books I want her to read:

I've always loved reading. A lot. I hated Accelerated Reader tests in school (kind of), but I loved reading. In elementary school, I only read fiction. In middle school, I read "chick" books. And in high school, I read mostly Christian non-fiction and a teeny smidge of fiction.

In college, I read everything. And my Anatomy & Physiology II book was my least favorite, by far ;]

Clayton is five, and he loves the "gross" non-fiction books. Anything about slimy creatures, dinosaurs, bugs, etc. is right up his alley. When the book fair came to his school, he asked for a joke book and a Ripley's Believe It or Not book. What a hoot.

But there were some books that I loooved as a child. They made reading fun. And, as a result, I associated reading with FUN! I definitely want our daughter to be extremely exposed to many different types of books with different styles of writing. I want her to be a regular at the library and develop a love for literacy at a young age. She'll choose what she wants to read, but there are a couple books that I might just have to get for her... :)


1. Amelia Bedelia and the Baby:


Oh my gosh! I LOVED this book. I've always had a little "obsession" with babies. Ahem. So when my mom bought me this book about Amelia Bedelia babysitting Missy, I fell in love. I clearly remember her smashing up baby food and giving Missy a bath. I'm really not sure what's up with Amelia's funky hat, but that girl is hilarious. Is she wearing a maid's outfit? And how old is she, anyway? And why is she so dense? :)


2. Arthur's Baby:


The most popular Arthur book among my elementary peers, by far! I'm pretty sure this book was constantly checked out. And why? Because it was adorable, of course!! All the Arthur books are just so fun to read. Arthur's Tooth and Arthur's Nose also brings back fond memories :) The fact that I still remember everything about Buster and Muffy is just too cool. I love this series!


3. Junie B. Jones:


Junie B. Jones is one of the funniest series ever. I'm pretty sure this might be the first "chapter book" series I ever read. Junie B. Jones books were always checked out for a library, but I remember looooving these books. I'm pretty sure that this series is one of the ones that introduced me to real reading, since I'd mostly read picture books before then. I even remember Junie seeing her teacher eat a grape at the grocery store and freaking out that her teacher "broke the law." Sigh. What great memories.


4. Wayside School Is Falling Down:


Absolutely INSANELY hilarious!! I can't remember any specifics about this book except that it made me literally laugh out loud. I also love(d) the set-up of this book -- how each character had their own "chapter." This author is a genius (also the author of Holes), and I would love for our daughter to get the same laughs that I did as a child! Timelessly hilarious.


5. American Girl series:


Molly was my favorite. And Samantha. But I loved all the American Girls!! This series is so genius -- it teaches little ones about girls growing up in different periods of history. I learned so much about different time periods and what it was like to be a young girl during different wars and eras. I couldn't get enough. I always wanted a Molly doll too :) I'm happy to see that American Girl is still popular, and they've "come out" with new girls from different eras! Can't wait for our daughter to discover this magical series.



For now, I'm dreaming of stocking her room with Eric Carle board books, We're Going On a Bear Hunt, The Mitten, and so many more. Soon, when she is able to more easily hear my voice, I'll start reading to her. I can't wait! :) Reading is SO MUCH FUN!