Bridging the Gap

One obstacle to our nightly reading time is that Jaymie, age 7, is an experienced reader and listener, while Julia, age 4, is still mostly a picture book listener. This means that Kristen and I both need to be available to read if we are going to read to them before bed, since the girls don't like it if they are left out of a reading time, even if they get a turn later.

The past couple of nights, I've tried reading Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary to Julia. She'll sit through a chapter, and complain if I suggest that we read something easier, but I'm not sure that she's getting much out of the experience. I'm not entirely certain how to proceed. It would be nice if I could occasionally read a book to Jaymie and Julia together, but I don't want Julia to have to sit through a story that she's not ready for.

Tiger on a Tree by Anushka Ravishankar, pictures by Pulak Biswas

Kristen and I generally pick books for our kids at the library, but we also allow them to pick some books for themselves. More often than not, they select titles that neither they nor we are very interested. Every once in a while, however, we come across a book that we like that we would never have found otherwise.

Julia picked Tiger on a Tree by Anushka Ravishankar, illustrated by Pulak Biswas. It's a very simple book, probably less than 100 words long, that tells the story of a tiger who gets trapped in a tree. The text is fun to read aloud -- it rhymes, but the meter is slightly irregular -- and the woodcut illustrations are simple, yet evocative.

We have to return it to the library tomorrow, unfortunately. Julia has asked for it every night this week.

Books on tape listened to by Jaymie at age 5

It took us a while to discover books on tape, so Jaymie didn't listen to
too much at age 5.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary
Half Magic, by Edward Eagar

Books on tape listened to by Jaymie at age 6

Ramona the Brave, by Beverly Cleary
Beezus and Ramona, by Beverly Cleary
Ramona Forever, by Beverly Cleary
Henry and Beezus, by Beverly Cleary
Ramona Quimby age 8, by Beverly Cleary
Ramona and Her Mother, by Beverly Cleary
Ramona and Her Father, by Beverly Cleary
Ribsy, by Beverly Cleary
Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
Maltida, by Roald Dahl
Emilys Runaway Imagination, by Beverly Cleary
The Incredible Journey, by Shelila Burnford
A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Wizard of Oz, by L.Frank Baum
Alices Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll

Books on tape

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about the idea of books on tape
at first. They seemed like a pale imitation of what we were trying to
achieve. However, experience has made me wiser. Jaymie and Julia both
enjoy listening to books on tape during Stanley's nap each day while they
color or draw, leaving Kristen free to get other things done. Our local
library has a nice selection of books available.

I'm always surprised that Jaymie is able to listen to a book on tape while
she is busy doing something else, but every time I quiz her to see if
she's really comprehending what's being said, she answers my questions
perfectly. I suppose it's not a bad skill to have.

Books read to Jaymie at age 6

In roughly chronological order:

The Magician's Nephew, by C.S. Lewis
Mr. Popper's Penguins, by Richard and Florence Atwater
The Year of Miss Agnes, by Kirkpatrick Hill
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L.Konigsburg
Ginger Pye, by Eleanor Estes
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
Along Came a Dog, by Meindert DeJong
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
Stuart Little, by E.B. White
The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Magic by the Lake, by Edward Eager

Books read to Jaymie at age 5

To start things off, we'll list the books we've read so far, by year. This is the list of books we read to Jaymie at age 5. These are in no particular order.

Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White
The House at Pooh Corner, by A.A. Milne
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, by Betty MacDonald
Hello, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, by Betty MacDonald
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Magic, by Betty MacDonald
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm, by Betty MacDonald
The Littles, by John Peterson
The Littles Take a Trip, by John Peterson
The Littles to the Rescue, by John Peterson
Chocolate Fever, by Robert Kimmel Smith
Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little House on the Prairie, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
On the Banks of Plum Creek, by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Homer Price, by Robert McKloskey
Centerburg Tales, by Robert McKloskey
James and the Giant Peach, by Roald Dahl
The Boxcar Children, by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island, by Gertrude Chandler Warner
My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Ramona the Pest, by Beverly Cleary
How to Eat Fried Worms, by Thomas Rockwell
The Hundred Dresses, by Eleanor Estes
The Courage of Sarah Noble, by Alice Dalgliesh
All-of-a-Kind Family, by Sydney Taylor

500 books by 12 years of age

Kristen and I are big fans of Jim Trelease's book The Read-Aloud Handbook. Trelease makes the case for reading to children, not just when they are young and unable to read for themselves, but as they grow older as well. He relates the story of Erin Hasset, whose mother and father read to her from the day she was born, and continued to read to her throughout her childhood, keeping notes along the way. She celebrated her 12th birthday by finishing the 500th book read to her by her parents.

We read this story when Jaymie was five years old, and we asked each other, "Can we do this?" We resolved to try. As it turns out, we're probably not going to reach 500 books by the time Jaymie turns 12 -- we started too late, and Julia and Stanley need to be read to as well. But we have enjoyed the challenge, and have seen the benefits already with all of our children.

This blog is a record of our reading experiences. We'll list the titles we read, hopefully with some thoughts on the books as well.