As a loving grandparent, aunt, or mother, you want nothing more than to see the children you love, bloom. If you could, you would make their dearest dreams come true in a heartbeat. Sadly, those dreams are often beyond your powers. But sometimes you can give a child their dream, all wrapped up in the pages of a book.
What children dream of …While I cannot speak for every child, I speak from my own still-child-like heart, and from my observations about books written for children aged 8-12. Last week I pointed out the universal desire to be special, and how that plays out in the plot of The Curse of the Neverland among many other children’s books. (Click here to read last week’s note if you missed it.)
I failed to point out one of the ways you can grant a child that wish: Your love, expressed through your focused time and attention, makes children (and grown-ups!) feel special. Reading aloud is an excellent example of such focused time and attention. Together you enter another world. Reading aloud becomes a shared adventure. Sometimes its most helpful for you to do the reading aloud. As the child grows, sometimes it’s just right to have them read to you.
This time of year is intense in American family lives. Split between a myriad of obligations and events, the precious family time you prize most highly often gets the short end of the stick. If reading aloud is not yet a part of your family time, I encourage you to add it in. Even a little bit goes a long way. Spending time together across the pages of a book can erase generational and interest challenges that otherwise get in the way. Try it.
If you need help choosing an appropriate book, head to your local library. Librarians can help you choose a book you may never have heard of that will open the door to golden, shared memories.
P.S. A hearty welcome and thanks to those of you who stopped by my booth at the Soroptomist Gift Gala on Saturday in Sequim! It’s always a delight to meet readers face to face, and a boost to see smiles when I tell them about Piper Pan!
P.P.S. Last chance to get The Curse of the Neverland in hardback: This coming Saturday, December 12th, I will be at the 5th Avenue Retirement Center’s Holiday Fair—in Sequim, at the corner of 5th Avenue and Hendrickson. If you know of someone who might enjoy The Curse of the Neverland for themselves or for someone in their life, please send them my way. It’s an all-day affair, and there will be many other artisans with products to enjoy.
