Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Summer Parenting: Extra Books at Bedtime

Admittedly, we've been lax in enforcing our five-year-old's bedtime this summer.  That has to change soon, as the kindergarten bus will arrive at 6:45 a.m. in less than two weeks.  But in the meantime, we're enjoying lots of extra reading time.  Last month's favorites are still in play, but she's added a few more to the mix:

A little geography, a lot of silliness.  Perfect.


One of the more informative Fancy Nancy books. Fitting for my budding eco-adventurer.


Love the feminist message.  A refreshing alternative to Disney princesses.

Answers many of the "why" and "how" questions she asks about her body.


And of course, the Gerda Muller seasons series.  Beautifully illustrated board books, with no words, only endless imaginative possibilities.  She loved them as an infant, as a toddler, as a pre-schooler, and now, still, at five.  Her own stories to accompany the illustrations grow in complexity with each read.  These books are treasures:





Reading with my daughters ranks as my favorite parenting experience. There's nothing better than cuddling with a good book and watching their horizons expand and their imaginations grow.

As always, I welcome your recommendations for good reads.

(Sharing with 5 Minutes for Books)

4 comments:

  1. Wow- it looks like my five year old daughter would get along VERY well with yours at reading time, as several of these are very familiar titles. :) We, too, will be getting into an earlier schedule in just a couple of weeks for the start of school. Hopefully we'll be able to sneak in reading time at other times of day, too!
    -Dawn, 5M4B

    ReplyDelete
  2. We love the Scrambled States - such fun! I should dig our copy out, it's been a while. The Gerda Muller seasons series look gorgeous, I can see why your daughter loves them.

    Nancy@5M4B

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks great! We are big fans of Scrambled States of America -- my now-12-year-old discovered it when he was younger and my 5-year-old is now completely into it. Very good book!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love your selections! Had never checked out Muller before and just found one of them at the library - so happy!!

    Thank you for such encouragement today - you have no idea how much it means to me. really. If you do check out the movie velveteen rabbit, make sure it is the one with tom skerritt (there are others and they aren't as good).

    xoxo michele

    ReplyDelete