BOOK Kids

Geof (6 yrs old) reads a book to Julia (1 yr old) in 2006

Parents would always complain that kids now are too distracted - and indeed, there are quite a number of gadgets to pass the time -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, PSP, Nintendo DS, I-pad... and these are over and above the ever reliable idiot box called TV. I would hear Moms complaining that their kids can't even sit still to read.

Modesty aside (and i mean, aside :-) my husband and I don't have that kind of problem. In fact, our problem is how to make our kids prolong the reading of their books. Of course, they are also into Nintendo, and the I-Pod, and the Facebook, and other techie stuff, but they equally enjoy a good read. Geof, my 11 year-old, on the average, reads a 350-page book (average pocketbook size) in 2 to 3 days (i.e., during school days; but he can finish a book of the same length in 1.5 days if there's no school). Sometimes, I would even appeal that he slows down in his reading so that a book would last for at least a week. Julia, my 6 year-old, is also "competing" with her Kuya in terms of the amount of books she 'churns' out.

Some of the books that Geof have finished and would like to recommend to kids 10 to 12 years old are (my husband and I occasionally read also some of these books, so we know these books are good):

- The Percy Jackson series (5 books)

- The Mysterious Benedict Society (3 books)

- The 39 Clues series (11 books)

- Harry Potter (7 books) - all borrowed from the DLSU library

- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (5 books, thus far)

- The Kane Chronicles (2 books - The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire)

- The Heroes of Olympus (sequel of the Percy Jackson books; 1st in the series)

- The Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch (4 books)

- Diary of a Wimpy Vampire

- Middle School the Worst Years of my life

- The Artemis Fowl series (7 books)

- Big Nate series (4 books)

- N.E.R.D.S. (2 books)

- The Gods of Manhattan (still reading)

- The Emerald Atlas (in the pipeline)

Julia, on the other hand, recommends these books (to kids 5 to 7 years old):

- The Ivy and Bean series

- Geronimo Stilton series (Geof's favorite books when he was a little kid)

- Thea Stilton series

- Rainbow Magic series

- The Pony Crazed Princess series

- The Magic School Bus series.

While I am seriously thinking of getting (esp. Geof) an e-book, I still enjoy seeing him nestled in the sofa with his feet up, a book in his face, and oblivious to the world. For Julia, on the other hand, book reading is part of her 'sacred' routine with her dad. As soon as they enter the room (she still sleeps in our room, but using her own bed), she'd lie down with Andy and read her book, while her dad reads his Kindle. And this routine for her is inviolable - she won't sleep (or would be all grumpy) if she doesn't get to read even just a page or 2.

So I have true-and-blue book worms in the house. And I enjoy it to the hilt since when everyone's reading, the house is all peace and quiet, just as I like it so I can get down and read mine.

(The only caveat is - you guessed it - books are among the major household expense and space users ..... our bookshelves are all full ... but unlike the other expenses, I am blissfully enjoying spending those bucks for this "indulgence" ;-)

Geof & Dad: Booklovers? Bookworms!