The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

Author:Sarah Mackenzie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zondervan
Published: 2018-03-01T05:00:00+00:00

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A book that fails to leave the reader with hope has neglected its most important role: to help the reader see the world afresh.

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BOOKLISTS ARE TRAINING WHEELS

That day in the library, I sat with Audrey on a low plastic chair, reading through a stack of board books someone had left on the kid-sized table. They were boring—not worth bringing home—so I hoisted Audrey onto my hip and headed back to our car empty-handed. I knew what I needed. I needed that booklist at the back of The Read-Aloud Handbook.

As you set out to become your family’s literary matchmaker, booklists are your training wheels. They are invaluable to the parent who is learning how to put good books into the hands of her children—to spur a love of reading and fill a home with the best books that can be found. Think of a good booklist as a sturdy set of training wheels. It’ll help you ride successfully before you can do it on your own. It’ll become a trusted companion to steer you in the right direction.

In the third part of this book, you’ll find a booklist that I hope will become a trusted companion on your own read-aloud journey. I’ve read every single book on the list, many of them out loud. But you’ll also find wonderful recommendations in books like Honey for a Child’s Heart and Give Your Child the World—books where the authors have done the hard work of pre-reading, thinking through, sorting, categorizing, and eventually recommending.

A good booklist is my love language, and if you’re ready for a more nuanced list than the one included here, you can find a collection of all my booklists at ReadAloudRevival.com.

Booklists, of course, are always created by a person with unique literary taste, and you don’t want to supplant your own opinions and tastes for a booklist, no matter how reputable it might be. Use booklists as your training wheels, but once you’ve acquired enough speed and ability to ride on your own, you can rely on your God-given intuition and the 3 Question Test (up next) to decide which books should make it onto your own family’s unique list of favorites.

No booklist can be the be-all and end-all, because just as the members of your family are singular and unique, so will your book choices be. Your list should reflect the beautiful quirks, likes, and dislikes of the people in your family.

HOW TO CHOOSE BOOKS WITHOUT A BOOKLIST: THE 3 QUESTION TEST

What if you don’t have a booklist handy? Or what if you are trying to decide on a book you haven’t seen on any trusted booklist? What to do then?

It’s easy to conduct the 3 Question Test. First, flip open the book to the first few pages and read (you’ll need to make use of the sample if you’re perusing online). Read a few paragraphs (or a few pages if it’s a picture book). Now skip to further inside the book—maybe one third or halfway through—and read a few more paragraphs or pages.

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