Bookfest in Bed

It's been a long time since I've shared some of our favorite books that Amelia and I have been reading. We try to read nightly and have so many books that we love. It makes me smile that Amelia is getting old enough to understand the more humorous books. She laughs so hard that she sometimes cries... and that makes my heart happy. I really recommend you check out these amazing reads and share them with your kids.

Dream Animals is such a cute little book. Amelia and I read it almost every single night. It's not a long story, or one with a complex story line, but we just love it. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is whimsical. I was excited when I learned this author is located in Portland, Oregon (local for us). Emily Winfield Martin has two other children's stories and I am eager to purchase those as well. I'm sure they will also be added to our list of regular reads.

When I saw this book in the clearance bin at JoAnn's I had to buy it. I mean, it has such a cute cover and was only $1.50. I was surprised at how sweet this story is. It's about an elderly woman who acts as a grandma figure to all of the neighborhood children. It has a unique ending that the kids will enjoy, but parents will understand the deeper meaning and maybe shed a tear.

Fancy Nancy stories are both cute and funny. Amelia has had Fancy Nancy books since she was born, but only recently became interested in them. Erica bought her a set of them that we read often. Definitely full of girly fun!

This book is just plain silly! If your child enjoys funny books, then I definitely recommend this one. There is a whole series of them, but this is the one we've read the most. Amelia enjoys it.

We've been venturing into some really big books with complex story lines. Amelia's class walks to the public library every week and the kids all get to check out books. I love that they are learning how to use the public library, and the selections she makes always surprise me. She usually chooses one or two children's stories (such as the ones I've shared) and then she chooses books that are more documentary style that I could see older children checking out. We've read all about historic horses, a man's journey into the wild to study wolves (National Geographic) and many more highly educational books. I really think it's important to encourage a child's love of reading from really early on.

What are some of your favorite children's books that you've recently read?

What are some books from your own childhood that you enjoyed?