Spring Reading 2021 Bringing Up Bookmonsters: The Joyful Way to Turn Your Child into a Fearless, Ravenous Reader

 

Parents looking for suggestions on how to encourage their children to become readers should give this helpful and entertaining book a try. Amber and Andy share anecdotes from raising their own bookmonsters, findings from research studies on literacy development, and helpful hints at creating an atmosphere within the family that supports positive reading habits and attitudes. 

The book is divided into four parts which focus on birthing a bookmonster, making it feel at home, feeding it, and teaching it tricks. That translates into suggestions on creating an early love of reading, giving that love plenty of sustenance through interaction and access to literacy materials, and helping to make connections between all the related skills (writing, spelling, etc.). 

Helpful suggestions for ways to work literacy into shopping trips, car rides, and other events are shared, as well as stories about how the Ankowski's three children responded to different books or materials depending on their ages and personalities. The authors are careful to repeat throughout the text that children are unique and respond in their own ways, so what works with one may not work with another or may need to be adapted.

Back matter includes a comprehensive list of all the children's books mentioned. These are divided up into the sections of the Book Pyramid (similar to the Food Pyramid that parents will recognize from nutrition guides when they were youngsters themselves). Sections are: Unique Interests, Story Books, Learning Lessons, Just for Fun, and Literacy Skill Building. Source notes for all the research studies quoted and a list of book recommendations for parents are also provided.

The research that is mentioned shows the importance of early reading experiences, the presence of books in the home, and adult role models. But the information is presented in everyday language and balanced with the authors' memories of reading adventures with their three bookmonsters over the years. There is even discussion of the importance of play and the hazards of too much screen time.

Altogether a vey readable book which parents will probably be annotating with highlighters and sticky notes as they come across activities or titles they want to try.

I read an advanced copy provided by the publisher for review purposes. Publication is scheduled for April 27, 2021.