I grew up in a house of books. My mom loves books and my grandparents were always reading books, so while I wasn’t an early reader, books have always been a part of my life. I’d like to take these four 5th Tuesdays of 2023 to share some of my favorite reading memories with you all.

Some of my fondest reading memories are reading books to kids. I don’t even mind reading the same ones over and over and over. At least most of the time.

I am older than all the cousins on my mom’s side and when we’d get together I remember reading to the younger ones.

And I remember reading to little friends when I was still young myself.

Reading also takes place in the nursery at church. I can “read” (okay, I usually just quote it) We’re Going on a Bear Hunt while watching what else is going on. And Brown Bear, Brown Bear is another favorite.

But I will admit that there is nothing quite like reading books to your own nieces and nephews. I started reading to my first niece when she was really little. Any time we’d go over to babysit I’d bring some books. She loved train books, so we read a lot of those over and over. And now, seventeen years later, I’m reading the same books (and new ones) to her youngest sister. Goosey (my nickname for her) loves trains just as much as her big sissy did. But Goosey also adores any book that has a daddy in it. And if it has the daddy with his daughter it’s even better. One of her favorites is Working Hard with the Rescue Helicopter because at the end the daddy goes home to celebrate his daughter’s birthday.

So many stories. Introducing a younger generation to books is so wonderful. And reading the same books over and over again may feel tiring but they love it, and you never know when you’ll find them sitting with the book and “reading” it to themselves. My 10-y-o nephew can still quote We’re Going on a Bear Hunt since that was his favorite book. And we can almost all quote Train Coming.
(Little fun note: Train Coming was one of my brother’s favorite books when he was little and now it’s been the favorite of his oldest and youngest.)

If you have little ones in your life, your own kids, friend’s kids, nieces or nephews, or just children you babysit for, take time to read to them! Be willing to read the same books over and over. And introduce them to new books. Investing time over books can build memories that will last a lifetime!

Do you read to any younger ones? Do you get tired of reading the same ones over and over? Did you have any favorite books when you were little?