Reading with Toddlers: My new obsession with the library.

I love that parenting lets me relive so many fun parts of being a kid!  I have awesome memories of reading in my closet after being put to bed so I could have some light to see.  I was obsessed with books.  My third grade teacher would check my desk to make sure I didn't have a library book during math time because I would read and not do the lesson.  I loved getting lost in a book.  Books were also my best friends when we would move in the summer time and I didn't have friends to play with until the school year started.  Between my 5th and 6th grade year we moved from Louisiana to South Carolina and I checked out the large print version of Gone with the Wind.  I was handed three enormous volumes and must have looked hilarious reading these massive books in my bedroom.

So fast forward 20 years and I know have a just turned four year old, two year old, and a baby.  Ezra is four and loves to read!  We were going to the library often and I would let Ezra pick out books but we just weren't finding very many quality books.

My friend Angie gave me the great idea of finding book lists for preschoolers on the internet and then reserving them at my library online! This has changed my life!  I get giddy every week when we pick up our new books and I have fallen in love with so many wonderful stories and beautiful illustrations.  I have found books that fit different character qualities we need to work on, skills to learn, current interests, and so on.

I was also introduced to this amazing book, "Honey for a child's heart" by Gladys Hunt.  It has all the old classic books from your childhood that you have forgotten about in lists by age.  The first part of her book is entitled "Using books to help children grow" and the second part is titled " best loved books for children".  It is such a gem of a book! 

A few of our current favorites are:

Make Way for Ducklings

Lyle Lyle the Crocodile

Anything by Ezra Jack Keats

Jesus Calling Storybook Bible

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

Our new family rhythm is that we read a book during breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime.  This gives the kids time to practice sitting at the table for longer periods of time, time to finish their dinner, and it makes them love meal time!  

Here are a few things I have learned about my OKC library:  

* Every child in your family can have a library book starting at birth that can have up to 30 books on it! 

* A book can be renewed online for 6 weeks

* reserves and late payments can all be made online.  

* Basically any book I am looking for I can find if I use the online system because they will ship it from any library in the OKC area to the downtown library where I pick up! 

* The library will send you emails and texts telling you when your book is due back which you sign up for online.  

Nerd alert- Can you tell how excited I am about this? 

See you at the library!