summer reading

every summer the library hosts a program called summer reading in which tens of thousands of kids participate by reading (or being read to) throughout the summer...the hope being that they will be better prepared for the upcoming school year and, let's face it, for life in general. molly doesn't have to worry about school yet, but we know the importance of reading and fostering a love of books, and we have been reading to her since she was in utero. so suffice it to say, we were super excited to sign her up for her first summer reading this past thursday!

above and to the left you see her with her summer reading game board, which is how you track the amount of time you've spent reading. she of course thinks it's just another thing to chew on, and during this photo shoot actually took a bite out of the "bonus path" (those in the know, know what i'm talking about...) the deal is you get little incentives along the way, and if you finish the entire game, you get entered to win a trip for 4 to disneyland. well, not molly actually, because she's my daughter and i work for the library...conflict of interest and all...but still, what fun!

molly's current fav books are:

-- Owen and Mzee: Best Friends by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu
-- Hippos Go Berserk by Sandra Boyton
-- Skip to My Lou by Nadine Bernard Westcott
-- and anything in the "urban babies wear black" series by Michelle Sinclair Colman and Nathalie Dion, but especially "Eco Babies Wear Green"

so other than the Urban Babies one, we seem to like books about animals, especially animals coming together and having a little fun! but who doesn't really?!

now molly's idea of reading consists of letting us read to her for a page or two, then demanding the book, possibly flipping through a couple pages, and eventually putting it in her mouth. i am embarrassed to say we have returned many a library board book that were pretty much missing their corners. ah well, i like to say she literally devours books!
and sometimes she eats and reads at the same time, as this last picture shows...


if this little post has got you all wanting to join molly and do a little summer reading yourself, there's a section on my library's website with links to lists of great reads for summertime and i have to recommend the book i'm reading right now. it's called The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. it's very exciting!