Book of the Month

When my oldest daughter was learning to read she hit a roadblock. Phonics had become tedious and dull and she lost all love for books.

That's when I discovered "Honey for a Child's Heart" by Gladys Hunt. The first portion is this book was a very inspiring read for me. Ms. Hunt explains the value of really good literature in a child's upbringing. It reminded me of the value of good literature - not just for fun and entertainment, but to develop character and to soften and warm the heart. I'm not talking about mushy stories, or stories that jam moral lessons down your throat, but really good, enriching stories.

The second part of the book is filled withe lists and lists of wonderful children's books. The lists are categorized by age-appropriateness and by topic.

Our reading program was revolutionized. We gave up phonics (temporarily) and headed for the library. I was armed with the lists from this book and we just started to read. I read to her and she read to me. My daughter (and I) fell in love with reading beautiful children's literature. And now at 9 she adores books. In fact, as I type this she is sitting a few feet away reading.

The other day my six-year-old told me that she doesn't particularly care for books. She too is struggling with the tedium of phonics. So, it's time to pull 'Honey' out again. I hope I kept my old library lists!