Bookworms welcome here
Posted by Chris | 0 comments
When it comes to books, one size (or genre) does not fit all
“How much do I have to read today?” the boys asks.
I never know exactly what to do with this child. He judges a book not by its cover, but by its font size and page count. Too long or too wordy and he won’t get past the introduction. Once wrangled into reading, the author needs to grab his attention quickly and keep the action coming at a steady pace – or else.
His sister can finish a “War and Peace”-sized novel in a weekend, barely coming out for food and drink. She has been known to walk into a bookstore, breathe deeply and say, “Ahh, the new book smell.” As I write this, she is completing an application to serve as a teen volunteer at our local library. I will live vicariously through her as she masters the Dewey Decimal System and directs little ones to new discoveries found via Amelia Bedelia and Nancy Drew. I suspect she will get sidetracked often as she learns to shelve returned books and will probably come home daily with more than she could read in ten lifetimes.
But the boy is a puzzle. I am constantly on the hunt for “high interest readers” to well, maintain his interest. He is a capable, strong reader – he just prefers to have his information delivered in a different format, preferably one that engages a variety of senses.
I always assumed my children would be voracious readers. They would get that from my genetic contribution, while avoiding my short stature, slow metabolism and allergies. That didn’t work out the way I hoped, but I am thankful they have their Dad’s physical attributes, kind heart and analytical thinking skills. (Sorry about the allergies, kids.)
Somewhere between telling my daughter to take a break from her book and tracking down the latest spy adventure novel for my son (and hoping he likes it), I try to fit in a few minutes of reading for myself. Maybe I can sneak off to the library. I hear they need volunteers.
Chris Worthy is mom to Caroline (15) and Nolan (10) and will soon celebrate 20 years of marriage to her favorite person, John. Chris practiced law before becoming a writer and stay-at-home mother more than 10 years ago. She enjoys cooking, crafting, spoiling dogs, green living and rummaging though old books. Follow along at www.chrisworthy.com
Sponsors
Link to Us
Our Team on Twitter
Comment Love