Reading With My Little Ones

     It's been a little over two years since we moved to our house in Kansas. My excitement to relocate from Arkansas back to Kansas had a lot to do with the library. Silly, but true. In Arkansas, it took a bit of a drive to get to our nearest library. The house we moved to here is quite close to the library and that's a good thing because reading to my kiddos is just about my favorite thing to do with them. My library account attests to this fact.

     I currently have 67 items on my account. Most of those are childrens books, though I do check out quite a few books for myself. I'm like a kid in a candy store when I visit the library. I can't seem to stop picking up books until my arms are full or my tote bag is stuffed.

     My children know to ask for the “new” books from the library and like it when I pick out something special for them. They like it best when I pick out something tailored to their current interests. Right now, that is books about butterflies for my oldest daughter and books about knights and dragons for my son. (My one-year-old is quite happy with her extensive personal library of board books.)

     Still, though we find many treasures as we frequent the library, nothing quite compares to reading them my favorite story from childhood. The Little Engine That Could was and is one of my favorites. We have a copy that my grandma gave my oldest daughter when she was only a couple of months old. Almost five years later, the book is worn and even torn in places. I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope that one day my kids use their library accounts every bit as much as I use mine. Perhaps we'll even read the same books and have some lively discussions. ( Goodnight Moon doesn't exactly stimulate the best conversation.)

     Until then, I'd love to know what your favorite stories are to share with your little (and not so little) ones. Also, do you have a favorite place to attend story time? Do tell.

       If you like the library, you might want to check out the article, "Confessions of a Library-aholic" on KCParent.com.