story time

Happy Tuesday!

I woke up bright and early this morning. Fall in Vegas is perfect. Crisp before the sun comes up and warm and breezy in the afternoons. It should be about 90 degrees today and we are going to try our best to do school outdoors... on a picnic blanket... in the shade.

But I'm not here to talk about the weather. I am hoping to start a tradition of spending Tuesdays writing about the books I love.

After we got rid of the television at the end of the summer, I found there was a lull in the evenings. Dinner was over and it was too early for bedtime... so we were all kind of twiddling our thumbs, wondering what to do as a family. Emptiness, space and quiet allow for inspiration and I know I was inspired to start a new family tradition.

While thinking back about my own education and the decision to homeschool my children, I kept returning to the fact that I had spent 16+ years in school, but hadn't read any good books. After I graduated from college, I came across a list of the top 100 best books ever written-- the Classics. And out of those 100 books, I had read ONE. (Les Miserable, which I read for my own entertainment, it wasn't ever an assignment for school.) Now, don't get me wrong... there are many children who are educated in school who do read the classics, but it wasn't the case for me and I wanted something different for my children.

So-- although we read all sorts of stories during the day, we've started a new family tradition of reading a classic book each month in the evenings. Usually we are up in my bed (or on the trampoline) but I picture us curled up by the fire during the holidays or under a big tree in the spring. Reading to my children makes me feel like I've accomplished what I set out to do that day.. I believe that reading aloud to our children is one of the best things we can do as parents. After spending many months reading books that are entertaining (but really not worth our time... ei, Fabelhaven, etc :) I had inspiration to turn to the Classics... stories that are on listed on "the best books of all time" for a reason.

We started in September with Swiss Family Robinson. This was a great book to begin the "school year". None of my kids had seen the movie and that made it even better. The book is quite different from the Disney version. There are four sons in the original version (perfect for our family) and in the book there is no Roberta.. or pirates for that matter. But there is still lots of adventure and excitement. We finished the book just before the end of the month and celebrated by popping popcorn and watching the movie together.

In October, we started The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is captivating and funny... and it keeps us on our toes, although it's not as spooky as I was expecting. Many of the words are too big for my kids to understand, but we read aloud and then explain the story for the little ones to grasp (just as we do while reading the scriptures). We also bought a children's classic literature book with pictures of the characters of the story, which definitely helps. I think this will be a great tradition to read every October when the Halloween decorations come out.

I don't have the entire 12 months planned out, but I do know that in November we will take on Where the Red Fern Grows. I've seen the movie, but have never read the book. Sad, I know.

In December it will be A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I haven't ever read the original myself, so I am really looking forward to it. And because it's a short book, I would also love to read Little Women, which is a fantastic story for the holidays... even if I do have four boys!

The list for 2011 is longer than we can take on... The Jungle Book, Oliver Twist, Moby Dick, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Secret Garden, Peter Pan.. I can promise you, we will have a love story for February-- Pride and Prejudice or Jane Eyre? I just can't decide!

I am hoping that over time, we will find books that become family favorites and we will look forward to reading year after year. And I would LOVE to read Les Mis together as a family, but I will have to wait until my boys are a bit older to understand what an incredibly inspiring story it really is.

If your children are young or you feel intimidated by the originals, look for children's classics that are illustrated and tell the stories simply. After time, you and your child will become so familiar with the story that the original will become less daunting. That has definitely been the case for me and the kids in my house.

This post is going to have to end now.. I have a baby squealing at my ankles (who is chewing on a toothbrush and rubbing wetness on my feet.) I want to end by asking if you have a favorite story-- one that was read to you by a favorite teacher, your parents or a classic that you've discovered recently?

no time for editing or backspacing. sorry it's so choppy!
Happy Tuesday! Happy reading!