Do you remember the first books you ever read? Mine was “The Wind in the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame and “A Child’s Garden of Verses” by Robert Louis Stevenson. What books do you remember?
Now, of course, children have so many more reading options and learning opportunities but there is still nothing quite so endearing like reading to, or being read to by, a little one. Aside from the obvious expanding small vocabularies into bigger ones, it’s an opportunity for animation, expression and connection.
Here are a few places to visit if you’re in a mood for books:
Dog Ate My Homework, 206 Glen Street. Owner Mike Smith offers a good selection of classics and other education toy options for kids of all ages. Call 518.792.0133 for more info.
You may think that Red Fox Books at 28 Ridge St., is just for adults, but they ahve a range of reading materials and things of interest for children and young adults.
Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen St. This place is hopping. They have a large & dedicated childrens’ department. If you’re not a library member, you need to march yourself down right now and get a card! And with a self check out system, the kids can spend more time reading and less time in long lines.
If you’re a creature of Kindle or Nook or any other on-line ebook resource, you’ll be thrilled to know that the library is now loaning electronic books, too. Somehow the image of reading your kids a bedrime story from a computer just doesn’t have the same warm & fuzzy appeal that a real book has, but that’s just me. Can’t stop technology any more than you can stop the rain.
Read. Read. Read. Bye for now, Alice
PS. Spay or neuter your pets!