Welcome, Liz! These groups can be great fun, and I'm glad you could join us. I love your line "Let's get this thing going!" I certainly am ready. 
EZPiecesToo wrote:
Hi! I'm Liz from Indianapolis, IN. I have four children, two of my own and two step children - 27, 21, 10 and 7 respectively. This is my first time so be gentle with me. My daughter talked me into signing up but I think this is going to be a good thing! Some quiet time is all I need now! Lets get this thing going!!!!!
ponie wrote:
Jennmarie68 wrote:I think the biggest thing is just finding books that they enjoy now so that they don't think of reading as being boring when they grow up. I know for me the Dr. Seuss books I had were always in use. And as I grew out of them there was Matilda and Sheil Silverstein. Once I got into high school I found the Fear Street books by R.L. Stein and I was hooked on those.
I think had my mom not read to me as a child that I wouldn't really like reading now. But I found, at a young age, that reading can be a great form of escapisim. I love to get lost in a good story.
So just try to find what your kids like, if they enjoy reading while they are young it will stick with them when they get older.
-Jennifer
I don't remember books being a part of my growing up years. I remember reading Gone with The Wind in my senior year of high school - but I had to for English, it was not my choice.
When my kids were young - I had a real good friend who was a librarian. That's when it all started for me. I remember she - and her kids - and me - and my kids -went for a weekend at our cabin in Northern MN. We took tons of books she had picked out. I remember - to this day I can be there, feel it, see it - me, in the middle of the night, in our Bethany camper, in very dim light, staying up to finish The Secret Garden. And there's been no stopping me since!
I read with my kids as they were growing up, things I would have, should have, read when I was growing up, if my mom had been a reader. It continues to be a marvelous journey.
I have a 85 year old friend (really my mom's best friend) who calls me often to tell me the books she's been reading the ones I must go out and get and read! She reads the Reader's Digest condensed but always tells me to read the unabridged. I have never been disappointed with any suggestion of hers. I now call her with my "must reads" as well.
Tho I have tried many times I cannot get my mom to read a book of any kind. I even tried starting her on Al Capone Does My Shirts (I love that book!) and she just couldn't / wouldn't / didn't finish. It is sad; she is missing so much. It's a way to connect with someone. It's like having secrets when you've read the same books. There's a language from shared books that just those who have read them know about and "get".
Both my girls read lots and we are always passing books back and forth and around...and still toting tons of books to the cabin. No way a person could read the number of books we take but hey! you gotta have choices!! Never know what you might "feel" like reading once you get up there. It's a wonderful thing!
MY, my, my...I sure can (and did) go on and on...not sure where all that came from but thanks for reading!!! Read on!!!!!
This really should have been in The Community Room. I won't do this again here. Actually I didn't notice that until I was finished. But no more. Discussions start in earnest Monday so I will stick to the schedule and stay on track.
I promise.
liisa22 wrote:
Jennmarie68 wrote:I think the biggest thing is just finding books that they enjoy now so that they don't think of reading as being boring when they grow up. I know for me the Dr. Seuss books I had were always in use. And as I grew out of them there was Matilda and Sheil Silverstein. Once I got into high school I found the Fear Street books by R.L. Stein and I was hooked on those.
I think had my mom not read to me as a child that I wouldn't really like reading now. But I found, at a young age, that reading can be a great form of escapisim. I love to get lost in a good story.
So just try to find what your kids like, if they enjoy reading while they are young it will stick with them when they get older.
-Jennifer
Well said Jennifer!I should learn to read ahead more posts before I post myself, so that I don't duplicate. Sorry.
Nothing wrong with duplication! It just reiterates the point in a positive manner.
