Because I believe in the value and empowerment of reading, I want my kids to be passionate, curious, eager readers.

Here, then, are some of my favorite children’s books that celebrate reading itself:

Reading Makes You Feel Good Todd Parr

It’s a Book Lane Smith

The Best Book to Read Debbie Bertram

A Book Mordicai Gerstein

The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster

Dog Loves Books Louise Yates

Word After Word After Word Patricia Maclachlan

Calvin Can’t Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie Jennifer Berne

How Rocket Learned to Read Tad Hills

Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don’t) Barbara Bottner

And here are some of my favorite books for adults about reading, or about getting kids reading:

Best Books for Kids Who (Think They) Hate to Read: 125 Books That Will Turn Any Child into a Lifelong Reader, Laura Backes

Better Than Life, Daniel Pennac

The Between the Lions Book for Parents: Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Child Learn to Read, Linda K. Rath, Louise
Kennedy

The Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators Series, edited by Connie Rockman, 8th, 9th and 10th editions

Books Kids Will Sit Still For, Judy Freeman

Great Books About Things Kids Love, Great Books for Boys and Great Books for Girls, Kathleen Odean

Guys Write for Guys Read, Jon Scieszka

Honey for a Child’s Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life, Gladys Hunt

How to Get Your Child to Love Reading, Esmé Raji Codell

The Kids’ Book Club Book: Reading Ideas, Recipes, Activities, and Smart Tips for Organizing Terrific Kids’ Book Clubs, Judy Gelman, Vicki Levy Krupp

The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life, Steve Leveen

The Mother-Daughter Book Club: How Ten Busy Mothers and Daughters Came Together to Talk, Laugh, and Learn Through Their Love of Reading, Shireen Dodson

The New York Times Parent’s Guide to the Best Books for Children, Eden Ross Lipson

Reading Magic—Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever, Mem Fox

Read to Me: Raising Kids Who Love to Read, Bernice E. Cullinan

The Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease

The Uncommon Reader, Alan Bennett

Under the Chinaberry Tree: Books and Inspirations for Mindful Parenting, Ann Ruethling and Patti Pitcher

Valerie and Walter’s Best Books for Children—A Lively, Opinionated Guide, Valerie Lewis and Walter M. Mayes

Welcome to Lizard Motel: Protecting the Imaginative Lives of Children, Barbara Feinberg

What are your favorite books that celebrate reading?

* Books are evergreen – they keep on giving, well beyond the day they are received. They give with each read, and if they are subsequently shared or passed down, they keep on giving. They are like presents that can be opened over and over again.

* Books send a message to the recipient beyond that of the book itself. They tell the reader, “I care about you. I think of you as this sort of person, and therefore I think you would enjoy this book.”

* Books educate, inform and inspire. They broaden consciousness and perspective. They also cultivate curiosity, nurture the imagination, and promote a sense of wonder.

* Books provide outstanding long-term value for a relatively low cost.

* Giving young people books as gifts subliminally underscores the connection between reading and the joy of receiving, thus strengthening the association between books and pleasure.

* There are countless types, genres, styles, subjects and authors to choose from, maximizing your opportunity to find something uniquely suited to each recipient.

* If you are overwhelmed by options, or not sure where to begin to find the right book for a loved one, there are myriad resources to help. Your local bookseller is trained to help match the right book to the right person. You can also explore Amazon.com’s “listmania” lists and “Customers who bought this book also explored…” feature. You can pick up a copy of the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, American Libraries magazine or any number of other publications dedicated to reviewing books. There are even websites geared to helping people find books they love – one to explore is www.goodreads.com.

Plus, I’ll be posting next on great books to buy (or give) about reading and writing.

So give the best gift of all this year. Give books!

Our teenage son Sam has always been Mr. Non-Fiction. When he was very young, he was passionate about trucks. We read everything we could get our hands on in the “truck” genre, from You Can Name 1000 Trucks to I Stink! These days, he’s into humor, baseball, and classic rock.  We offer up a lot of baseball and musician memoirs, and point him towards authors like Gary Paulsen, Gerald Durrell, Mike Lupica and Matt Christopher.  As long as he’s reading for pleasure, we’re happy.

Our seven year-old daughter Hope is all about fantasy. Her heroes are princesses, fairies, ponies and ballerinas, along with girl rock stars, fashionistas and just plain gutsy girls. (What can I say? No matter how hard we tried to be gender-neutral parents, we ended up with two gender-stereotype kids.)  She loves series books, including the Pony Pals, Rainbow Magic and Magic Treehouse series, as well as the Allie Finkle, Just Grace and Clarice Bean books.  As long as the protagonist is female!

“How can I get my child to turn off the Gameboy (TV, computer etc.) and pick up a book?!”

This is the question that Emma Walton Hamilton, the best-selling children’s book author, educator, and Editorial Director of the Julie Andrews Collection publishing imprint, hears the most often.

Whether on a book tour with her mother and co-author, the legendary actress Julie Andrews, at speaking engagements in schools, libraries and other public arenas, or in casual conversation, this question surfaces again and again, with increasing urgency, from parents, grandparents, educators, librarians and caregivers across the country.

In fact, eighty-two percent of parents wish their kids read more, according to Scholastic’s annual “Kids and Family Reading” report. Parents overwhelmingly view reading as the most important skill a child needs to develop, which should come as nor surprise, since it is a well-documented fact that children who read well do better in all aspects of school and beyond.

Reading skills correspond directly to one’s ability to:

• Be a confident, informed citizen
• Communicate effectively
• Succeed in one’s chosen career, and
• Achieve personal fulfillment.

But… a recent survey by the National Endowment for the Arts based on two decades of census reports states that, for the first time in modern history, less than half the adult population now reads literature for pleasure.

The disturbing facts are that one third of high school graduates and forty-two percent of college graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. This decline in reading literature occurs across all ages, sexes and races. It is most pronounced among the young.

Building on the premise that an appreciation for reading stems from an kinesthetic connection between books and pleasure, Raising Bookworms offers over 150 powerfully effective yet simple strategies to engage even the most reluctant reader, and to build, maintain or restore a love of reading for every age range.

“Raising Bookworms” does something rare—it recognizes that to get a kid reading means lighting an internal fire, not just applying an external push. This book shows you how to make reading a habit they’ll want to form all on their own.” – James Patterson, Bestselling author

Readers will discover…

• Why reading is so essential for success in school and in life
• How to build – or restore – the critical connection between reading and pleasure
• The value of, and techniques for, reading aloud to children of all ages
• How to find the best books for young readers
• Answers to frequently asked questions about developmental issues, the impact of television and the internet, and engaging older children and reluctant readers
• Hundreds of activities, resources, recommendations and tools for building the foundation for a life-long love of reading

“The message of this lovingly written book – packed with recommended reading and activities for parents and children – is simple: children can learn to love reading books. Caring attentive adults can make the difference, and that difference changes lives.” – Leonard Kniffel, Editor in Chief, American Libraries

For BULK ORDERS: Phone: 1-800-BookLog Fax: 1-419-281-6883
E-mail: orders@AtlasBooks.com or visit www.atlasbooksdistribution.com

Click here to download a pdf order form.

Notes:

• 12/08/08 in the category of “Books > Reference > Words & Language > Literacy
• Category: Parenting Activities. See the “News & Events” page for details and press release