Reading with a newborn

I had read a lot of different articles about how people's reading lives changed once they had a baby. I read a lot and that is how I decompress and relax. So it was one of the things I was worried about when I was pregnant. Will I have time to read? Will I loose that part of me for a while? Now there are certain hobbies or things that we love that I in our eyes defines who we are. Being a reader is a huge part of my identity, always has been. But I did find out a couple things. When my daughter was born I got a lot of reading time in. Newborns sleep a lot. So I was able to read here and there while she slept...when I wasn't sleeping. Now that she is almost 4 months old it is a bit trickier but still possible. I found that reading on my tablet or a paperback book is easiest. I have read tons of graphic novels because those a re really easy to stop and go for me. They are also quicker to read. So I have been enjoying that. I have been reading graphic novels on my Ipad to make it easier. But now that my daughter is starting to take more interest in my screens I would prefer not to read so much on the tablet if I am holding her or she is watching me. Right now I am trying to read a hardcover book and I find those are the hardest to read with a baby in your arms. Another great way to get reading time in with a baby is to listen to audiobooks. That is a great way to multitask. I like to listen to audiobooks when we go for our walks. Baby falls asleep and I get some exercise and listen to my book. So the one thing I have discovered is if it is important to you then you will find the time. It is only a matter of time management. And that includes bringing my daughter into it. When I am reading to her I count that as reading time. It is something I love that I am sharing with her and hopefully she will love books as much as I do.

Lilly Post Box: March

I just received March's Lilly Post box. I really like this subscriptions service. Now you can go on and buy a past box if you want to check it out before getting a subscription.

Each box comes with 5 wrapped board books. There is also a subscription to get 4 picture books a month as well. Depends on how old your child is. Here is how your box will come.

This month came with some really cute board books. The first one I got was Happy Birthday Elephant. This book is super cute and has a small wooden toy that pops out.

The second books was Farm Animals.

The third books is a touch and feel book called I love Puppies. It has a bunch of different puppies and fabrics for baby to touch.

The fourth book is Big and Small mix and match book. This one was very interesting since there is a book within a book and you can match them up or just go through the small one with the book one. This one will be a lot of fun.

The last book is Baby Einstein First Words. It is very colorful and has a large variety of pictures and words. This is a really nice book.

So I am very hapy with the selection that we recieved from this month's Lilly Post box.

Where I buy Baby books

Baby books can be very expensive. I didn't really want to spend almost $20 per book for picture books. Board books can be less expensive at $7 to $10 a book. Here are some great places to get discounted books. Local Library: A lot of libraries have sales or second hand stores in them. My local library has a small used store that is open during the weekdays. They sell books from .25 to a couple dollars. They have a good variety. you can usually get some good children's books there. I got over 20 books for about $4.50 last time I went. Any money this stores make usually help the library, which is an added benefit. If you are not interested in buying books obviously you can check them out of your local library. Second Hand Stores:Used book stores are a great way to support your local community. You can also find some amazing books. Usually they depend on what people bring in. The two stores I go to will give you store credit based on what books you bring in. This can also help offset the cost of children's books (or books for you). I have found some older books with such lovely illistrations in them. You should look up any used bookstores in your area. Book Outlet: Book Outlet is an online discount book site. Their stock revolves so you can't always find specific books. This is more for browsing and seeing what they have available. The prices range but you can get hard cover, soft cover, board books, library bound, or scratch and dent. So there are sometimes a variety of ways to save money on this site. The shipping can seem pricey but for what you are saving on the books I have always found it worth it. They are having a sale this week were you get free shipping so now would be a good time to check them our. Lilly Post: There is also a service called Lilly Post. For $26 a month they send me 5 wrapped board books. When my daughter is a little older it will be more fun to watch her unwrap them. But I have gotten some great books through this. I signed up through Book Outlet so you can go to their site for more info. There is also a plan that sends you 4 picture books each month. Barnes and Noble or Books a Million: If you have a chain bookstore near where you live you may be able to find some deals in the clearance sections of these stores. They also have discount cards you can buy and off coupons fairly regularly. So you probably won't save as much as the places above, but if you are looking for a specific book this may bee a good option. If you don't live near a books store Amazon usually has good prices and offers used books you can buy sometimes as well. That is how I save money on books for my baby. This is also how I get books for myself and my classroom. So sometimes you just need to look around what is available in your community.

Baby Lit Books Post #1

I love classics. When I was in middle school and high school that is all I read. I was "that" kid and am actually still proud of that. So when a friend told me about a book series for babies based off of classics I had to check them out. I got the five I am going to talk about from my baby shower. If you have read the classic reading the board book to your child is highly entertaining. The series is called BabyLit Books.

First up is Frankenstein An Anatomy Primer. This one goes through the parts of the body. Which is fantastic. Pride and Prejudice is a Counting Primer. This board books uses elements from the book to teach counting. It uses locations, characters, and plot points. Little Women A Playtime Primer teaches different activities such as drawing, writing, and playing the piano all activites the sisters do in the novel. Each activity also has a quote from the novel. Which is a really nice touch. Dracula A Counting Primer is adorable. This one is layed out very much like the Pride and Prejudice one. It uses characters, plot points, and locations to teaching coutning skills. The last one I will talk about is Alice in Wonderland A Colors Primer. It selects elements of the story and highlights different colors. It is well done and very cute. All these books have great colors and interesting for both baby and parent.

It is a great way to expose children to classic novels. I feel there is a play for classic works and while we are currently working to expand that definition. Historical novels have an important place on understanding our past.

Where to start

I am an avid reader. I love books and everything dealing with books. When I found out I was pregnant last year one of the things I was excited about was sharing my love of books with my new baby. That also made me relize that I knew nothing about children's books. So I will be writing a number of blog posts on my journey in this new area of literary exploration. Let's start with where I started on this journey. I started with classics. I got The Very Hungry Caterpiller, Good Night Moon, and Puff the Magic Dragon. But I also wanted something more for my daughter. I wanted to make sure she had diverse books (which more on that at a later date) and interesting books. One of the things I did to help me is I subsrcibed to Lilly Post (http://www.lillypost.com/about_us). I get 5 board books every month for a very good price. I also have visited the library and checked out a selection of books. I also bought some from the used book store and the library second hand store. My online reseach has left much to be desired. So I am going through books myself and trying to create a list of great childrens books. I am starting with board books for right now. So we shall see how this goes. My next step is to also look up story times and start taking her to story times around town to see if I can encounter books that way. Access is the key to success with books! If you have any great diverse book recommendations please let me know!

The Importance of Reading

I have always loved reading. I can't remember a time that I did not love books. As a child I loved The Babysitter's Club and Illistrated Classics. I remember reading books that impacted who I was and how I viewed the world. In elementary school we read such great books as The Giver, Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, Number of Stars, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, Bridge to Terabithia, and From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. As a Language Arts teacher today I know how important reading is. There are debates and arguments on what is right and how we should be having kids read. I do not feel that there is one right way. I still read class novels. But the novels you select need to be important and have a reason. For example one of the books we teach every year is The Outsiders. I have seen how well 12 and 13 year olds connect to this novel. It speaks to them and that gets them more interested in reading. You will not reach every child with one book. Even though in my expereince The Outsiders comes really close. But just seeing their peers excited and to feel the energy reaches the kids the book might miss. Do we need more diverse books in our school. Aboslutely. I am always looking for books to put in my school library or stories to teach that have more diverse characters. When I first started teaching I read Donalyn Miller's Book The Book Whisperer and it was life changing. My goal in life is to get books into the hands of kids. As my classroom library shows I am very dedicated. I have books lining each wall, on tables, on the white board. Kids see new stacks not yet processed and they want to see what i have bought for them. I have more kids read beacuse I have given them access to books. Access is one of the things kids don't always have. At this time of year in a lot of schools kids don't have access to their media centers because of testing. So they are cut off from books in a way some teachers may not consider. It's why having books for my students is so important. Now part of that is I am a book buyer. I buy books from Book Outlet, libraries, and usded book stories to save money. I want to give the love I had as a child to other children. I want them to have the access and diversity in thier books. I want them to see themselves in what they read.