The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb

Sunday, January 6, 2013

The Lamp from the Warlock's Tomb

Written by: John Bellairs

First line: "Hey, Miss Eells!"

Why you should read this book: Enter into a quaint universe where a socially awkward teenage boy can be best friends with an elderly female librarian, stumble blithely into occult mysteries, and narrowly avert the return to earth of an ancient and omnipotent evil employing nothing more than a stainless steel hand catapult and two ball bearings. Anthony Monday may occasionally find himself tongue-tied or otherwise shaking in his boots, but he can't bear to miss out on an adventure, and his klutzy companion, Miss Eells, had a wonderful knack for blundering into them. A creepy spirit attached to a creepy antique oil lamp figure prominently in this supernatural mystery for young readers.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Probably no point in speaking ill of a perennial favorite, but do people really talk or act this way? A lot of this story makes no sense to me.

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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

Sunday, January 6, 2013