Bringing back another post from the archives today with updates. In the original post (from Nov 2012), I talk about the joy of reading together with my kids (when the older one was still a pre-teen, barely). In today’s updated version of the post, I add on to it and expound on that joy of reading together with them, albeit differently.

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Reading Together (Always), and Its Joys!

First up, my original post from 2012 in the section below with formatting updates and such.

Taking a Trip to the Past

Gone are the days when I did all the reading to my kids. Nowadays, it is more of the ‘I’ll read to you, You read to me’ type of reading going on in our household. And I admit, I am loving it. My little ones read with lots more feeling and expressions than I can ever have and their fumbling through some of the big words that might find their way into our reading makes reading all the more fun than ever.

We have read our way through lots of books, some big, and many mostly small. My DD loves reading the smallish books together most and books online seem to capture her interest a lot more than actual books, for some reason – the new generation??

Favorite-Together Reads

Some of our favorite books to read have been:

Belinda Begins Ballet

Little Pink Pup

You Can’t Go to School Naked

My son enjoys snuggling in with us as well every once in a while to read books. Most days, I have to remind him to stop reading as it is a school night. His current favorites are the Rick Riordan books and I am planning to get to reading them soon as well though I did read Book 1 – The Lightning Thief – about a year ago. [Aug 2021 update: I am sorry to say I am yet to read the others in the series though we watched the movies! And I read a couple of other Riordan books not in this series]

What Was I Reading That Week in Nov 2012?

• The Immortals of Meluha (Completed reading – review to come Wednesday) [Aug 2021 update: Review post here]
• Secret of the Nagas (sequel to Immortals of Meluha – reading now) [Aug 2021 update: Review post here]
• Margaret and the Moth Tree (digital ARC – reading now – review to come next Monday) [Aug 2021 update: Review post here]
• Journeys on the Silk Road (review copy – reading now – review to come next Wednesday) [Aug 2021 update: Review post here]

And Back to the Future, Well, Present!

Today, my kids are teens and while they have long stopped reading books like Belinda Begins Ballet, I have continued to do so; simply because of the pleasure those books bring plus the fact that I love to share them with you, dear readers! And I cannot deny that I learn a lot from those picture books (whether fiction or non-fiction).

As for my teens, my DD’s current reads include The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (thanks to Rory and Jess’s reading lists!). My son is reading Pachinko and Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (the graphic version). (Guest) Reviews to come soon!

My reads include everything from picture books to tomes at this time. They are listed below (with quick reviews of two picture books)

But coming to the reading together part, we still do work on doing some of it as well. I am reading Sapiens and The Curious Incident had been on my TBR for too long to ignore so that is another of my current reads. And Pachinko tempts me as well since I have been seeing it everywhere. In addition, earlier this year, my son and I both read Where the Crawdads Sing as well as When Breath Becomes Air like we were in our own little book club!

Usha and the Big Digger

My Thoughts

Cuteness multiplied, well, powered to the nth degree actually – those words would sum up this book. But it is not just cuteness, both in the sweet story and the gorgeous illustrations; we learn so much too – the concepts of diversity, differing perspectives and learning from them, spatial reasoning, the try-try-and-try-again cartwheels, imaginations, learning math through doing, and of course the Big Digger (the Big Dipper? the Saptarishi? those seven stars?)

Love how everything comes together in the end, and once again, love the artwork in this book! While it is aimed towards young readers, anyone and everyone will surely delight in reading this book.

Overall, a MUST-READ (many times over) cuteness/learning-galore book, and a great gift for all young (and even older) readers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy of the book.

Get It Here

Amazon | | Book Depository | | BookShop | | Barnes and Noble

Leo’s Monster

My Thoughts

Another cute story this week! Lead your young reader into a guessing game through the pages of the book (note: ensure they don’t read the backmatter as it will give away that mystery – easily guessable though it is!).

I picked this book because Pfister’s Rainbow Fish has been a longtime favorite in our home from the time a friend gifted it to now-teen-adult when he turned one. And loved the illustrations, as well as the story. Reminiscent of other town-country mouse stories and yet with an unique humorous twist of its own, this book is one for rereading with your youngest readers! Bright, colorful, and quirky yet realistic illustrations provide a perfect complement to the story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy of the book.

Get It Here

Amazon | | Book Depository | | BookShop | | Barnes and Noble

Wrapping It All Up

All the children’s books above go towards What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA over at TeachMentorTexts

Related Reads

• She Reads…They Read…
• 13 Tips To Motivate Your Teen to Read

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, have you read any of the featured books? What are your thoughts on them? Have you read other similar books? If so, I would love to get recommendations!