Sharing a Love of Reading

December 3rd is Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day. Since my son was little (he's now nearly 18), my husband and I have regularly spent Friday nights at the bookstore with Cody in tow. Our local B&N holds Friday night children's storytime, and he loved to listen to the stories and do the crafts or coloring that followed. As he got older, however, and storytime lost its luster, he's chosen not to join us on many occasions--sometimes hanging with friends is much more important than hanging with mom and dad at the bookstore. Go figure. But I like to think that this time together helped to plant seeds for his future.

And I think it has. Although he's just a nibbler when it comes to reading (yes, a children's book editor with a son who has never liked to read, can you believe it?), he does see the value of reading and sometimes even requests a bookstore visit. And I hope that when he's older and has children of his own he continues this tradition.

Is your local bookstore taking part in Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day? You can check it out at the link above. If not, take your child anyway...and let the bookstore know that next year you hope they'll join the ranks of bookstores across the country promoting reading to your children. While you're there, I hope you find the perfect book.