I Had A Mother Who Read To Me:

Reading aloud with your children creates great memories, increases their language skills, promotes bonding and helps them develops great ideas

 It’s easy to become passive and let go of the high standard for good quality books and there is always that tempting compromise that says, “Well, as long as we are reading…. I guess it’s ok.” No. Not at all. Just as we are careful that they exercise their bodies and eat healthily, we should be equally concerned with their mental diet and exercise.

Here is a list of ‘good’ books, and by good I mean they aren’t junk food for the brain. These books are anything but shallow and written ‘down’ to children. Instead they will fuel the imagination, spark interest and creativity, and produce a desire to dig a little deeper and learn a little more.

Courtesy of Caryn Noel Photography

Bored, Nothing To Do by Peter Spier (This one motivates children to build.)

Roxaboxen by Alice Mclerran (Read this to your kids and they will want to fill your backyard with towns of their own.)

Teedie: The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt by Don Brown (This is about a boy who overcame asthma and having a small stature. He grew into a great and adventurous man.)

Bully For You Teddy Roosevelt by Jean Fritz (I recommend this one just because it’s a great author and every boy needs heroes!)

Katerina and The Box by Patricia Lee Gauch (How many things can your kids make from a cardboard box? Read Katerina to them and then let them go find out.)

The Bat Boy and His Violin by Gavin Curtis (A boy can play both baseball and a musical instrument.)

Radio Boy by Sharon Phillips Denslow (Inspire your kids to become inventors.)

Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind by Margaret Davidson

The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill (Has your child ever mentioned the desire to start his or her own business?)

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulson (Another good one for any boy that ever dreamed of starting up a business.)

Fairy Houses by Tracy Kane (This is one book in a series of books that will have your daughters itching to get outside and create a fairy land all of their own.)

The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau (You can even go a step further and get the companion book: Quilts from The Quiltmaker’s Gift to start making some of the neat quilt blocks you see in Brumbeau’s books.)

The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews (Teaches kids that everything they do matters. What seems like a small thing can really be huge.)

Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman by Marc Tyler Nobleman (Two boys that pursue their interests in writing and illustrating science fiction stories wind up making it big.)

Backyard Ballistics by William Gurstelle (A kind of DIY guide for boys on how to build stuff…. like things that shoot or explode. What boy doesn’t love that?)

Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain

I want to encourage you to keep reading to them Mom! Let your kids feast their minds on all things lovely and beautiful and allow them to satisfy that desire for fresh ideas and new experiences by getting lost in the pages of  books.

When Mother reads aloud, I long

For noble deeds to do—

To help the right, redress the wrong;

It seems so easy to be strong,

So simple to be true.

Oh, thick and fast the visions crowd

My eyes, when Mother reads aloud.

About the Guest Blogger:

The following post is written by Lynn Custer, a wife and mom of two grown boys, who is passionate about books, whole- hearted education and encouraging moms. Lynn makes her home in North Carolina, where she has been leading Mom Heart groups and mentoring women for over 15 years.