Do we really need an excuse to read aloud to our children? If so, know that reading aloud raises both receptive and expressive language abilities, both of which predict future reading skills. Reading books with sophisticated language provides a strong predictor of later vocabulary. While it might seem hard to find the time, know that the dinner dishes can wait long enough to share an experience that’s not only good for your child, it’s also a good way to bond, and the memories will last both your lifetimes.

Getting Started

Here’s what you should know when thinking about reading-aloud to your family:

1. Go for the Montessori approach: read to all your kids at once. Multiage grouping gives each child the opportunity to focus on the components of the book that interest them most, while benefitting from the questions the others ask.
2. Reach up a grade level or two. No matter what the age of your child, be sure to choose something that stretches beyond his or her current vocabulary level.
3. Increase the frequency of read-aloud sessions. Every night is perfect, though every-other night is still good. Make it a predictable part of the night-time routine and you’ll find that you and your kids will begin to look forward to it.
4. Allow for interruptions. Entertain your kids’ questions and ask some of your own. Discuss the text, explore the vocabulary. Begin to work new vocabulary into everyday conversations in the days and weeks after a word is first introduced. See example below of Text Talk (from Pacific Resources for Education and Learning)

The struggle in choosing reading material for read-aloud sessions is finding the right balance between sophisticated language and keeping the subject matter and story-line age-appropriate. A good rule of thumb is to think about the books you enjoyed as a child: The Borrowers, The Incredible Journey, White Fang, Little House on the Prairie, the Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia. Mark Twain and Charles Dickens are good reaches for precocious boys and girls.  And, of course, the Harry Potter series, Chistopher Paolini’s Inheritance series (beginning with Eragon), the Artemis Fowl series.

As a last note, consider exposing your children to the sound and cadence of foreign language, if you’re able. My kids loved Keith Baker’s Who Is the Beast? We read it often, even though we didn’t speak Spanish in the house. The loved the flow and poetry of the Spanish version even more than the English version.

With my kids now in high school and college, I look back fondly at all the hours spent reading books together. A few weeks ago, the Harry Potter movies were running on tv. The fourth movie came on and my 16-year-old began paying special attention. I asked if it was her favorite. She said, “Not so much, but it’s the last book we read together. I never really understood the whole story line, but wasn’t that a great time? ” Yes. Yes, it was.

PS. If you’re ever in doubt about what to choose, you can always sign up for a Just the Right Book children’s subscription. Let us know when filling out the preference form that you’re looking for books that you can read aloud with your child. We’ll take care of the rest.

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

Even Walt Disney, the king of animated movies, had a library to die for. For those of us old enough to remember the lead-in to the weekly Disney movie on Sunday nights, Walt magically, if subtly, demonstrated the connection between the written word and the movies they became by nonchalantly selecting a book off the expansive shelves in his office and setting the stage for the movie that followed.

Growing up in a household of seven kids, we never lacked for books. Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, of course, but also bookshelves filled with poetry, Michener, the complete works of Dickens and a plethora of kids’ picture books and teen paperbacks. I’ve noticed recently that many homes are devoid of bookshelves and the libraries they hold. These same homes have entertainment centers filled with DVDs. What’s happened? Has the glow of the television replaced the glow of the flashlight under the covers after “lights-out”?  Even though many of the books on the shelves in my home haven’t been read in years, I like the fact that they’re available to read. That one day, when my daughter comes home from college and drops a reference to Dickens, the book will be at the ready for her to devour.

So it goes with children at any age. We can’t always guess whether they’re ready for a book that previously had been a bit of a reach. Nor can we anticipate when they want to reminisce with the Velveteen Rabbit for one last time. Keeping a library allows a child to grab a book that excites or interests them at any point in time, for any mood they’re in at that time. With February vacation upon us, consider taking some time to visit your local bookstore (often a magical experience itself) and pick up a few books for your child’s library. While you at it, put a new book on your shelf, as well.

Just the Right Book suggests a few books to get your library started. Of course, you can also consider signing up for a Just the Right Book subscription, and have books sent throughout the year that our expert booksellers will pick especially for your child (or for yourself!)

• Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom

Paperback, Fiction, Humor

Recommended Ages: 8-12 yo

Like most kids, Frankie Pickle hates cleaning his room. But what happens when his Mom says he never has to clean it again! Frankie and his unstoppable imagination mean fun. He and his side-kick Argyle become explorers swinging on vines, forging paths through piles of clothes, and scooting past lava pits! They perform flawless surgery on a broken action figure! They spend time in the big house. They even become superheroes. But will all this imagining be enough to conquer… the closet of DOOM?

• The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton

Paperback, Fiction, Historical Fiction

Recommended Ages: 8-12 yo

Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge lives a boring life on the Island in the Middle of Everything, but she longs for adventure. And she soon gets it when she overhears a life-altering secret and suddenly finds herself in the middle of an amazing journey. It turns out that Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, is not really a mountain – it’s the belly of a sleeping giant! It’s up to Persimmony and her friend Worvil to convince the island’s quarreling inhabitants that a giant is sleeping in their midst and must not be awakened. The question is, will she be able to do it?

• Girl Who Circumvented Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making by Catherynne Valente

Hardcover, Fantasy Fiction

Recommended Ages: 10 yo and up

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.  With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

This book is nominated for a ReadKiddoRead Kiddo Award for 2011! ReadKiddoRead subscriptions are available from Just the Right Book through the end of February.

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays well behind us, it’s time to reclaim “me-time”. Yeah, right. Seems impossible, right? Not so! A few easy tricks can help you find the time you need to pour a cup of tea and relax with a good book. Now I’m not promising that you can take a whole afternoon for yourself, but those few found moments can make each day gloriously relaxing. Aim for an extra half-hour each day. Before you know it, you’ll be glowing from the inside out!

• Trick #1: The Play Date. While it seems overwhelming to invite your child’s friends over to play, the payback is that, every so often, they’ll go to their friend’s house to play, leaving you with some time to yourself. The trick is to use that time for yourself, rather than to run errands or grocery shop. And it needn’t be chaos when you have extra kids in the house. An organized activity like making cookies or a craft activity is usually rewarding for all concerned, rather than letting them run around the house making mayhem.
• Trick #2: The Chore Chart. Even young kids can help you get your chores done and learn valuable lessons at the same time. When you get your kids to pitch in with the laundry, cleaning and meals you can gain a few extra minutes each day. And when they’re helping you get household chores accomplished, they’re not unsupervised making a mess in one place while you’re cleaning another. The trick is to make it fun, and not be too judgmental, especially at first. Give them a star on the chore chart for each task they help with, and reward them for every 10 or 15 stars. Before you know it, they’ll be able to do the laundry themselves, which will save some REAL time down the road.
• Trick #3: The Book Buddy. If you want time to relax and read a book, help your child appreciate the fun of it. Through our partnership with ReadKiddoRead, I’ve come to appreciate that not every kid starts out being a voracious reader. Some are downright reluctant. James Patterson insists that parents take control here, rather than assume that your school will do that job for you. (Read James’ article on this topic here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/28/opinion/patterson-kids-reading/index.html). Find books your child will love. And there’s nothing wrong with comic books or manga. The trick is, if you can gather their favorite reading material in one place and make it available to them, you’ll find some quiet time for yourself while they’re reading quietly; something that can’t happen while the tv is turned on.

Need some suggestions for books your kids will love to read? Start with these ReadKiddoRead Kiddo Award nominees:

E-MERGENCY by Tom Lichtenheld and Ezra Fields-Meyer
When the letter E falls down the stairs and breaks her leg, the only way for her to get better is if everyone stops using her. The whole cast of letters rolls with puns along the way.
Ages 4 – 8

EVERY THING ON IT by Shel Silverstein
A new collection of 30 never-before-seen poems and drawings from the remarkable writer and artist Shel Silverstein.
Ages 6 and up

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER by Jeff Kinney
The travails and triumphs of a young middle school boy are chronicled in a laugh-out-loud diary format complete with drawings from Greg himself.
Ages 7 and up

ReadKiddoRead subscriptions are available from Just the Right Book for $14.99 per week or month. Once each week (or month) your child will receive a new book chosen specifically for him or her based on reading level and individual interests from the recommended book list at ReadKiddoRead. Get your kids involved and let their voices be heard when they (and you) vote for their favorite books. View the Kiddo Award nominees for this year at http://www.readkiddoread.com/uploads/kiddos2012.php and vote for the ones your kids just can’t put down!

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

“I, I, I, I, I, I, I have a decision,” announced our 3 year old granddaughter.  This was not the first time that I’ve heard her stutter.  In fact, she was repeating words, part of words, and phrases ever since she started talking at about 18 months.  She is now three and a half, and unlike many of the children I work with speaks in long, complicated sentences.

Of course I wanted to know what decision “she had,” but being a speech pathologist who has helped many, many parents and children deal with speech and language issues for over 43 years, I find myself, at times, listening to how she talks rather than to what she is saying.

I know that it is important to hear the content of what a child says, but I also know that ignoring breakdowns in communication until a child is 5 or 6 is misguided.  One percent of all children, worldwide, will grow up to be people who stutter.  Ignoring the stutter and waiting to see if the child will “outgrow” the behavior is not advisable. 

As a Board Recognized Specialist in Fluency Disorders, I can listen to my granddaughter and know that she will most likely be one of the 80% of stuttering children who will outgrow their disfluencies and grow up without the burden of stuttering.  She does not demonstrate most of the basic Risk Factors for Stuttering.  Only one applies to her:  stuttering longer than 6 months.

If you have a child whose fluency concerns you, check out The Preschool Stuttering Screen for Health Care Professionals (PSSHCP), below.  It was published by Joseph Donaher, Christina Deery, and Sarah Vogel, speech pathologists at University of Pennsylvania Medical School.

PSSHCP – RISK FACTORS FOR STUTTERING

Is the child a boy?                                                                                YES   NO Do any family members (including brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles) stutter?                                                      YES   NO Did any family members stutter for a period when they were younger?     YES   NO Have the behaviors persisted for more than 6 months?                            YES   NO Are the behaviors happening more often or becoming more severe?         YES   NO Does the child always stutter?                                                                YES   NO Have others noticed or commented on the child’s speech?                        YES   NO Does the child appear to be pushing his/her words out, or physically struggling while talking?                                                                                 YES   NO Does the child ever appear to avoid talking because of concerns with his/her speech?                                                                                             YES   NO Does the child or family appear increasingly worried, fearful, or frustrated by the stuttering behaviors?                                                             YES   NO

“YES” answers indicate greater level of concern

Remember when looking at this list that it is informal, has no critical cut off point and that no one item is more important than another.

So, how do you decide what to do if your child’s speech is disfluent?

1. It is not always an easy decision, but there are some guidelines that should make it easier for everyone.  First, know the risk factors listed above.
2. Second, know that it is important not to ignore the behavior because we still cannot fully predict who will and will not out grow their stutter.  Check with a trained professional – a speech and language pathologist who has experience treating stuttering – who can determine whether a more formal evaluation is necessary.
3. Third, it is very important that these steps be taken early.  Research has shown that maximum benefits can be achieved when the appropriate stuttering therapy is provided while a child’s brain is still malleable and the neurological pathways are not yet “hard wired.”  In other words, some time before the child starts kindergarten.  Waiting to speak to a professional until a child is 5 or even 6 is late, and carries a risk of increased resistance to effective therapy.

If a child is three or older, you can always call your public school and speak to a speech pathologist.  Or you can call our clinic.  We offer free stuttering screenings over the phone or in person for children 6 and under.  There are also some good websites that can be very helpful: Stuttering Home Page, http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/stutter.html, National Stuttering Association, http://www.nsastutter.org/, and the Stuttering Foundation http://www.stutteringhelp.org/.Their suggestion can help you sort out how best to help your disfluent preschooler.

Our granddaughter is now 3½, and that decision that she “had” has long been forgotten, but not the gem of language usage cherished by a grandmother who, when her own children were little, was much too harried to remember much about their speech.

And as for her stuttering……it’s mostly gone.  I realized it on Veteran’s Day as we rode up and down in the glass-walled elevators at the CT Science Museum in Hartford, were videotaped dancing in the kid’s TV, threw paper cups that spun like helicopters into the air.  Her speech is fine; I am no longer distracted by how she speaks!

Alida Engel CCC/SLP, BRS-FD

Board Recognized Specialist in Fluency Disorders

801 Edgewood Ave.

New Haven, CT 06515

203-397-3224

CenterForSpeechAndLearning.com 

We have begun, in earnest, the search for a kindergarten for Jonah, and I’ve been just a bit overwhelmed. The town in which we live, unfortunately, does not have a good reputation when it comes to schools and didn’t even before they laid off about 50 teachers last year. Stupid decision to buy a house in this town? Why, yes. But to explain ourselves a little, things weren’t looking rosy in the child-bearing department at the time so we didn’t give serious consideration to schools.

So here we are. Fortunately, we can apply to the New Haven magnet schools and plan to; there is one we are particularly interested in. But while I want to support public schools (I believe in public education and both my parents were public-school teachers), I harbor a few worries. First off, as we face more and more cutbacks in these financially treacherous times, will things considered extras, like the arts and recess, be eliminated, or reduced? Will classes become larger, necessitating greater emphasis on keeping kids under control? My little guy is a bright, curious, spirited dude with tremendous energy; he can’t always control it, either. Yes, he needs to learn how to take charge of his energy, but being in an environment in which he’s punished for his physical exuberance doesn’t sound like auspicious beginning to his academic career.

We’re looking at private schools, including a couple that only offer pre-school and kindergarten. (In other words, if he attended one of these, he’d be there only for one year.) He and I visited one yesterday and I was amazed. I’d heard great things about it, but it was beyond my expectations: an exciting, stimulating, nurturing environment, one in which a child’s question leads to an exploration of an idea from every possible angle, involving reading, writing, math, and scientific discovery. The kindergarten space was large, inviting, and dynamic without being twee. (I’m not into twee, even for the wee.)

We are also looking into a couple of K-8 private schools, one of which is considered the best in the area and both of which have wonderful things to offer. Both, not surprisingly, are very expensive. Will they offer us financial aid? Will they accept our little snuglet? This, of course, can’t be taken for granted, and is headache-inducing question. How do you prepare a wild, hilarious, vivacious child for such an interview without putting him under pressure? I would never in a million years let him in on the news that the interview will largely determine his being admitted, but I do have to find the right words to be sure he’s on his best behavior. It’s a delicate situation, that.

What is it I want for my child? A stimulating, challenging, nurturing school environment in which his love for learning is encouraged, his strengths and interests guided, and his weaknesses bolstered. A place where he can learn who he is and feel comfortable in that understanding. I want him to sing and dance and make discoveries, to write poetry and stories and use every color imaginable to depict his fabulously demented view of the universe, to create and share and learn from those around him. What I don’t want for him: An atmosphere in which learning is a chore, being smart a liability.

It’s a tragic thing that so many of us can’t expect the best from our public schools, that we have to consider all sorts of alternatives to find the best place for our kids to learn. And despite NCLB and other efforts (or because of them?), we hear story upon story about large numbers of high-school kids unable to name our Vice President or find Italy on a map. What are we doing wrong?

I’m not an expert in education. When I visit schools and meet teachers who’ve been working with kids for thirty-plus years, I find myself at a loss for intelligent questions. My child is truly wonderful, I want to say. Can you see that? Can you help us do what’s best for him? That’s all I ask. After all, I’m still not entirely sure what that is: what’s best for him. I’m eternally trying to find out.

And I don’t want to sound as though I’m down on public schools. Jonah’s good friend started kindergarten at a private school with a great reputation. But it turns out that so many parents have kept their children back a year that, at 5 years old, he’s one of the youngest in his class. And T, this little boy, is a bright kid, a sweet kid, a truly special kid whose parents are involved and loving and accomplished themselves. But during his parents’ first parent-teacher conference, the teachers said to them, “T can’t read.” As if he were behind. So now his mom is working with him at home, using flash cards, to catch him up, although really, he’s right where he ought to be. Because he’s five and he’s in kindergarten, and once, not so long ago, kindergarten was for going over the alphabet and coloring and taking naps, and everyone was all right with that. Then kindergarten became the grade in which kids were taught to read. Now, it seems, at least in some schools, kids are expected to arrive at kindergarten already reading.

And that, my friends, is just messed up.

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Aviva Luria recently created the blog Old Mom, Young Child, which can be found at omyc.wordpress.com, a glimpse into the mind of a sometime writer who became a mom at the ripe age of 42. Aviva, who has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s in English and creative writing, has published work in an array of places, from The San Francisco Examiner and The National Post(one of Canada’s national newspapers) to the literary journals The Mississippi Review, Kalliope, andGrain,and the magazine Canadian Living. A radio junkie, she also contributed stories to a couple of CBC radio programs. (That’s in Canada, eh?)

Having grown up on Long Island, she has lived in London; San Francisco, Berkeley, and Davis, California; Ontario, Canada; and other odd and wonderful places. She lives with her husband, a physics professor, and their son, born in 2007, who is the wonder and light of her life.

We’ve been thinking a lot about classic books lately here at the JTRB office, in light of our Contemporary Classics Quiz, which highlights some of the best books for adults from the last 75 years–many books that were written decades before I was born, and that I love. That’s the thing about really good books–they have staying power.

The phenomenon of classics also applies, perhaps even more so, to children’s chapter books. It’s no surprise that what we read when we’re young tends to stick with us. Maybe that adage that you never forget your first love applies to books as well as people. The first books we read and fall in love with are often the ones we remember most fondly and vividly. And there are many, many examples of children’s classics getting new life today, some in their original forms and some updated for a new generation of readers. Parents are re-reading these beloved books and introducing them to their children.

HarperCollins just this week published The Betsy-Tacy Treasury – the first four books in Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy series. Pamela Paul mentioned in the New York Times’s Arts Beat that her six-year-old daughter is enthralled by the stories, which are set in Minnesota more than 100 years ago.

Publishers are also adapting traditional beloved children’s books to the modern-day mediums. For example, many titles in The Boxcar Children series are now available as e-books.

And I hope that recent movie versions of classic kids’ books are encouraging young readers to explore older books like Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, Thomas Rockwell’s How to Eat Fried Worms, and of course C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

And while all of these books are beloved by yesterday’s and today’s young readers, we can’t deny the power of adult nostalgia, either. It’s what prompted Wendy McClure, who loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s  Little House series as a child, to retrace the pioneer journey of the Ingalls family and immerse herself in Little House culture for her book The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House in the Prairie. In fact, it almost makes me want to go to South Dakota to visit some Ingalls sites on my next vacation… or at least re-read the entire Little House series.

Is there a young reader in your life who would like to be turned on to the classics? Give the gift of reading with one of our subscriptions for kids. Tell us what kind of books he or she likes, including any of the above titles or anything at all, and we’ll send just the right book, guaranteed!

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Kira Baum is Content Manager at Just the Right Book. A life-long book lover with a master’s degree in English, she spent nearly a decade as a project manager and copy editor at major publishing houses in New York City before returning to her home state of Connecticut and joining Just the Right Book.

It’s been a couple of months since school started, and I bet your kids are starting to show some signs of stress. Maybe you’ve even had a call home from the teacher already.  And then you start to show signs of stress. The antidote: humor, creativity and play.  And some alone-time (hint – that’s where the books come in).

Helping my three kids find the best way to diffuse stress was like diving for pearls. Sometimes I would come up with something that glowed. Sometimes I just got a handful of seaweed. Like when I mistakenly thought that routines were a good idea. They are, of course, to some extent, but the more I tried to get them to sit down and a chat about their day, the deeper the seaweed got.

After a day of schedules and expectations, they really just needed true, unscheduled down-time. Not veg-in-front-of-the-tv time. Real, all-about-them down-time. My son needed to organize his toys and read. My older daughter needed to go outside and play with friends. My youngest needed to pull the pots out of the cupboard and drum on them like the rock star she is. Instead of drilling them about their day, we found ways to laugh. And then they would begin to talk about their day.

Some kids experience a level of stress far beyond the norm. For these kids, getting through a week of school without a call home is a magnificent accomplishment. Why not reward them in a way that will also help them cope? Book series are great for this. My son, now 20, refuses to give up his Discovery Kids or Star Wars book collections. He worked too hard to get them; they brought him many hours of stress relief; and they feel like long-time friends. He gets very nostalgic about them. And there are some great book series out there:

For preteen boys and girls:

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson: Shows that girls can be tough. Full of fantasy, flying creatures and video-game type action.

Clementine series by Sara Pennypacker: Clementine is the new Amelia Bedelia for kids age 7 – 10. No matter how hard she tries, she only seems to make things worse. A fun series, especially for kids who might not be strangers to the principal’s office.

Everything Butt Art on the Farm by Brian Snyder and local artist Alexis Moniello. Talk about a stress buster! The first in a two-book series with more in the works, and an iPad app, this book is guaranteed to spark creativity, giggles and conversation.

Of course, all of these titles are available when you sign up for a Kids’ Series subscription at Just the Right Book. Teen and Fantasy Series (for titles like Maximum Ride) also available. Choose from hardcover or paperback or a mix of both, with monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly delivery. Titles chosen just for your child based on his/her reading level and preferences. (And if Mom or Dad need a little pampering…Indulge Yourself!)

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.

One day when my kids were little, an audio book fell into my hands, unsolicited and out of the blue. It was Patricia Cornwell’s Isle of Dogs. When I put it in the tape player (yes, it was that long ago), something unexpected and wonderful happened. My kids gravitated to the Southern drawl emanating from the stereo the way they might have followed the scent of cookies to the kitchen. The family ended up listening to Isle of Dogs as a group over dinner – that night and every night after until we’d heard the whole book.

Enjoying the ritual and the conversation it sparked, we next chose The Life of Pi (read in rich Indian accents and taking us all out to sea, stretching our imaginations as we ate our meal at the earth-bound dining room table). Then DaVinci Code. Then Agatha Christie. And the rest is history. A family tradition had firmly taken hold.

I sometimes think that audio books have an unfair reputation as somehow less than. They get short shrift, as though they’re a cop out and as though we should only read – and not (good god, no!) – LISTEN to books! I’ve found that sharing literature as a family is a really satisfying way to connect with one another, while working an under-utilized part of our brains…that part that probably got a lot of exercise half a century ago when neighbors would cluster together in a living room and listen to a radio play. Audio books let kids experience adult literature with their parents. Perhaps most importantly, it exposes us all to that special and age-old theatre of story telling, with animated voices and strange accents and nuanced intonations.

Today in our family, audio books are a staple of vacations and weekends. They’ve even dictated how we tell time. Recently my sister asked me how long it took to drive from Los Angeles to Yosemite, a drive I had done with my family a few years earlier. I told her, “as long as it takes to hear Angel and Demons.”

Want to start the audio book tradition in your family? Start Here:

To introduce classic fairy tales to younger children (This was our bedtime routine until, um, high school!):

The Emperor’s New Clothes The classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale retold by celebrities on the included CD. This combines the beauty of illustration with the magic of talented voices narrating. The bonus is that the kids can go back and read the text on their own later.

Conversation starter for older kids:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, read by Allan Corduner. Set in Nazi Germany, it describes a young girl’s (named Liesel Meminger) relationship with her foster parents, Hans and Rosa, and the other residents of their neighborhood, and a Jewish fist-fighter who hides in her home during the escalation of World War II. Published in 2005, it has won numerous awards and has been listed on the New York Times Children’s Bestseller List for over 190 weeks.

Classic, in observation of Banned Book Week Sept 24 – Oct 1:

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, read by Garrison Keillor. An American classic read by an American classic. A great story read by one of the best storytellers.

Just the Right Book! Quarterly gifts, where books (no audio, yet) come 4 times a year, start at just $49. Visit our website at www.justtherightbook.com/sc/kidhaven.

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Beth is the Marketing Director at Just the Right Book, matching books and readers daily. After studying South American literature at UConn, she got an MBA and worked in Brand Management for many years while raising her three kids. She’s also been a Girl Scout leader and Destination Imagination coach.