“How the Books on My Kids’ Bookcases Help Tell the Stories of Their Lives and Mine”
A shelf full of books can tell a story that’s just as much about our present and future as it is about our past. As I previously wrote in “Fuel for the Writer’s Mind: The Importance of Reading,” people choose to read for many reasons. Reading can bring value to our lives by encouraging us to slow down and step away from the pressures of the daily grind. By reading, we’re given the chance to learn and relearn, to live and relive, and to appreciate and aspire. A bookcase can serve as a nice visual reminder about not only what we have read, but about what we still could read and learn. This is an important concept for adults and kids alike.
In a world that’s become increasingly two-dimensional, there’s something about the three-dimensional quality to books and bookcases that draws people to them.
How many times have you entered a friend or family member’s home and found yourself examining their bookcases? The good news is that checking out their books is a perfectly acceptable thing to do. In our home, I love catching our kids looking at my bookcase, and hearing the curiosity in their voices when they say, “Tell me about this one…and that one!” I’m not sure how many mysteries of the universe that my bookcase contains, but through the eyes of a child I imagine the possibility could be real. Few things are more fulfilling to me than seeing one of my kids take my books (without asking me, of course) and settle into a recliner with it. The bigger the book and the more it looks like it belongs in a museum, the better.
“Daddy, daddy…read!”
I smile at the sight of my children’s bookcases, and I find it rewarding whenever I see that they’ve expanded their inventory by taking a few titles from my personal collection. They think it’s hilarious when I accuse them of stealing my books, especially if I demand that they never, ever do it again. Reading the words of a book silently in an otherwise empty room is one thing, but hearing our voices bring those same words to life by narrating them adds an entirely different element to the experience. “The Bridge of Khazad Dûm.” “Priori Incantatem.” “The Shadow.” The memories I have of reading epic passages like these to my kids, of seeing the excitement on their faces, and observing the anticipation in their body language have far deeper value to me than the stories they came from. I feel emotional whenever I think back on the reading moments we’ve shared together, and it warms my heart to know that I always will.
The diversity of the books on our son’s and daughter’s bookcases is just as dynamic as their personalities.
J.R.R. Tolkien. J.K. Rowling. Richard Carlson. Ted Geisel. Mo Willems. Jean Marzollo & Walter Wick. Alyssa Satin Capucilli. Peggy Parish. James Dean. Judith Byron Schachner. Sandra Boynton. Kevin Henkes. Eric Carle. Syd Hoff. Margaret Wise Brown. P.K. Hallinan. Barbara Park. Lauren Thompson. Shel Silverstein. Mary Pope Osborne. Stan & Jan Berenstain. Tad Hills. Judy Blume. Rick Riordan. Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams. James Patterson. Jeff Kinney. Dav Pilkey. Aisha Saeed. Cornelia Funke. James Dashner. The list goes on. Here are a few which will always sit near the top for me:
I read Lord of the Rings on quarter breaks during my second year of optometry school in Chicago. The book was a collector’s edition that my wife’s godmother, Leta Pearce, had gifted me for Christmas Eve. A decade later and my son, Graham, would develop a fascination with the book. He and I poked around at the voluminous trilogy for a number of years before finally committing to read it cover to cover together. He was in third grade, and most of our progress came during the winter and spring months of 2020. From the lush, green hills of the Shire to the volcanic plains of Mordor, Frodo and company’s quest to try to destroy the ring of power was a journey that the two of us will never forget, and will always represent one of our better shared memories from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Harry Potter universe was another reading project that I began in optometry school. I was a fourth-year student working an externship at a LASIK clinic in Colorado, and I decided to bring Book #1 with me to a 30-minute oil change. I managed to get through the entire seven-book series in just over six months, as the final installment would reach publication during my first year of independent work, in the summer of 2007. When I think of the Harry Potter books, the words creativity, courage, and friendship immediately come to mind. The feelings the books evoke remind me of what it was like to be a kid, and of a time in my life when the world was still filled with magic. I read them chapter by chapter to Graham from preschool through kindergarten, and to Penelope between 4-K and kindergarten (another COVID reading project). Late nights, early mornings, and anyplace in between that we could fit them. I remember the excitement Graham had during the “Battle of Hogwarts,” just as I can still recall how hard I was laughing (along with how difficult it was to read) in observance of Penelope’s anxiety as Harry battled the dragon during his first task of the Triwizard Tournament. For me, the books are a testament to what it means to experience the joy of reading, and how inspiring it can be to see the force take hold in both children and adults.
The Inkheart series, by Cornelia Funke is one that Penelope and I are currently reading. My goal was to start up a book series with her that featured a prominent female protagonist. So much of what’s available in traditional children’s fiction is boy-focused. Knowing Penelope’s love of reading, I couldn’t have asked for a more appropriate character than 12-year-old Meggie Folchart. Part of what’s been special about these books is that I don’t know what they’re about, or where they’re leading to anymore than Penelope does, so it’s been fun for us to brainstorm where the storyline is heading. The books have also opened my eyes to the importance of thinking differently from how I’m accustomed to when considering book options for my magical, book-loving daughter. Funny how we don’t recognize the patterns we fall into until they’re pointed out to us, at which point they can no longer be ignored. That’s the beauty of experience and the effect it can have on our perspective.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all small stuff is another one that Graham took an immediate (and somewhat surprising) liking to. I’m pretty sure he was four or five years old when he started asking me to read it to him. We’d read a few pages per night, which was easy to do since each chapter is only three or four pages long. I think we made it through about half the book. Maybe we’ll pick up the second half when he gets into junior high or high school. As most of us can attest, there’s plenty of small stuff not worth sweating over to discuss during those years, assuming he’ll still let me read to him by then. We’ll see.
If I had to guess, I’d say we have at least two-thirds of the Dr. Seuss books in our house. Some of my earliest memories of reading to Graham and Penelope involve these books, whose quirky characters, colorful illustrations, and simple to complex rhyming sequences have kept our kids entertained from infancy through early childhood. I smile remembering the way they’d sit with me in the recliner, nestled against my arm and hip while we’d take turns imitating the animal sounds from Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Some books read like a song, with catchy rhythms that are easy to pick up. Dr. Seuss’s ABC, The Foot Book, and of course, The Eye Book. Other favorites include: Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, and Oh, the Places You’ll Go! (thanks, Mom!). Classics like these were part of my childhood just as they’ve been part of my kids’. They’ve entertained generations of readers for over 60 years, and it’s easy to understand why.
Both of our kids went through phases when the Elephant and Piggy books, as well as the Pigeon book series were part of our daily reading routines. We Are in a Book! There is a Bird on Your Head! I Love My New Toy! A Big Guy Took My Ball! The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! We read them so much to Penelope that she could look at the pictures and recite most of the words by the time she was two years old. We have videos of her turning the pages, one by one, and belting out the story by memory in her little toddler voice. These memories are heartwarming for me to think back on. The characters of these books are innocent and endearing, much like kids themselves, which is probably why most adults enjoy reading them just as much as their children do.
When it comes to our family’s history with the I-Spy books, the draw has always been about one thing and one thing only: treasure hunting. Specifically, finding Seymour, or as our kids have always referred to him as: the “Little Man.” I can only imagine the number of hours we’ve spent looking for the “Little Man.” He’s easy to spot in some books, more challenging in others, and downright impossible in a few. The kids are far better at finding him than I am now, though there are still some pages in the series that we know he should be hiding on, yet we still don’t see him. Fun, but so frustrating.
Nursery Rhymes from Mother Goose, illustrated by Scott Gustafson is another book that for years seemed like a daily read. The familiar rhymes and intricate illustrations brought back memories from my childhood, and kept our kids entertained at home, on car rides, and overnight trips to the grandparents’ houses. “Humpty Dumpty.” “The Queen of Hearts.” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” “Sing a Song of Six Pence.” I have vivid memories of 1-year-old Penelope gently peeling my sleep-deprived eyelids open as I struggled to stay awake and read the book to her. This is also the book she learned to (not so subtly) elbow me in the stomach over while, again, my voice would slur and I’d be nodding off in between verses.
What is it that draws kids into books with animal characters? Scooby-Doo. Biscuit. The Berenstain Bears. Pete the Cat. Little Quack. Duck & Goose. Skippyjon Jones. These animal-themed books have always maintained a strong presence in our kids’ book landscapes. They’ve also led to an infinite number of imaginative-play games at the park, particularly for Penelope, whose desire to act out dog and cat adventures makes me feel like I’m catching glimpses of her own future stories in the earliest stages of their development.
I can sum up the value of Sandra Boynton’s board books quite simply: they taught our kids how to read. Barnyard Dance! The Going to Bed Book. Moo, Baa, La La La! Blue Hat, Green Hat! Whenever I think of these books, I hear myself reading the words and then pausing to let one of our kids finish the sentence. The formula for young readers is simple: memorize the rhyme, associate the spoken words with the colorful pictures, follow along on the page while we go, recite the story. The books are also durable. They can be chewed on, banged against, dropped from up high, and thrown across the floor, making them both entertaining and practically indestructible.
I’ve always found it helpful to know at least a couple of bedtime books by heart. Goodnight Moon and How Do I Love You? were the two books I’d generally read to our kids right before tuck in. The kids had the books memorized just the same as I did, so we didn’t necessarily need them with us to maintain the bedtime routine. Overnight trips. Impromptu midday naps. Rough stretches of overtiredness in the car and at family events. These two books served as calming mechanisms for our entire family, and provided us the saving grace we needed when desperate situations called for desperate measures.
Disney characters. Pixar stories. Sesame Street. Peanuts. Amelia Bedelia. Junie B. Jones. Fudge. Batman. Wonder Woman. Paw Patrol. Percy Jackson. From bookcases to book drawers and book bags, there are far too many books in this house to keep track of. Another long post, but hopefully you’ve enjoyed it. If I’ve stirred up any memories of the times you’ve spent reading with your own families, then mission accomplished! My greater purpose for listing these authors and books isn’t to humble-brag about all of the reading I’ve done with my kids. These are my memories, plain and simple, and the feelings I get when I reflect on them are a big part of what inspires me to keep on with my book-writing project. When I think about my experiences with reading to my kids, I’m reminded that while the road is long, each step also means something, and that our legacies are defined by the journey and not the endpoint.
Take care, everyone!
- Todd
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