reading rainbowwwww

As a self proclaimed "Geek Family" it's probably no surprise that we have books absolutely everywhere.   Three bookshelves packed full, shelves that aren't specifically for books with stacks, stacks all over our bedroom, and some pretty awesome 1970s vintage bookends proudly displayed on our dresser with my favorite books wedged between them.  Not to mention over 150 on my e-reader and over a gig and a half of digital comics on my old harddrive.  Basically, we REALLY love reading in this house.

We have always read to Alden, since he was a baby.  We've always encouraged reading and we're all always reading something (though I'm dyslexic making me a rather slow reader) Now Alden is getting to the age where he's starting to enjoy reading to us.  He goes to the library alone every day at school and he checks out 2 books to bring home and read.  He has to read them before his bath and playtime because they are his "homework" and homework gets done before anything else.  He also goes to the public library once every two weeks and brings home anywhere between 7-11 books each time.

Our bedtime schedule goes something like this: Josh & Alden play videogames for an hour, then I go in and read to him until he falls asleep, usually 30-40 minutes of reading.  Then he will finally go to sleep.  With his growing attention span and insistence on not wanting to go to sleep we've recently started reading chapter books.  So far this month we've finished Matilda, Freddy Fonortner and the Fantastic Flying Bicycle, Pickle Juice on a Cookie, Ramona Quimby Age 8, and we're about halfway through Pippi Longstocking.  He always remembers where he fell asleep (which is good because I'm really bad about forgetting to bookmark things) and we pick up from there each night.

There are three books we have to read before we read the chapter books each night.  They are his absolute favorites.

Silly Rhymes for Belligerent Children - Trace Beauleiu (yes, it's by the guy from MST3K)

Goodnight iPad - Ann Droyd   far superior to Goodnight Moon (which sucks IMO)

The Space Child's Mother Goose - Frederick Winsor nursery rhymes with a scientific twist.

If anyone has a child with an interest in science or electronics these books are all absolutely fantastic and fun.  I can't recommend them highly enough.

He's also really loving Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day  (this is my favorite childhood book) and anything involving Calvin & Hobbes.