Explore Poetry with SINCE THE BABY CAME by Kathleen Long Bostrom

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  We are excited to have guest post by Kathleen Long Bostrom, author of Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems , talking about the process of writing the book and sharing some ideas for discussing and poetry writing! Read : Since the Baby Came: A Sibling’s Learning-to-Love Story in 16 Poems by Kathleen Long Bostrom, illustrated by Janet Samuel I love poetry and rhyme, and always have. I grew up with a mother who often recited poetry and I learned to read with Dr. Seuss books. It’s no wonder I turned to poetry when I began writing picture books for children.  At a children’s book conference one day about 12 years ago, I asked my friend, an editor for an educational publishing house, “What are the areas in early education where more good books are needed?”  Without hesitation, she replied, “Poetry.”  Many of my published books were written in poetry, but what could I write that was unique? Aha! I thought. What if I wrote a story using a variety of styles of
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Ten Tips for Summer Reading

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by Rebecca J. Gomez

We all want our kids to read over the summer. But, not everyone has kids who have to be told to stop reading and spend some time outside! So, here are some tips that might help you get your kids to read while on summer break.

 1. Let kids choose their own books. 

Choice is a big part of the "secret" to getting kids to read. So, let them choose. When my son was little, he enjoyed picture book versions of Spongebob Squarepants and Scooby Doo stories. He read a lot of graphic novels. He'd flip through books about his favorite video games. All of this was good reading!

2. Limit screen time.

Is this one obvious? It seems like a no-brainer, but it can sometimes be a challenge to implement when kids are claiming they're bored or you feel like they constantly need your attention. But bored kids WILL find something to do eventually. And sometimes that will be reading.

3. Have a daily quiet time.

For younger kids, consider having a set time each day during which your kids take a nap or sit and do a quiet activity. They could choose to read, color, do a puzzle, or doze on the couch.

4. Keep books around the house.

Kids will be more likely to pick up a book if they see a book. So, let your books travel around the house a bit rather than keeping them on the book case. Make a summer book display on the mantle or side table, put a basket of books in the family room, place a stack of books next to your kiddo's favorite toys.

5. Create a reading nook. 

Setting up a cozy spot that is just for reading could incentivize your kids to crack open a book. A cozy nook could be made of cushions in the corner of a living room, a cozy tent in the family room, or a snug spot in the crawl space under the stairs. Make it so inviting as to be irresistible!

6. Read yourself. 

Kids learn from example, and if you want them to be readers, you should be a reader yourself. And not just when they are asleep or out of the house. 

7. Read at bedtime.

It can be tempting to forego bedtime reading when the day's been especially long or tiring. But, unless you carried your kids to bed already asleep, try to keep up with the bedtime reading, even if it's something super short like one poem from a collection.

8. Listen to audio books.

This can be great for road trips, especially. And audio books can also be good options for kiddos who are more reluctant to read on their own or who enjoy doing things with their hands while listening to a story. And yes, listening to an audio book counts as reading!

9. Sign up for a local summer reading program. 

Earning tangible awards (for my kids, this was free pizza and tickets to a local water park) can be great incentives. If there's no official summer reading program near you, come up with your own. 

10. Combine books with summer fun!

This is the idea behind the Read, Discuss, Do! Summer Challenge. Going camping? Read One Summer Up North. Spending a day at the pool? Read Jabari Jumps. If there's something you do for summer fun, there's a book for that! 

We will be sharing lots more ideas for combining books with summer fun beginning this Friday, June 3! We hope you will join us! Visit this post to sign up and enter to win a copy of Federico and the Wolf. 

Also...

Download the printable Summer Challenge book marks for your kids to color here.

Download the printable Summer Challenge calendar here. 

Do you have any tips for encouraging your kids to read? We would love to hear them!


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