of evil, but it is never glamorized or minimized. I really hated the movie Titanic, because it showed evil behavior as romantic and lovely. At about the same time, I watched, and quite liked the movie Man in the Iron Mask. It also showed evil, but it was portrayed as being the flaw in the twins character that lead to his demise.
Years and years ago I got a book that I have used dozens of time. (I even used to sell it from the mail-order catalog I produced over a decade ago.) I highly recommend it as a help in determining what messages a particular book teaches directly or indirectly. It’s called Books That Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values Through Stories. I’ve learned about dozens of great books from this source and have not yet been disappointed by it’s recommendations.
Molly, do you have any suggestions for older kids? Or is that a Part II article?
I feel so smart, we have most of the books you listed. I’d like older books and adult books. Not adult adult books. You know what I mean.
Great idea, I’ll have to come up with a part II for older kids. And non-adult books for adults. What on earth do you call that type of books anyway? I know just what you mean, and I too struggle with knowing what to call them!
All I know is that when we made a move from our first house to our second, we labeled about a billion boxes “adult books” to distinguish them from the kids’ books without even thinking. It wasn’t until some ward members were helping us haul in boxes, and I got some pretty weird looks, that I tuned in.
This is where I have to admit my weakness. I hardly read at ALL.
That’s not do say that I don’t read. I certainly have my favorite books. Some I’ve read over and over again. I just hardly ever have time.
On my very first venture to the Mormon Momma site, I responded to a question about “couple scripture study”, and said that I did most of my personal study in the bathroom, because it’s the only ‘quiet’ time I have. That’s still true!
I started reading Lecture’s On Faith (dans le salle de bains) of course. Oh my gosh. Here’s a guilt trip for you.
Our RS president has been encouraging us to read it. In fact, she started a PH&F enrichment study group around it. I couldn’t attend the group meetings, but I started reading it on my own.
I got to the third chapter and put it down. I feel horrible, but honestly, I can’t stand it!
Not the doctrine of course, I love the doctrine. But the manner in which it was written makes me crazy! He says the same sentence over and over again. Four or five times within one paragraph. Then in the next paragraph, it’s the same thing. That same sentence said over and over and over again, very often using the same words, sometimes just put in a different order.
Paragraph after paragraph, page after page, chapter after chapter, and I finally couldn’t stand it anymore! I hope reading that book isn’t prerequisite to entering the Kingdom of God!
I haven’t read a novel in several years, simply because once I’m into it, it’s very hard for me to put it down. I do this “oh, I’ve got to get the dishes done… well, just one more chapter” thing, and my house completely falls apart around me, and nothing gets done.
Lately, when I do read, it’s usually something pertaining to politics, rather than a good novel. How did I become such a bore?
LOL! I do my scripture study in the bathroom too! It does help that we also have the walk-in closet, so I can do it in there.
I have not read Lectures on Faith. I don’t have plans to in the near future. I too hope it isn’t a prerequiste to entering the Kingdom of God.
I can relate on the not-being-able-to-put the novel down. I still read them though. I just do it during lunch with the kids. Sometimes we have reallllly long lunches. I also read before I go to sleep at night. Sometimes I go to sleep realllllly late!
I also read lots of non-fiction too, politics and lots of organization books. You’d think I’d be so organized, but I probably spend more time reading the books on organizing than I do organizing. Baby steps…
I really don’t have time to read. But I do it anyway. 😉
Okay, so honesty breaks through.
I DO have time, like right now,instead of being on the computer, I could be reading.
But see, every morning I get on the computer and answer one more question to add to my personal history. It usually takes 15 minutes or so. Then I pop onto Mormon Momma and read the latest posts. Today, I’ll spend 20 minutes or so typing this response, checking out other discussions, then hop up and go stick in load of laundry, start breakfast, then we’ll clean up and I’ll start getting things ready for our Memorial day excursions and ward picnic.
Then later today, I’ll pop back in, and spend 15-20 minutes or so checking things out. I might even check just before I head to bed.
The difference between this and a good book, is I DO get off the computer and get other things done!
But if I park my behind on the sofa, and The Kingdom and The Crown is in my hands…
Too funny, Alison!! I can only imagine what was going through your neighbors’ minds to be helping you and Sam moving in your adult books! 😉
I, too, am a bookaholic! The last time I moved I spent days and days transporting boxes of books to the new house thinking I would do the boxes myself and save the big things like piano and furniture for the moving truck. By the time I finally got them all here I decided I was never doing that again!! So— I bought the house and here I plan to stay– or at least if I ever move again I am paying someone else to move my books!! That was 4 years and several hundred books ago– I love books! Part of my thing is that I read with a highlighter in my hand, so I don’t use the library very often– they don’t want me highlighting their books! Also, afer I read and highlight I want the book on my shelf where I can get to it and glance back over the highlighted sections (most of the book). It’s almost like reading it all over again.
I, too, have time to read. It’s not that I don’t stay busy enough raising 4 active children, working 3 jobs part-time (they are flexible and things I enjoy doing, and can work around my own schedule), and volunteering with 14 different non-profit organizations. It’s just that I couldn’t do any of the other things well if I don’t take time to fill my own bucket. The best way for me to fill my bucket is to read– read– read.
My reading also helps me do the other things that I do better. One of the books I read last week was so incredible I am using it as the focal point at the Bear Lake Retreat next week for our PTSA Youth Leadership team and YFP (the mentoring program I run). I am also purchasing copies to share with each member of my PTA Council Board, the PTA Presidents, each organization I work with and my Book Wise team members. I find that I always seem to pick up just the right book at just the right moment. Sometimes I even read just the perfect chapter at the exact time I need it. Just yesterday I was finishing up a book so I could put it back on the shelf. In going through it I realized I had skipped a chapter so I went back to read it and realized it was the answer to a situation I had been struggling with all weekend. If I had read it in the right order it would have had no meaning, but reading it yesterday helped me tremendously.
Well . . . enough about that. I LOVE your idea about answering a question each morning for your personal history, facethemusic. I am going to have some time this summer and will be working on finishing my book. I think I will add that little gem to my daily schedule. In fact– that would be a GREAT activity for my YFP youth! I’ll get them each a special notebook and have them start next week while we are at the cabin! Thanks for the idea!
See — I always find the perfect information at just the right moment. By the way– THIS is reading. I’m not suggesting you replace all reading with this, but you certainly are reading and writing here, and from what I have seen, there is a lot of good information here. I came here in a quest to find Alison and re-connect, but I am really impressed with the quality and education of the women I have seen here! I plan to hang out here a bit.
Give it up, Sharilee. What is the name of the great book!!!
It’s not so much the book as the timing for what I am doing right now. I didn’t include the title because it isn’t necessaily relevant to everyone.
The book is Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz. He is talking about traditional companies focusing more on getting people talking about their products in a positive way since that is where the real marketing is in this day and age of technology. He points out that you can no longer hide a bad product behind fancy packaging or a great commercial, because the minute people try it and find out it’s a bad product they will be telling everyone they know in person and on-line and the word will be out and the marketing dollars were wasted. He goes as far as to say that “Traditional marketing is no longer the safe way to go. It may make you more comfortable, but it is becoming gradually less and less effective for more and more companies.” He also says, “Not only should word of mouth marketing take its place next to the other mainstream marketing techniques, it should come first because it is the cheapest, most effective and most customer friendly.”
I just couldn’t help applying it to all of the ‘marketing’ I do in life with PTA and YFP and Headstart and all of the other organizations I volunteer with. We aren’t traditional companies, but we are very much trying to ‘sell’ a product– whether it be the value of parent involvement or the importance of mentoring, etc. It’s a really excellent read, I guess for anyone who is involved in ‘selling’ anything, whether it be for a business or a non-profit organization or whatever. The point applies to them all— we need to make sure we have a product or service worth talking about, and then we need to give people something to talk about and get them talking.
Anyway— the other book IS one that I recommend for EVERYONE. The other book I referred to was The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer. Anything by Wayne Dyer, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Stephen R. Covey, Hyrum Smith, Napoleon Hill, Robert Allen— there are a lot of really good books with a similar message out there— and on my shelf!