Books, reading and grandchildren

One of the best things about having children is being able to share favorite books with them. I have read (and still read) aloud to all of my children, and as they gain proficiency in reading I love to share my favorite books with them, both books I enjoyed as a child and books I enjoy now as an adult.

Now I'm learning the delights of sharing books with grandchildren. Abbey will listen attentively to as many books as I care to read to her as often as I will. I carefully gather 6 to 8 picture books I think she will enjoy and read them to her, then we decide which ones to reread, sometimes rereading the same book three times in one sitting.

Yesterday I went to the book sale at the middle school and bought a stack of books for Hayley. When she came home from school (she's 7, and in the first grade) I gave them to her and her response was heart-warmingly enthusiastic and grateful. Best of all, without any input from me she selected my favorite from the pile and began reading it immediately. She read the first three chapters without pausing, then came to me and said, "Grandma, I REALLY like this book!" Later in the evening she asked me to please send her to bed a little early so she could read for a while before she had to go to sleep. (My Darling! Of course!!!)

And the book which has captured her attention? Stuart Little by E.B. White.