PARENTING ARTICLES & TIPS

Story Books For Children

Reading story books to your children helps turn them into readers, as this article explains ...

Was there nothing more ideal than snuggling down under the poofy down or fuzzy blanket, sipping cocoa with marshmallow, and listening to Mom, Dad, or a beloved elder read to us from our favorite story books as we settled in for a nap or a full night’s sleep?  Is there nothing as rewarding of nostalgia today than our reading those same story books to ourselves just for the hell of it or to our younger ones…to return the feeling we once so delighted in?  I think of many ranges, genres, and reading levels when I think of, see, or hear “story books”, but I also have a mental list of those that are “must reads”, those that I would offer anyone who will follow through the suggestion that at any age, you should read this or that book.  Here are some of the best story books for kids AND adults:

Winnie the Pooh – In graduate school, in the portal course to a degree in Lit and Teaching Lit, the professor insisted that anyone serious about literature will read Winnie the Pooh.  I still haven’t gotten all of the nuances and symbolism yet, but I am working on it, just as I am on

Alice in Wonderland – The adventures, the originality, the passion for language and logic make this a classic on the must-read story books list.

The Giving Tree, The Missing Piece, and any Shel Silverstein.  If having almost every one of his story books banned, threatened, or challenged is any indication that his works are provocative (in their utter simplicity)…then Shel Silverstein (once a writer for Dr. Hook…) should be at the top of your list.

Story books like I Love You This Much will tear your heart out.  Story books like The Nancy Drew Mysteries Series or the Hardy Boy Mystery Series will intrigue.  And the Harry Potter and American Girl Series are the modern equivalents of “acceptable” story books for kids, teens, and even some adults.  I would recommend Roald Dahl and Robert McCormier, too, though, again, like Silverstein, these authors do not apologize for their brilliance by limiting their range, creativity, or storyline development and characterization.

If you have young kids and haven’t heard or thought about this yet, know that children who are read to become readers.  Some become writers.  Even if you don’t have kids, the next time you are in a brick and mortar store or browsing online at amazon or Powells.com, sneak into the kids’ story books section.  You will laugh, you will cry, you will swoon…and maybe even wish you were a kid again, climbing under the covers and settling in for the best part of the day.  Or maybe you will wish you had written the story books yourself.

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