by the National Center for Family Literacy

From an ordinary housecat to creatures in the deep blue sea, from the wonders that today holds to the magic of a winter’s night, the 20 poems and stories that make up the 13th edition of Say Goodnight to Illiteracy promise a myriad of adventures for the young and the young at heart.

This collection from up-and-coming children’s authors offers whimsical tales ripe for reading aloud.  Children and parents alike will delight in the adventures of Harvey Herkimer Snirkfoozle, who feels a powerful sneeze coming on; Isabelle Winkle, who is determined to swing just as high as she possibly can; and Phineas, a little boy who has trouble staying awake—except when it’s his bedtime.

Each poem and story is just the right length to share with a young person in the morning before school, during a car ride, and certainly before going to sleep.  There are plenty of opportunities to engage children, especially preschoolers through second grade, in the rhythm and rhymes of language.

Here are eight easy ways to make reading this book with your child a memorable learning experience.

1. When you read a rhyming poem aloud, pause at the end of a line and let your child complete the rhyme.  This builds listening skills and lets your child get the “feel” for language.  This will work great with poems like “Achoo! In the Deep Blue Sea.”
2. Just like filling in rhyming words, pause when you come to repeated phrases for your child to fill in, in stories like “Grandpa’s Favorite Place” and “It Didn’t Stop There.”
3. Many of the poems and stories might inspire your child to draw her own interpretation. In “Ask Yourself a Question,” the author asks “Are the sunsets made of sherbet?”  Ask your child to draw a sherbet sunset.
4. Relate the stories and poems you read together to your child’s own experiences.  For example, when reading “Frequent Flyer,” ask your child if he remembers when you took an airplane ride together.  Or when reading “Animal Coat Catastrophe,” ask him if he has ever seen the animals mentioned in the story.
5. Read the title of the poem or story first, and ask your child what she thinks it’s going to be about, based on the title.  “This poem is called ‘Little Green Tree Frogs.’  What do you think it will be about?”  After you read it together, ask your child if her predictions came true.
6. Two of the poems, “Grandpa Pete and Me” and “My Adventures,” make references to other well-known children’s stories.  Can your child guess what they are?  Have you read those stories together?
7. Make the poem or story come alive by adding your own sound effects.  “Seasons of Fun” lends itself to this kind of reading, with words like “crunchy” and “pitter-patter.”  Not only does this add another layer of fun to reading aloud, it helps your child hear the different sounds of language.
8. Encourage your child to make up stories of his own.  “When I Grow Up” is a perfect launching pad for your child to spread his creative wings.

The most important part of reading together is the special bond you and your child form.  The stories and poems in Say Goodnight to Illiteracy will help you foster that bond and instill an early love of reading.

The 13th edition of Say Goodnight to Illiteracy will go on sale Oct. 8 at Half Price Books. This year’s proceeds will benefit the National Center for Family Literacy, which is headquartered in Louisville. To find a Half Price Books near you, visit www.halfpricebooks.com.