Reading - Unlock a World of Knowledge

My 9-year-old is a voracious reader. And she has a very broad interest in books -- she loves everything from the American Girl books to Harry Potter to biographies and everything in between. Tonight at dinner, my girl was telling us tales about the Beatles (she's a new fan...). From books that she has read about John Lennon, she was telling us about how Pete Best was replaced by Ringo Starr and how originally, John Lennon did not need to wear glasses but had worn the round, wire-rimmed frames in a movie and liked how they looked and kept them. And later, while I was brushing her hair before bed, she was telling me about the Sussex Spaniel which is a breed of dog that had nearly become extinct until the Kennel Club began breeding it, and it is still considered to be endangered. Again, all from a book that she took out of the library. She has read every single book on individual dog breeds in our library.

It just struck me tonight, in particular, the broad range of topics that she has knowledge of -- and it's all from reading. We tried to read a lot of books to her as a little girl, and I remember how much she longed to be able to read on her own. I see that same interest in my 4-year-old and I definitely want to encourage that love of books. Whether you are a big reader or not, it's so important to expose your children to the amazing world that opens up through reading. Read to them, take them to the library, encourage them to read on their own -- there are so many options out there and reading is a wonderful tool to help develop your child's imagination. A love of books is an invaluable gift that you can give your child that will help them in school and throughout their lives.