Readers of the Roundtable Choice for April

Last night the Readers of the Roundtable chose Redwall by Brian Jacques as our book to discuss at our meeting on Tuesday March 21, 2006 at 6:30 at the Pinckney Library. If you need a copy of this book so that you can join the discussion please contact the library at 734-878-3888 or go to MelCat to request a copy, all you need is a Pinckney Library card.

The Readers of the Roundtable is a book discussion group for ages 9 and up. We meet at the Pinckney Library on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Each month the group decides what book they are going to read for the following month based on a list of four choices. When we meet in March we will choose the book for April from the following list of titles:

1. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
2. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
4. Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff

These titles are chosen by the Librarian based on the recommendations from the group who attends the discussion. If you have a title you would like to discuss please feel free to attend our monthly meetings. Registration is not required.

Guys Read Web Site

Boys need to read for pleasure! We all know this. Guys Read is a great web site with lots of suggested reading for boys of all ages. Check it out and get reading! ~Sara

Readers of the Roundtable Book Choices for March

On Tuesday February 21st the Readers of the Roundtable will be meeting to discuss the book Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. I have not finished reading Hoot yet, but it has me very involved! I can't wait to continue reading it and find out more about Mullet Fingers and Roy. Want to know who Mullet Fingers is? Read Hoot and join our discussion group!

At the book discussion on Feb. 21st the kids who attend will decide what we will be reading for the month of March. They will be choosing one of the titles from the following four:

1. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
2. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
3. Redwall by Brian Jacques
4. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Join our group and help us decide what we will be reading next! And, of course, there is always snacks and a fun book related trivia game at each discussion! ~Sara

Family Reading Night

Do you have a weekly or monthly family game night? How about family movie night? How about family reading night?

We all know about the importance of reading to our babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. In elementary school children and parents are encouraged to read to each other at least 30 minutes every day. Reading together forms a bond. Nothing is more comfortating then curling up together to share a story. Do you know it is equally important to read to readers? As our children grow up we enjoy hearing them learn how to read on their own. As they start to read by themselves we slowly and naturally cease to read to them. They want their independence and we want to provide it to them. However, we need to keep reading to them even as they become middle schoolers and high schoolers. Family reading time - out loud - is important to everyone. Family reading continues a bond that you worked to form early on. It provides great discussion topics with your teenager on lots of various topics. Research shows that reading to teens boosts their reading comprehension, increases their vocabularies, and helps them become better writers. In fact, students who are read to are more motivated to read themselves—increasing the likelihood that they will one day become independent, lifelong readers.

Choose books you enjoy currently or when you were a teen. Kids know when you are faking it you need to choose something you sincerly enjoy reading! Start small, just try a short story from a story collection, or a poem and move on from there. Start by just reading 15-20 minutes and if everyone is enjoying the story then keep going or stop for the night so everyone can go back to doing their own activities and pick it up again at a later time. Try reading books that have movies associated with them so that you can read the book out loud as a family and then watch the movie together.

Everyone loves to be read to - try listening to a good audio book next time you have a long trip, you may be surprised how much fun it is (even as an adult). Just remember it is always important to read to your children, no matter how old they are!