Books Bring Comfort

This year, I made a list of the chapter books I wanted to read with the kids and to the kids. Many times, at night, Ben will read a chapter of a book prior to the Bible. This is such a precious moment during our day because it creates a shared adventure. Laurence Housman writes in his book, The Unexpected Years:

These family readings formed so satisfying a bond between older and younger that I can hardly think of family life without it; and I marvel when I hear of families in whose upbringing it has had no place.

There are shared experiences and trails unearthed because of a good book. I am a bit of a book snob and I want my children to grow up that way too. The color of the imagery and the poetic movement of the words is so incredibly important in painting a timeless picture for a child. Some of the books on my list have made it due to friends talking highly of it; others, recommendations or plain curiousness of books I have yet to read. Here is a list of some of the chapter books I hope to accomplish with my children this exciting year:

* Mr Popper's Penguins ( already started)

* The Borrowers

* Winnie the Pooh ( classic version)

* Betsy Tacy series 

* The Light on Tern Rock ( already started)

* The Knight's Castle ( already started)

* Charlotte's Web

* Little House in the Big Woods

* Stuart Little

* Indian in the Cupboard

* Paddle to the Sea

* Smoky: The Cow Horse

* Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang

* Peter Pan

* Mary Poppins