Building the Habit of Reading, One “Me-Ow” at a Time
Submitted by: Amy Silvey Every night, after the bedtime protests have subsided, my 6-year-old daughter picks out the books we'll read together. "How many can we read?" she always asks. My answer will vary from two to three, though I'm usually convinced to allow more. How can I not? I ...
How I Learned to Read with The Read-It-Yourself Storybook
Submitted by: Kellie Clark Moy I actually recall the moment that the electrical spark in my brain, called reading, occurred. It was 1974. I was 4 years old and sitting on the floor of the family den with my copy of The Read-It-Yourself Storybook resting in my lap. I turned the ...
One (of the Many) Books My Child Knows by Heart
Submitted by: Vickie L. Ever since he was a baby, we have a daily ritual we’ve done with my son, who is now almost 3 and a half. Every night after bath time, he gets into his pajamas, and sits on either his dad’s or my lap to read two ...
Our Favorite Classics: A Mom and Daughter Interview
A Keller Williams Red Day Interview We were lucky enough to spend a few minutes with Jenny and her two-year-old daughter, Sadie, at Half Price Books to find out what they are currently reading. What did we learn? The classics rule the roost in their household. Sadie, the youngest in ...
Inspiring the joy of reading
Submitted by: Jac Laczko Ever since I was little, I loved the feeling of having a book in my hand. From Barbara Park to Markus Zusak, the endless words never ceased to inspire me. Even now, I posses a deep love and respect for where the simple collection of words ...
Reading “City Dog, Country Frog” – Again and Again
Submitted by: Erika W. and Audrey W. My husband’s aunt gave City Dog, Country Frog to our daughter Audrey on her first birthday. Audrey has always been an animal lover; in fact, our whole family fell in love with this book before we even opened it, because the dog on ...
“Parr” for the Course
Submitted by: Amanda Black When the need for giving a gift arises, my go-to author for children’s books is definitely Todd Parr. I love Todd because his books are brightly colored and all about inclusion. My kids especially love The Feelings Book. It talks about feelings and uses a lot ...
Beat the heat with summer reading
Remember the last day of school? Anxiously waiting for the bell to ring? Thoughts of swimming pools and playgrounds running through your head? Summer is supposed to be fun - a break from the routine of school and homework. Unfortunately, during this much deserved break, students can suffer from the ...
The power of books
Submitted by: Christina Nelson, Librarian at T.A. Brown Elementary Personal Background Reading has always been my escape. Ever since I can remember, I have always loved to read. Some of my favorite childhood memories were when my mother would take my sister and me to the local public library. In ...
A priceless gift
Submitted by: Marty Kennedy, BookSpring Volunteer Ahhhhhhhh, the bedtime story. What a wonderful thing. There is no better reason to get snuggly and cozy with your little ones, dazzle them with adventures and spark a passion for reading which will last their lifetimes. Pinocchio, Henry and Mudge, Fancy Nancy, take ...
A picture paints a thousand words
Submitted by: Janelle Nichols, Guest Blogger The phrase, “A picture paints a thousand words, “ is one that definitely applies in my case. In the picture you see a mother and daughter lying in bed reading. What you don’t see is the bond that is being created through this special ...
The four B’s of bedtime
Submitted by: Lisa Moore, Junior League of Austin, Community Volunteer Bath, bottle, books, bed. The four B's that make up my girls bed time routine. Although we can skip the bath, the other three are non-negotiable. Bottles and books are demanded by my girls; bed is our demand. My daughters, ...
National Tooth Fairy Day
Submitted by: Jill Gonzalez, Director of Programs Do you remember how you lost your first tooth? Do you remember the fear you might lose your tooth? The worry, the excitement, of knowing the tooth Fairy was coming to visit you? Watching my 6 year old nephew lose three teeth in ...
Things to remember
Submitted by: Chrys Dougherty, Ph.D. The turn of the year is a good time to remember things that are worth acting upon. We should remember what reading does for the mind. Well-read individuals have larger vocabularies, are more knowledgeable, and are less likely to have common misconceptions. We should remember ...
Reading Is Fun!
Submitted by: Kelly Bennett, Junior League of Austin Community Volunteer Growing up I struggled with reading and I definitely didn't think reading was fun. After college I joined an adult book club and started to enjoy reading for pleasure. I also switched careers and became an elementary teacher. I really ...
Adventures in Reading
Submitted by: Austin Tharp, BookSpring Book Hero When you read you feel like you’re on an adventure. You feel the triumphs and sorrows of the characters. Sometimes you feel as if you are one of the characters, and sometimes you feel like the story is unfolding before your eyes. Reading ...
Evaluate your life day
Submitted by Executive Director Joan Wabschall, R.N., M.S. Who comes up with these designations for specific days? Although I can’t answer that question, I have decided to use October 19th as a reason to report on the many activities going on at BookSpring. Our programs are in full swing and ...
Fall into a Good Book
Submitted by Altaira Wallquist I can’t ever remember not loving to read. My mom tells me that on the way home from my first day of Kindergarten, I was disappointed because we didn’t learn to read the first day. I did learn by Christmas and I’ve been in the middle ...