Tag Archives: reading

The best books I read in 2018 that you should try in 2019

best books I read in 2018

A couple years back, the incomparable Cassey shared her immense book reading stats thanks to Goodreads. You may or may not know this about me, but I LOVE stats. Anyway, I was jealous that she had reading stats, so I promptly signed up to Goodreads, too.

Last year, I didn’t even manage my reading challenge. Life was chaos with moving, so it was understandable. This year, thanks to Libby and audiobooks, I surpassed it. I read so many great books this year, but these were some of my favorites. Continue Reading

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2 Comments Books

The Monster at the End of this Book – Read it to your kids

The Monster at the End of this Book - Read it to your kids

For those who haven’t noticed, I actually have a YouTube channel running. Over there, I read kid’s books out loud. In my head, the content is for two distinct groups. It’s for the parents who are curious about which books are worthwhile, or perhaps might be wondering about some best practices when reading aloud to a kid. It’s also for kids, to be able to watch a video of their new favorite book read out loud. Go subscribe. Please. PLEASE!

I realized that I might not have mentioned this to you all enough, so I figured I’d tell you a bit more about the book I read in the video that went live this past Sunday. It’s called The Monster at the End of this Book, and it was one of my all-time favorites when I was a kid. It’s also one of Harley’s favorites, so it was an easy choice to share. There are even apps for it, where it becomes an interactive storytelling experience.

(Full disclosure: Yes, links to Amazon are affiliate links. If you click them, I could earn a small commission.) Continue Reading

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1 Comment Books, Rambling, USA

3 Tips for Reading to Your Kid

3 Tips for Reading to Your Kid

(Photo credit: Lauren Iwen with Lauren Iwen Photography // @LaurenIwen)

The benefits of reading to your kid for 10+ minutes every day abound. There’s been a ton of research into this topic, but one of the clearest indicators for me was this study into kids read to between ages 4-5. When parents read to these kids for 3-5 days per week it was equivalent to the child being 6 months older in development, and reading to them 6-7 days a week pushed that to being a year ahead in development. Children are more likely to succeed in school, be able to spell their names sooner and even count to 20 earlier. But, only a little over half of the population reads to their kids every day.

I know that we all set out with the best intentions. We want to give our kids the best chances in life, but sometimes it’s hard to know the best way to do that. Reading to your kid is guaranteed to help them, but how do you even start? Here are my top 3 tips for reading to your kid, but you can get even more advice with more detail for any age by signing up for my newsletter – you’ll get a free printable with more information and advice for reading to your kid at any age. Continue Reading

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Comment Child Development, Geek, Parenting

Best Books for a 2-3-Year-Old in 2018

Best Books for a 2-3-Year-Old in 2018

I’ve written before about how I wanted Harley to be a bookworm, even from before she was born. I think that reading is so important for kids and adults. It’s about so much more than literacy, as there are plenty of skills that develop when you read to your kids.

So what should you read? There are so many great kids’ books out there. Seriously, we have a decent-sized library at home and I’m still always finding more great books that I want to buy. But these have been our favorites this year. Also, while I’m calling this post best books for a 2-3-year-old in 2018, most of these books will be great to read to a 1-year-old or a 5-year-old. But since Harley is this age, I’m working with what I know works for her age range.

(Full disclosure: Yes, I’m using some affiliate links below, which mean that I’d get cash if you buy from these links. But that in no way changes the content of this post or the recommendations that I make.) Continue Reading

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Comment Books, Parenting, Products

Why Libby is my new must-have app

Why Libby is my new must-have app

(Disclaimer: Yes, there are affiliate links below. This means that I might make some cash if you click on them and buy stuff. But the words would have been the same otherwise.)

I’ve written before about how I’m a bookworm. While I’m not nearly as much of a prolific reader as I used to be, I still love to read and try to do it as much as I can.

Many years ago, I switched to reading primarily on a Kindle, and then to the Kindle App on my iPad. Yes, I still love the smell of a new book in hard copy, and it’s impossible to get an author to sign an ebook. But with moving around so much, and being tired of traveling with numerous books in my bags, ebooks are ideal. Continue Reading

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5 Comments App, Books, Geek, Products