Thrifty Pleasures - Winter


For the little people in your life, Reading Is Fundamental is one of several resources available online. RIF is a non-profit organization promoting reading and literacy for families, and their website offers games and activities to get the whole family involved. And here's a tip I learned as an early literacy volunteer at a local school: when helping a child choose a "just right" book to read independently, use the Rule of Five. If the child struggles with more than five words on a page, that book is probably too hard, and the child may not enjoy it or feel successful. For younger children, the Rule of Five becomes the Rule of Three, or even Two.

A good way to keep track of all the books you read is to keep a book diary. This can be a very good idea, especially if you read a lot or if your favorite author has a rather long series of books, because sometimes authors and titles can slip your mind when you're browsing your favorite book emporium. A little pocket notepad should do the trick, and it also might help to put your list together alphabetically by author. In your diary include the author's name, book title, when you read the book, and maybe a notation of how much you liked, or disliked, this author's style. Then, the next time you're at the library, you can just check your notebook to see if you've already read that particular book by one of your favorite authors.

You Are What You Read

Technically, this cannot be true. If it were, I would be a wealthy sleuth with pointed ears who collects antiques. And I would be younger. Much, much younger. But it is true, I think, that books we have read become part of us forever. And that idea can be a little daunting.

But before you resolve to read only the "classics" from now on, think on this:

A few weeks ago I was browsing in the children's section of one of my favorite bookstores. A little girl had plopped herself down on the floor in front of the picture books, and was clearly entranced by the books she was looking at.

At that moment her father said, with just a trace of impatience in his voice,

"Why are you looking at those books? Your reading is way beyond that level."

And the little girl looked up at

The copyright of the article Thrifty Pleasures - Winter in Thrifty Living is owned by Donna Dunn. Permission to republish Thrifty Pleasures - Winter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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