Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in Fort Worth, TX

Linda Powley, Regional Advisor of the local chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators), is back! Thanks to Linda for her wonderful insight on encouraging our children's love of books.  Here she is:

This week, with warm memories of our recent Thanksgiving feast, I find myself lost in thoughts on traditions. Like most extended families, our daily routine goes in a zillion different directions. Spare time? What's that! Days fly by without connecting, but then we pause, take a collective breath, and gather. We put aside the many things we "should" do to enjoy the moment: superbowl parties, Fourth of July barbeques, harvest feasts and spring teas - our family traditions.

Helping a child develop into a life-long reader is a lot like this, too. It doesn't happen magically overnight. Like pausing to enjoy a family holiday, building the foundation that encourages a child to embrace reading takes a conscious decision on the part of parents to work toward this goal.

I didn't grow up in a family that had a specific reading time, which isn't to say my home wasn't enriched with stories. My dad was more attuned to oral traditions, and his tales, his verbal games were, as MasterCard would say, "Priceless!" Mom had her cookbooks and magazines, and the daily newspaper was ever present. Although I was encouraged to respect books, my love of story came mostly through school, church, and sharing imaginary worlds with my friends. Our made up stories were vivid, valued, and full of fun.

Many other writers and illustrators of children's books echo this same joyful connection to childhood experiences. I asked local illustrator Alan Stacy, who is active in our SCBWI chapter, how he developed his love for children's books. He said, "I remember my mother singing and reading to me from a very early age. My dad was always bringing home books as gifts especially if he'd been gone on a trip.  But perhaps more revealing he added that reading opened up new worlds to me and made me an armchair traveler in time and space. The world and beyond is contained in books."

Aw, how true! Well do I remember those imaginary journeys!

If a child associates reading with pleasant memories - snuggling with Daddy for a before bed story, listening to big sis read for Mom, seeing Mommy and Daddy with books, or the newspaper, or a magazine as part of life's routine - it goes a long way toward establishing reading as a part of everyday life. If you want your child to become a reader, let them see you read. Find a special time each day to snuggle in and share a good story. Read together; read separately. Talk about the illustrations, the use of color, form, and design. Anticipate what will happen next. Ask questions, laugh, but most importantly, have fun!

At the end of the day, the name of the book might not be remembered and the story details, but the connection of sharing will make your child want to pick up a book over and over and over again - in the family tradition. 

Alan Stacy is a local illustrator, writer and musician whose work includes graphic novels, computer graphic art, animation, costume design, and makeup for TV, theater and films. His illustrations can be seen in his latest book Alaskan Night Before Christmas by Tricia Brown (Pelican Publishing, 2008), available online and in major bookstores.