Notes on Raising a Reader

& Theo's favorite animal books

Every Thursday, Theo and I go to story time and—most importantly—visit Miss Victoria. Miss Victoria sits behind the children’s circulation and information desk scanning picture books and entering new acquisitions Thursday through Saturday. She always has her white hair in a beautiful braid or bun, and she always has a few books set aside for Theo.

Their friendship started when Theo toddled over to the desk to shyly smile and say hello. Soon, they started playing peekaboo around the shelves, and now Theo relies on Miss Victoria for his weekly book checkouts. I adore her, too, but I’m just the middle man, sharing which topic Theo is most interested in at the moment so Miss Victoria can scan the shelves for the perfect book.

I have a hunch Miss Victoria looks forward to her “Theo Thursdays” just as much as we do, and I totally get it. The act of finding enticing books for a budding reader, of watching a little one turn the pages of a new book with excitement, of laughing at a cute puppy on the cover of a picture book—these are the joys of my life as a book-loving parent, as well.

I’ve wanted to share a series about raising a reader for awhile now, but I don’t want these pieces to come across as advice (as much as I do recommend getting to know your librarians). I simply intend to record more of my favorite moments as a bookish mom (and aunt) in order to pay closer attention to how much Theo is learning and how we’re developing our family reading culture.

Today, I’m sharing three small routines I’m loving right now as Theo turns 18 months old. The best part of these routines is that they organically cropped up in our lives; we’re a family of book lovers, so loving books comes naturally!

In addition to our current reading routines, I gathered up Theo’s favorite animal-themed picture and board books in a printable PDF. I hope you find something fun to read with a little bookworm in your life—or forward this newsletter to a friend or family member who needs baby and toddler book recommendations.

Post-breakfast book piles

As we enjoy warmer spring temps and sunshine, Theo and I will get outside early and often during the day, but over the last few months of winter, we enjoyed slow mornings indoors with lots and lots of books. After breakfast, we move to the living room floor where most of Theo’s toys and his main bookshelf reside. I used to ask him to bring me a book, but lately he takes initiative, wanders to the shelf, pulls a book, and sits on my lap so we can read it together. When we’re done, he signs “more” and picks another book. Some days we read three books, and then he’s ready to move on to something new. Other days, we spend close to 30 minutes reading piles and piles of books together.

This is a great time for me to take notice of Theo’s current favorite books and interests. Which books does he select for himself? Any repeats? Which pictures make him bounce on my lap or point to the page? For example, the most-requested book in our house at the moment is Firefighter Flo! by Andrea Zimmerman, et. al, which translated to Theo’s fondness for a Little People firefighter figurine.

Story time

Miss Victoria isn’t our only librarian pal in town. We attend multiple story time sessions throughout the week, partly for the songs and stories but mostly for socialization—not Theo’s, mine! I started going to story time in order to meet fellow parents and make connections in my new community, and it worked. I see many of the same friends each week at story time, and even if we don’t get together outside of the library, I value those relationships. Before or after story time, we’re able to hold semi-consistent conversations while the kids play. This week, I offered to go over to a story time friend’s house to watch her daughter while she prepares for a job interview—and I’m thrilled to help out. This never would have been possible without regular interactions held in a FREE community space. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say I do not know how I would parent without the library.

Books on the big bed

This isn’t our most regular routine, but it’s something I intend to implement more often. As many of you know, my husband Curtis is an avid reader as well, so while we both care deeply about Theo’s bookish experiences, we also strive to maintain our own reading lives. We used to love our evening reading time in bed, but with a super snuggly, terribly teething toddler we haven’t found our bedtime reading groove. Every now and then, we make an attempt at family reading time with the loosest possible expectations.

We grab a stack of books for Theo and maybe some snacks, our current reads, and we all hop on our bed to read together. Sometimes Curtis and I do actually get 10 or 15 minutes of relatively uninterrupted reading time, and sometimes we end up setting our books aside to take turns reading picture books. No matter how it turns out, I love getting cuddled up with our books together as a family. It’s exactly what I hope for and imagined before we had Theo, and I envision many future family read alouds on the big bed.

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In the midst of these routines, I’m still figuring out when to fit my independent reading time into our day. Theo often sits down to look at books by himself, but I don’t always have my book nearby. I want him to see me reading for enjoyment, not just to him, but I don’t think I’ll stumble into it—I need to intentionally carve out the time. I have more thoughts to share on my personal reading routines and how they’ve changed since becoming a parent. I also hope to share more book recommendations as Theo’s interest change and become clearer. If you enjoyed the first installment of this series and want me to continue, please like this post or leave a comment—and I’d especially love if you share it on social media or with a friend.

In case you missed the link, here is a printable PDF of Theo’s favorite animal-themed picture and board books. You can also find our favorite picture books and board books in my Amazon storefront (I’m working on adding more to my Bookshop page, too).

I’ll see you in a few days for Sunday Saves. Until then, I hope you find a patch of sunlight for lounging or reading this week.

Chelsey

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