Berry Best Books, List 2: Children's Classics

Because I am a firm believer in the endless benefits of reading to children, and teaching them a love of reading from their earliest moments, today's list is Children's Classics. These are stories that appeal to the young, and young at heart. Filled with whimsy, adventure, magic, and wonder, these are books that teach a child that anything is possible, and to dare to dream. They will trigger their imaginations, and open up new worlds for them. They will teach them about love, understanding, compassion, kindness, and more. Some are old favorites, some new treasures, but all worth having in your child's library. This is also a great list to turn to when you need a book for a baby shower gift, or for the new reader in your life.

So here is a list of 33 Children's Classics. Enjoy! And as always, I am open to hearing your favorites as well. Please feel free to comment with ones you think I've missed.

1. A Light In the Attic by: Shel Silverstein
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends by: Shel Silverstein
3. The Monster at the End of This Book by: Jon Stone
4. Goodnight Moon by: Margaret Wise Brown
5. Love You Forever by: Robert Munsch
6. The Complete Tales of Peter Rabbit by: Beatrix Potter
7. I Love You Through and Through by: Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
8. The Complete Grimms Fairy Tales by: Jacob Grimm
9. Curious George by: H.A. Rey
10. Frog and Toad Are Friends by: Arnold Lobel
11. Where the Wild Things Are by: Maurice Sendak
12. The Poky Little Puppy by: Janette Sebring Lowrey
13. Mother Goose Rhymes
14. The Little Engine That Could by: Watty Piper
15. Oh, The Places You'll Go! by: Dr. Suess
16. Guess How Much I Love You by: Sam McBratney
17. You Are My I Love You by: Maryann Cusimano
18. Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You by: Nancy Tillman
19. Ramona Forever by: Beverly Cleary
20. The Chronicles of Narnia by: C.S. Lewis
21. The Secret Garden by: Frances Hodgson Burnett
22. Indian In The Cupboard by: Lynne Reid Banks
23. A Wrinkle In Time by: Madeleine L'Engle
24. Because of Winn-Dixie by: Kate DiCamillo
25. Bridge To Terabithia by: Katherine Paterson
26. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by: Lewis Carroll
27. Charlotte's Web by: E.B. White
28. The Giver by: Lois Lowry
29. The Hobbit by: J.R.R. Tolkien
30. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by: Mark Twain
31. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by: Mark Twain
32. The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963 by: Christopher Paul Curtis
33. The Sword in the Stone by: T.H. White

Reading Really IS Fundamental

Growing up, reading was more than a hobby for me. I was the youngest of six kids, and for most of my early years, we had foster children in our home as well. Needless to say, things could be chaotic at times, and reading was a way to escape that. When my big brothers didn't want me following them around on their adventures, I found adventures of my own, in books. As the baby of the family, I rarely had any say in what we watched on television, but I could read whatever I wanted. And with so many school aged kids in one house, there was hardly a lack of sufficient reading material.
When I was in middle school & high school, I had to be given a custom list of required reading options, because I had already read everything on their lists years earlier, when my older siblings were bringing them home.
As a teenager, I was always shocked at the lack of reading skills in my peers. Listening to kids read aloud in class was torture to me. How had these kids managed to even make it to high school? I saw many of my incredibly intelligent friends struggle on tests, because their reading and comprehension skills were lacking.
In this day and age of electronic devices and gadgets, reading has taken a back seat. The results of this change will be devastating in the future.
The benefits and long term effects of reading are substantial, and a generation that grows up without them will be a generation that struggles.
Reading is mental exercise, and just like we need physical exercise to keep our bodies strong, we also need to work out our brains to keep them strong as well. Reading uses several different areas of the brain, and helps improve learning capacity, memory, focus, and concentration. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Studies have shown that reading can have a powerful effect on people who struggle with addictions, attention deficit disorders, and anxiety. Why turn to harmful medications, when you can just pick up a good book?
And don't even get me started on the importance of reading for children!
Children with strong reading skills are proven to do better in school, and are generally more successful in their future careers.
It is NEVER too early to start reading to your child. Babies and young children are wired for learning, and the more you teach them while young, the better off they will be.
Reading builds verbal/language skills, which leads to better communication and a stronger vocabulary.
It improves writing and comprehension as well. Comprehension is crucial to academic performance. The more a child is able to comprehend, the more information they will be able to learn, and in a shorter time. This will benefit them in all aspects of their education and later on in the workplace.
Reading also develops logical and critical thinking skills. It is through these processes that children learn to think through problems, make decisions, and deal with difficult situations.
As a parent, it is your duty to do everything in your power to help put your child on the path to success, and reading is an undeniably important step on that path.
I have practiced this first hand, and have seen the results myself. I taught my son to read before he started school, and I encouraged a passion for books from a young age. Instead of watching TV, we would spend time reading and discussing what we read. Not only was this educational, but it was a wonderful bonding experience that we shared and continued to share, throughout his life.
My son was an incredible student, and excelled academically. His love for reading, and continued practice of it, gave him excellent problem solving skills, and an increased desire to learn. The time we spent talking about books we read, led to an open dialogue throughout his life, and formed a bond of trust and respect that is difficult to have with teenagers and older children.
I myself, have always been a reader, and I credit that to my writing and vocabulary skills, as well as my creative thinking ability, and vivid imagination.
I'm a firm believer in the power of a good book, and I could spend hours and days telling you how much I value reading, and why. There are no cons or negative side effects to reading, yet the list of pros is endless. If you are a parent reading this and think "Well I'm not a good reader, so how can I teach my child to be?" IT IS POSSIBLE, and it is never too late to start. Read with your children, and let them read to you. Not only will their skills grow, but yours will improve as well. Encourage a love of reading by buying books or making regular trips to the library. Don't leave it up to the schools to teach your child to read and love books. Be an advocate, and give them an advantage by making reading part of your daily routine at home as well. Swap out an hour of TV or gadget time for a book. Do this as a family. Everyone pick their favorite spot, get comfortable, and read. What a wonderful way to relax. And don't forget to take a little time afterwards to talk about what you read.
Just like the happy little logo from our youth says... Reading IS Fundamental.

 

The Power of a Good Book

I am a self proclaimed book worm and proud of it. Growing up, I was the skinny, dorky kid with giant glasses and too many books, and I took a lot of crap for it. These days, I'm not so skinny, my glasses fit much better, but I'm still a big dork with a lot of books. (There is no such thing as too many.) The funny thing is, even as an adult, people still want to give me a hard time about reading. I just don't get it...
Books are amazing. They are an adventure, a mini vacation, a magical world and an escape from reality, all wrapped up in one small package that you can hold in your hands. How could you not love that?? When I open a book, I am transported to a different time or place. I meet fascinating people. I learn new things. My imagination gets to run wild, and I get to run away. When life gets stressful, or I get annoyed, my books are my refuge. When I want to be entertained or relaxed, or just for the hell of it, I read. I don't need a reason, I just do it. When people tell me "Oh, I'd love to be able to read, but I just don't have time." I laugh. Those same people spend hours a week in front of a TV and think nothing of it. I don't "make time" to read, I just pick up my book and read. At lunch, on breaks, in the evening, whenever. Yeah, sometimes life gets crazy, and you don't get to read as often as you might like to, but you just keep going. One page, one chapter, one BOOK at a time. I've never regretted reading a book. Even if I didn't like it, I am still glad I read it. Reading keeps the mind sharp, helps improve grammar and vocabulary skills, allows for great conversations and makes me a mean Words with Friends player.
Books are such an important part of my life, and have been for as far back as I can remember. My mother and siblings read to me as a child, and I still treasure those moments. When my son was little, I would spend hours reading to him, and as he got older, we would sit and read together and then talk about it. Even now, at 18, he is a big reader and he and I still share books and discuss them. I love this. I can still quote lines from books I memorized as a child, and sometimes I pull out an old book that I read over & over to my son and read it again and just smile at the memory of him sitting on my lap, begging me to read it again. I have had endless conversations with friends (and strangers) about books we have read, and how they effected us.
I guess some people just don't get it. They would rather see the movie than read the book. (Even though anyone who reads, knows the movie will never do justice to the book.) They would rather spend hours watching mindless television than discover a world they never knew existed. Well, I feel sorry for them. They will never know the joy that a good book can bring. They will never clutch a worn and used old paperback to their chests with tears in their eyes and wish for just one more chapter, or maybe a sequel. They will never start a conversation with a stranger about the book they are carrying and make a lifelong friend. They will never know the adventures, the characters, the stories that live in a world between the pages. Well I do. I know them and I love them, and I cannot imagine life without them.
So here's to a good book, and to all of us proud bookworms out there. Keep reading, my friends.