A Great Book Is One You Make Yourself

November 06, 2008

Perhaps the best way to entice your child to be a reader is to enlist his help as an author. 

Giving even the littlest preschoolers a journal for their to record their scribbles in gives them a way to see themselves as writers.  And as with so many things, they aren't in the least bit bothered when their parents can't understand their marks -- they can decipher them just fine! 

And beyond journals, ways to publish your child's ideas abound.  Here are some of our favorites:

Consider making a photo memory book with Blurb to record a cherished celebration or outing.  Let your child give you the captions for the pictures, and put them in quotes to remind yourself of her inimitable voice at this age.

Help your child teach himself the ABCs by making his own book over the course of a week or so with this clever Savvy activity. 

Looking ahead to the avalanche of holiday cards soon to tumble out of your mailbox, hole punch the corner of the cards you get and loop them onto a 10-cent large key ring from the hardware store.  You've just made a book of friends and family, filled with well wishes. 

Celebrate the routine of little lives, complete with the corporate messages that come along with.  We have visions of our children learning to recognize letters from adored classics on the library shelves; the truth is, they often "read" the grocery store logo first.  Accept the reality of their lives by making a book about it with this Savvy activity. 

Gather your family's favorite foods into a gorgeous recipe book by Tastebook.  These amazingly easy, amazingly gorgeous books will truly celebrate your family's feasts.

Make your life an open book by making objects in your home the "pages" of this word book in a clever, teacher-proven Savvy activity.

If you are careful at keeping a one sentence journal like our musethe Happiness Project, or if you've got another stash of stories or reflections to share, splurge on a beautifully (self-)published Lulu Gretchen Rubin of book. 

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Check out these wonderful ideas from our city editors:  a photo art book from our editor in Washington DC and an ABC book from our editor in Cleveland.  Enjoy! 

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