One of the greatest gifts parents and teachers can give children is the love of reading.
When children are able to read, they can explore new worlds, ideas and experiences. Unlike fast-paced video games, reading gives children the nuances of life. Sometimes this is swift, but at other times life moves more languidly. Reading increases children’s attention spans and develops critical thinking skills.
There are two basic types of reading; 1) there is decoding, which turns the letters into words, and 2) there is reading for understanding and enrichment. The first type of reading is of the utmost importance because it is the foundation of being able to read. Decoding is also easier to quantify on standardized tests, while the second type of reading is much more difficult to assess.
How do you judge the value of children being "lost in a book?" A life-long love of reading is rarely cultivated through decoding alone, and can only be fostered through the second type of reading.
This wonderful picture book by Brian Lies shows the importance of ideas and reading and is entitled "Bats in the Library."
It is a warm summer night and the bats have eaten and flown about the night sky. But all of this normal nocturnal activity has left them bored. Suddenly, the happy news arrives at the bat colony that the library window has been left open. Usually, the librarian leaves the window open once a summer for the bats to savor new and old books, and to teach the young bats the joy of reading.
Quickly, scores of eager bats rush towards this feast of books, maps and magazines. Zooming through the open window, the old bats go to the shelves holding their classical favorites. The young bats go up and down the shelves looking at all the marvelous books about unknown and exotic places.
The older bats put on their glasses and begin teaching the younger bats how to read and to enjoy the stories. Soon the adult bats are holding story hour for the baby bats. The little bats may have a hard time understanding everything since they are hanging upside down, but everyone is having a glorious time.
The distant voices of the books pull all the bats into the novels. The young bats seem to especially enjoy "Goodnight Sun," a bat rendition of the children’s classic. Unfortunately, the night quickly passes by and the bats know that they must soon leave the library.
When do the bats leave? Why did the baby bats so enjoy their first trip to the library?
When did you begin your library adventures? Do you have a favorite memory of that experience? Most adults have dozens of such happy memories. What reading memories have the adult bats so lovingly created for the baby bats?
To find out, go to the library and checkout this delightfully humorous story, "Bats at the Library" by Brian Lies.
This title is on the Golden Sower List for the children of Nebraska for the 2010-11 school year. You will simply love reading this book to your children. The pictures of the bats reading in the library are funny and endearing. Their love of reading and the desire to share this superb gift is evident throughout the book.
I highly encourage you to go to the library and check out this wonderful title. You will laugh as much as your children. Enjoy!
