Category Archives: Books

How To Turn Your Child Into An Avid Reader With These Tips

mother reading with her child, kids, books

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

It’s no secret that reading is good for children, but getting your kid excited about spending time with their nose in a book can be challenging. However, with a few simple tricks, you can turn the idea of reading—and spending time together as a family—into something they’ll look forward to every day. Here are a few tips on how to turn your child into an avid reader:

Read to them every day.

Reading aloud should become part of your daily routine so that it becomes something typical and expected—like brushing your teeth before bedtime. Reading aloud shouldn’t feel like work; instead, it should be relaxing and enjoyable for you and your child.

Make books accessible and enjoyable.

You should consider when choosing where to put books is whether or not they are easily visible to your child. For example, if you only have one bookcase in your living room, but it’s located on a wall opposite where your kid usually sits while watching TV, they may be less likely to see the books and choose them over electronic tablets or video games.

A better option would be putting several small shelves near where your kid regularly spends time (like their bedside table). It’s also helpful if these shelves can be moved around so that if one spot doesn’t work for whatever reason (too crowded with toys), there are other places nearby where they can go next time!

Use the library often.

Libraries are fantastic resources, and they’re free! In addition to all the books you could want, there are movies and audiobooks. Libraries also have computers for kids to use in the library or at home. There are programs for all ages so no one will be left out.

Have dedicated reading time every day.

Make reading a priority and make it fun. This means setting aside time for your child to read every day, even if it’s just 10 minutes. It also means putting the book away when they finish reading so they can relax or take a nap or play with friends after they finish reading.

You want to ensure that your child connects reading with relaxation and fun, not work or stress. If this is how they see it now, then you’re doing something right! Use this opportunity to talk about how much you enjoy spending time together, whether it’s by talking about a story or just sitting quietly together on the couch while enjoying each other’s company while one of them reads aloud from our favorite book.

Check out audiobooks together.

There are tons of audiobooks for kids out there, and some of them even have downloadable versions. If your child is not keen on reading but loves listening to someone else read (like many kids do), this can be a great way to get them started. Even if they don’t enjoy the book, listening might make it easier for them to stay engaged in the story and see what the fuss is about.

This also allows you to bond over something that interests both of you—plus, audiobooks are great for bonding time!

A Beloved Old African and Caribbean Children’s Character Brought Back to Life

Adventures of Anansi and Sewa: Rainy Day is an adventure story for children written by Bunmi Oyinsan and illustrated by Natalia Cano. Anansi and Sewa Spider wanted to go outside and play. It was school vacation, and what better way to spend it than playing outdoors? Unfortunately, it was also a rainy day complete with thunder and lightning. What could the two young spider siblings do while they waited for it to stop raining? Anansi and Sewa looked in each room of the house, but nothing was nearly as much fun as playing outdoors. They finally decided to ask their dad if they could go outside and play in the rain. Daddy Spider said no and suggested a board game, painting, or a game of hide and seek. He offered to make them a fun lunch. Suddenly, Anansi noticed that it had stopped raining, and the clouds seemed to be going away. He wanted to go out and tried to get Sewa to go out with him — but had it really stopped raining?

Bunmi Oyinsan’s Adventures of Anansi and Sewa offers young readers an all-too-familiar scenario. School vacations are made for going outdoors and having fun, but what can you do when it’s raining? Daddy Spider has some good ideas, but sometimes going out is the only solution. What do you do then? Oyinsan’s story is a gentle reminder that sometimes going out and getting wet can be a lot of fun too, no matter how young or old you may be. This story is a grand selection for storytime and can lead to discussions of what to do on a rainy days. I also loved seeing Anansi Spider, who is a legendary folk hero in many cultures, as a young child and appreciated how spiders, which are frightening to many children, become just a bit less intimidating through exposure to them in this tale. Adventures of Anansi and Sewa is also written in a manner that makes it an excellent primer for young readers to try on their own. They’ll enjoy the bright and cheerful illustrations of artist Natalia Cano, whose panels make Anansi and Sewa come to life brilliantly. Adventures of Anansi and Sewa: Rainy Day is most highly recommended. https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/adventures-of-anansi-and-sewa

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Bunmi Oyinsan has an MA from Saint Mary’s University, Halifax Nova Scotia and a PhD from York University, Canada. She has published novels in addition to several short stories in anthologies and literary journals. She has also published for young readers, including the “Legends of Africa Series” and “Fabulous Four” which was used to teach literature at the junior secondary levels in some Nigerian states. She served as the chairperson of the Association of Nigeria Authors and is the editor of a collection of short stories for the Association titled “Trembling Leaves”. Some of her works for Television include: dramas series such as ‘Owuro Lojo’, ‘Aditulaye’ and ‘We the People’ “The Golden Cage etc. She was also a regular contributor to “The Third Eye” a detective series on NTA network. Her work in the non-profit sector covered economic empowerment, capacity building, advocacy for children’s rights and women’s empowerment. She has also written stage and radio plays, written. She is a co-founder of 2 low cost schools: Lekki Peninsula College and Lekki Peninsula Nursery and Primary School which provide quality affordable education in Nigeria.

“The Little Regenerative Farmer”: A Children’s Book About Farming

Lina visits a petting zoo with her family and tells her parents she wants to start a farm. They tell her it’s a lot of work, but she persists and gets her own chickens and starts a garden. She encounters obstacles like nosey neighbors and harsh weather. But eventually, she wins everyone over and her farm grows under her love, and she achieves her dream of a bountiful farm that feeds her family and community.

Lina uses Regenerative Agriculture techniques which is a new emerging trend of how to farm in a way that is beneficial for the planet. We hear so many stories demonizing beef production but very few people know, it’s the method that’s actually the problem! Using Regenerative Ag techniques, we can sequester carbon from the atmosphere and increase food nutrition along with millions of other benefits.

Farmers like Lina face many obstacles. With this book, I hope to encourage other passionate people who may be considering committing to life as a farmer to not let others’ opinions keep them from doing something that is so important to humanity and the environment. It truly is a book that can motivate any aspiring regenerative farmers and all children who have big dreams.

If you’d like to see some more info about the book, please visit the website here.