Maggie Forevermore

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Maggie Forevermore

Written by: Joan Lowery Nixon

First line: Maggie Ledoux sat cross-legged below the Christmas tree and cradled a shimmering, hand-painted glass ornament.

Why you should read this book: Maggie's all set for to spend the best Christmas ever with her grandmother and her best friend, when her father, a Hollywood filmmaker, whisks her off to Malibu, very much against her will, to get to know her new stepmother, Kiki, a young starlet who's closer to Maggie's age than to her dad's. Now she's all set for the worst Christmas ever, except Kiki is actually pretty cool, and Maggie makes fast friends with a few child actors, and she's even got a new project: catching the horrible scam artist who's stolen her new friend's money pretending to be an agent. This book seems to be the third in a series about Maggie, but I've never seen the first two books.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Sort of a frothy, lightweight, 80s-style kids' pulp; probably not the author's best work.

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Studies show that children who regularly hear books read and see adults reading books have an easier time learning to read. If your children do not realize that books are fun and contain interesting ideas, they will be less motivated to learn how to read and write. Children who do not learn to read and write have difficulty succeeding in school and at life.

Even infants can enjoy books. You can check baby board books out of the library. Your baby will enjoy sitting on your lap as you read the words and point to the brightly colored pictures. If your baby wants to chew on the book, that's OK too.

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You can learn more about children's books at the American Library Association website. Your public library is a great place to introduce your children to books. They will have special programs and incentives for kids of all ages to love reading. In most systems children are entitled to their own library cards from the time they are old enough to write their own names. It's a great way to teach responsibility as well as foster a lifelong love of learning and books.

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Dragon's Library

Wednesday, December 26, 2012