Book Worm

Ashley really enjoys reading. So do I of course. Part of the bedtime routine is stories, but for Ashley it more specifically involves grabbing whatever it is she is reading at that moment and climbing into bed. She lays in bed and reads before going to sleep. Before Spring Break, I was wondering if I was going to have to go in and tell her to stop. She was staying up for an hour on more than one occasion just to read. I understand how that is though. I go through times when I just read and read some more. I am afraid I have little self-discipline at times. It would seem that Ashley too wants to finish the story. Some, of course, are more popular than others, and I thought I would share a few favorites around here.

First are the Mercy Watson books. They are chapter books but not difficult. Ashley often reads one straight through in a 40 minute period or breaks it into two nights if she has to. The author is Kate DiCamillo, who Ashley was initially introduced to when she read Because of Winn Dixie. More recently, we have also read The Tale of Desperaux also by Kate DiCamillo. The Mercy Watson books are silly quite frankly. They are about a pig who lives more like a person than a pig. The thing about them though, is that all my kids love them. Ashley will often read them out loud to Jon and Sammy, and both of them can tell you even weeks later what Mercy Watson was for Halloween and that her favorite snack is buttered toast. These books are repeatedly requested and read often, so though they may be silly, they are great around here.



Recently, Ashley has been reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. She has now read the first two and received the third in her Easter basket. She will take these books with her to read on the bus, something she doesn't do that often. She will re-read her favorite parts and laugh out loud while she reads. She also reads some of these books to Jon, who thinks they are funny as well. I have to say that I think some of the jokes are over her head, but she absolutely loves these books and was so grateful each time she received one. Like the Mercy Watson books, she will sit and read these for some time. Unlike the Mercy Watson books, these take her a few days of reading to get through. They are longer and more involved.


The last new series she is interested in lately is the Pirate School books. We purchased the first Pirate School book at a book fair some time back for Jon. I thought we could read it to him and as his reading later developed, he might like to have this one as well as the many Magic Treehouse books. Ashley pulled this out a couple of weeks ago to read to Jon. He listened to the first few chapters and went to sleep. She stayed up and read the entire thing, brought it out to me and told me I should read it because it was really good and then told me she wanted to read the next one in the series. I don't think I realized that it was a series until then. She received the second book in her Easter basket. We will see if she still likes it as well. I still hope Jon might like these books later, but it is always fun to see what Ashley picks up on.

Finally, I have had the book light pictured here for some years. It is called the Fliplite, and I love it. You can buy replacement bulbs for it at Barnes and Noble, but there is no reason, because the little flashlight bulbs work perfectly in it. It is simple and sturdy and travels really well. Ashley commandeered this from me over a year ago, and it is now referred to as hers. I haven't needed to use a book light for some time. I either go out in the living room if I am reading after Trent is asleep or, more recently, just turn on my lamp whenever I need to. Ashley goes to sleep with this nearly every night to just read away. Samantha falls asleep easily with the lights still on now, and lately has requested to fall asleep with them on, so Ashley needs this a little less. She still likes to use it though, and I can't blame her. If you need a book light. I do highly recommend this one.

We keep track of what we are reading on our blog. I am fairly good about keeping it updated, though I am not always as fast as Ashley. We love recommendations for good books as well, so if you have some you love, pass them on.

EDIT:

Samantha likes all kinds of books right now, but she wanted me to put the book she has most recently enjoyed on this post. So, here it is. I am now off to read Priscilla and the Pink Planet to Sammy again. Happy reading.