What We're Reading

Hi there!  And Happy March!  The other day I was realizing how central reading together is to our family.  We like reading books, it is educational, and entertaining.  But moreover, reading together constitutes some of the most meaningful one on one time we spend with each child.  

Because even because some of our kids read quite well on their own (and spend a lot of their free time doing exactly that!) we still have a custom of reading aloud, generally at bedtime, with all of our kids.  These days that means Ben generally reads a couple of books to the twins before we tuck them in, Ben or I give Hugo a reading lesson and then read a few stories with him before we tuck him in, and we spend some time reading with the "big girls" after all the littler ones are in bed.  And even though our kids adore reading, I think it is Ben and I who enjoy it most.  Whether revisiting books we read as kids ourselves, or finding new ones to enjoy as a family, it is magical to read together.

So let me get down to it and share some of the books we've been loving in the past month or so! 

For the 2 and under set:

Just about any classic Golden Book!  These are awesome: they are inexpensive, can be found at your local thrift store, contain lots of animals, and are generally exactly the right length to hold the attention of your toddler or two.

For the 4 and under set:

Hugo's been loving the Paddington bear books and just about any non fiction book about animals he can get his hands on.

For the 8 and under set:

We just finished book four of the Ashton Place series last night, and are still hooked (although be warned, every single book is incredibly absorbing and ultimately leaves little resolved!  It's a bit of a tease!).  These are new books and it's been so much fun to read them for the first time together, although I have a feeling we will be reading them again and again as our younger kids grow into them.  They feature a young governess who is assigned the task of caring for three "wolf children," at an estate in England.  During their studies, they stumble upon adventures, and inadvertently start to discover the secrets of their own past.  Eee, so good (and funny!).

Zosia and I have independently been reading Wildwood, and I like it so much I'm going to make it our next read aloud.  This is another new book, and it's silly, exciting and nerdy, and set in the Pacific Northwest.  What's not to love?

 I would love hearing about your favorites, whether something you're reading with your kids or something you love from your own childhood.  I think I could talk about children's books all day!