kids and reading

articles

• Inspiring reluctant little readers
• Book Review: My Copan Adventure by Eugene Ruble
• Review of iPad eBooks for kids
• Choosing books for your kids
• What does ‘reading’ mean in the e-age?
• Why do some children struggle with reading?
• Jock of the Bushveld soon in 3D and as theatre
• Getting kids enthusiastic about reading
• Finding time to share reading with your child
• The wonderful world of books – one child’s journey
• Lets make a list of great kids books
• Loving books with kids

by Corinne Lamoral, a freelance writer and editor living with her husband and three children on a beautiful koppie in Johannesburg. Her ingenious idea of the day is Eau de New Book. She would wear it everyday.

Being a bookworm I was bewildered when I had not one but two children who didn’t seem to love reading.  They loved being read to, and could read well, but choosing a book over running outside, playing with lego or watching TV? Not so much.

Research shows that well-read children have an improved vocabulary and general knowledge, are more world-aware, have more empathy, and are better overall students.   I also think reading is a life tool – you’ll never be lonely or bored with a book in your hand.

So I persevered. I brought lots of books – many second hand – so it didn’t matter too much if they didn’t love them. We visited the local library and I tried not to moan when books were returned half read.  I tried different genres – from horsey to sci-fi and friendship dramas. When they yelled ‘I’m bored’, I yelled back – ‘read a book!’

And then came the breakthrough – one December holiday my eldest daughter, then 10, watched her older cousins sit and devour books like little book vampires.

My daughter was intrigued and left out – so she started to read.  Snuck in a corner on the couch she finished her first book and quietly began the next, then the next, and then the next… She was hooked.

Now my 8 year old has found her way to books too, and I’m in luck with the third, because he’s a born bookworm just like me – and we are finally becoming a book reading family!

10 Reading Tips

Gill Haggis, a former teacher and founder of Imaginate  where stories are springboards for creative art and craft adventures, has these essential tips to nudge your children’s reading habits:

1. Create opportunities by surrounding them with books and reading to them often, from birth.

2. Make a book corner in your home where they can curl up and read.

3. Lead by example. Let your children see you and your partner reading.

4. Encourage them to try lots of different books to find the stories and authors they love.

5. Create a story language in your family by referring to books and their lessons.  For example, be brave and clever like the mouse in The Gruffalo.

6.In the beginning encourage reading of anything and everything – from road signs and DVD captions to the backs of cereal boxes and cook book recipes.

7. Buy books and book vouchers as presents.

8. Buy audio books for struggling readers and expose them to the magic of stories.

9. Create a children’s book club so they can swop and try different books.

10. Relax.  Make reading happy, not a chore and don’t give up on them!

Click here to find a list of places that sell books, magazines and audiobooks for kids on Jozikids

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Reviewer: Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author siteand find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

Genre: Adventure/Historical

Reading Level: 7-12

Paperback: 20 pages

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing

ISBN: 9781616331986

Rating: 4 four stars 

Available from Kalahari

Twelve-year-old James Questor accompanies his father, a Harvard professor, to the Copan Valley, Central America where the professor is investigating the ancient ruins of the city of Copan. Not only is this an adventure for the curious boy, brimful of questions, but it’s also a way of stepping back in time and learning about the ancient Mayan culture that disappeared inexplicably. Experts have proposed a variety of theories: was it war, famine, overbuilding, the lack of water? No one knows, but for James, this is an opportunity to study history up close by exploring the ruins and examining the remains of frescoes, artifacts, and hieroglyphics. Filling in as his father’s assistant is a great way of digging into the past. James is fascinated by what they find on their expedition: not only ruins, but also the remains of huge pyramids, and tall stone slabs called stelae, covered in ancient Mayan writing. Through his questions, James learns about the magnificent Mayan culture that stretched from southern Mexico to northern Honduras.

This is a wonderful book for curious and adventurous kids, eager to learn through having fun. James uses maps to trace their journey, and the beautifully detailed illustrations and maps are a visual feast. The author is a gifted artist and his images are simply wonderful. Just studying the illustrations will teach a keen young reader so much. This is the kind of book that makes learning fun and which young readers will want to treasure.

by Melanie Minnaar, mom to ‘archangels’, Michael and Gabriel, Managing Director of  Halo – a full service advertising agency, founder of SA Twitter Blanket Drive ( #TBDZA). If she wasn’t in marketing she would be an activist for meaningful change and worthy causes. You can follow her on twitter

My iPad is a serious, non-salaried team member of my workforce which I would like to be taken seriously in the workplace. However, I must confess that the lure and attraction of the thousands of Children’s apps available was too great a temptation – and now too ingrained in our family time.  In addition to anything-Dr. Seuss which now lives comfortably on my device, these are my Top 5 iPad story apps for children:

NUMBERLYS

Numberlys is an interactive story app from Moonbot Studios which tells the story of the world where only numbers exist. That is until a group of friends decide that there has to be more out there and through trial and error they inadvertently create the alphabet.  This is a favorite with both my 2yr old and 7yr old who can both, for a change, jointly participate in an app.  The interactive parts are all centered around creating new letters in various fun ways.

Available from the Apple App Store.

NIGHTY NIGHT!

This interactive bedtime story app has proved to be such a hit with my 2 year old. Surprisingly, the interactivity doesn’t seem to overstimulate him before bedtime but actually calms him down ready for sleep.  It is a very simple story of a farmhouse where the lights need to be turned off in each of the rooms by your child so that the animals can go to sleep. The animation is beautiful and engaging.

Available from the Apple App Store.

CARS 2 WORLD GRAND PRIX READ & RACE

I don’t believe there are any little boys who don’t love the Cars movie franchise… This book allows your child to role play as they read by creating their own racing cars which then get to race against Lightning McQueen and Francesco when the story is finished.  The quality is as you have come to know from Disney/Pixar and there is 3D race car customization.

Suitable for ages 4-7.

Available from the Apple App Store.

POOH’S BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

This is a wonderful Disney Learning interactive storybook best suited for 3-5 year olds.  As your child follows the word-by-word narration they are invited to join in the birthday party planning with all the beloved characters from the Hundred-Acre Wood.

My 2 year old is fascinated by the the puzzles and problem-solving challenges presented throughout the story.

Available from the Apple App Store.

MARCH OF THE DINOSAURS

My 7 year old is nuts about dinosaurs – and crazy about this app.  March of the Dinosaurs is an interactive story book based on the NatGeo C

hannel ‘s “Escape of the Dinosaurs” and created with team members who worked on the BBC’s “Walking With Dinosaurs”.  Your child will experience 3D views of most Arctic dinosaurs.  You can follow the story page by page or jump ahead to your favorite sections.  There are loads of detailed fact pages for each species.  This app will grow with your child and even parents will learn something new every time you open the app.

Available from the Apple App Store.

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

Choosing books wisely for a child is important because young children are impressionable. If your child develops a love for reading, it will create a solid foundation in their literacy and education skills and possibly even influence their life and career choices.

Children usually begin to read around the ages of 4 to 6. A child may even begin earlier, especially if the parent has formed a habit of bedtime reading with the child.

However, many parents may not know how to choose age appropriate books for their child. Choose books for your child around their age, interests, and the type of books they have already read and enjoyed. Make reading exciting by exploring great stories together from an early age!

Ages 0-5 (Preschool)

In this age group, children need interesting stimulation and colorful visuals to promote vision and identification with objects, people, and animals. Board books, fabric books, pop-up books, and picture books are loads of fun to share with Mom and Dad. Slippers, Sunny Days & Starry Nights, and Leon the Lizard.

Ages 7-9 (Chapter)

Chapter books are the next step for this age group. Chapters are usually short with exciting story lines, and the beginnings of more complex character and plot development. Parents can also encourage their children to think beyond the story by asking the child’s opinion of the character’s actions and choices. Children can also retell the story to the parent in their own words. In this way, parents can track their child’s development of logic, memory, and comprehension skills. Illustrations will help the child appreciate and remember the story. Spiderwick Chronicles, The Witches, Hero, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Magical kids.

Ages 10+ (Middle grade+)

Now children begin to enjoy more complex themes and character developments, as well as elements in the characters to which they can relate. They like characters that are children solving problems, or children with problems, and start to form a moral, ethical, and emotional picture of the world. They will also begin to make their own reading choices. Your child will love reading if books capture the child’s attention. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, The Kane Chronicles, The Book Thief

Problematic Themes

Sexuality and violence are worrying themes. The older the child the more independent they will be regarding book choices. From teen and YA years, choices will be up to the individual. By then the child’s upbringing and moral training will help them make their own decisions. Concerned parents should watch what their teen is reading but remain open to discussing controversial issues. Popular teen/YA choices include The Hunger Games, Inheritance Cycle, and the Twilight series.

Publishing houses categorize book lists on their web sites. A local librarian can also advise on appropriate choices. Most children read up so allow your child to select a more advanced book than usual for their age group. Above all, let your child explore and find the books that they love!

(All titles available from Exclusive Books or CNA)

by Tiffany Markman, who is mom to a delicious one-year-old, a book reviewer and a freelance copywriter, editor and writing trainer who tries to balance her workaholic tendencies with addictions to smooching her toddler, salacious non-fiction, caffeine, her iPhone and more. Follow Tiffany’s tongue-in-cheekery on twitter.

Baby’s asleep. Dinner’s been cooked and eaten. Kitchen’s tidy. Ish. And the hub and I are on our respective couches.

‘What’re you doing?’ I ask.

‘Reading,’ he answers.

But, is he? He has his iPad in his hands and, if I know him, his ‘reading’ is a combo of exploring tech reviews, researching gadgets, browsing images of beautiful machines, watching TEDtalks and yes, possibly reading. Using the Kindle app.

We both still read ‘real’ books – me more than he. As a writer, real books are an occupational hazard for me. But the definition of reading has changed in our home.

As far as our one-year-old is concerned, ‘reading’ is what happens when we sit side by side with her, paging through a book. We read the words and point out the pictures, or ask her what noise different animals make, or where the Gruffalo’s nose is, and she turns the pages. Sometimes, she reads to us. Sort of.

There’s also iPad time. Where our toddler enjoys Dr Seuss books being ‘read’ to her by cheerful apps. But she has far less patience for that than for reading by me. And she has electronic books, where the page ‘sings’ nursery rhymes (in the most irritating, affected accent I’ve ever heard and one that plagues my nightmares).

What I’m trying to say – no, this isn’t just a pro-gadget product placement article – is that, today, there are different kinds of reading. And whatever device you use or don’t use, and whether it sings and snorts or simply sits in your lap, as long as you’re doing it with your child, it counts as reading. I believe that time together, heads close, is just as important as the actual words or pictures on the page.

A treasured memory of my grandmother, who passed away many years ago, is sitting on her kitchen floor in the suburbs of Port Elizabeth and having Agatha Christie (I know, right?) read to rapt three-year-old me. Sometimes it was cookbooks and issues of Readers’ Digest. Sometimes, believe it or not, it was Bible stories.

I’ve loved books ever since – but the togetherness of it was so much more than the medium or the content. Bottom line? When it comes to reading to your littlies, how you do it and what you use to do it aren’t important. It’s simply that you do it. Enjoy.

My littlie, reading a favourite: My First Animals (she loves the ‘Insects’ page)

by Bernice Kidd, married to Rory and has two daughters, Ella (7) and Grace (5).  She is the owner of 2littlegirls.co.za , an online children’s bookshop and is passionate about encouraging a love of reading!

Learning to read is not a natural process like learning to speak. Human brains are hard-wired to speak however learning to read and write are acquired skills by a process that requires early systematic and direct instruction.

Three recent studies have pinpointed the reason why some children lag behind with reading.  Up until a decade ago, it was widely believed that those children who lagged behind with reading were just what was termed ‘late bloomers’ and would eventually catch up when  their brains matured.  This was termed a ‘developmental lag’.  The more recent studies have found this to be incorrect and that these children lacked a crucial skill required when learning to read; Phoneme awareness.  This has been termed a ‘skill deficit’.

In the last few decades researches and educators alike have come to similar conclusions, which can be best summed up as follows;

1. Phonemic Awareness is the BEST predictor of reading success (Adams, 1991) and

2. Phonemic Awareness must be explicitly taught. (Brady, Fowler, Stone, & Winbury, 1994).

So what is phoneme awareness?

Firstly, it is important to know what a phoneme is. A phoneme is a basic unit of sound used to build a language. All spoken words are made up of one or more individual phonemes. For example the word DOG is made up of 3 phonemes D. O and G. Separating the word DOG into these three distinct phonemes, requires phonemic awareness. So basically phonetic awareness is the understanding that a word consists of a series of discrete sounds.

It is therefore crucial to help your children develop phonemic awareness if you want them to excel at reading. Here are some games and activities to help your children develop phonemic awareness;

1.      Provide alphabet flash cards and pictures of objects that start with these sounds. If your child finds a picture of a cat say the word “cat” with her and then see if she can find the letter “c” to go with it.

2.      Play rhyming Games. For example rhyming Pairs: Do these sound the same? (hand-band) or different (shoe-car)? Odd Word Out: What word doesn’t belong? (bed, shed, flower, ted)

3.      Talk about what sound their name starts with to develop phonemic awareness in a very personalized way. For example “Your name starts with the letter E; E is for Ella!” Once she becomes familiar with her name start saying other people’s names and talk about what sounds these names begin or end with.

4.      Exaggerate the sounds by holding on to them sssssnake. Or use rapid repetitions such as t-t-t-toes.

And one last (and most important) thing – Don’t forget to make it Fun!

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

The theatre production of Jock of the Bushveld will open at  Joburg Theatre this week. There’s also an animated full-length  3D  feature movie in the making. For those of you who haven’t read this well loved book,  let me tell you something about this wonderful children’s book.

Jock’s History

Jock of the Bushveld is a true story by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, recounting his adventures in the Lowveld in the late 19th century, with his dog, Jock. The book tells of Fitzpatrick’s travels with his dog, Jock, during the 1880s, when he worked as a storeman, prospector’s assistant, journalist and ox-wagon transport-rider in the Bushveld region of the Transvaal (then the South African Republic). Fitzpatrick later recounted these adventures as bedtime stories to his four children. Rudyard Kipling, a good friend of Fitzpatrick, also took part in these storytelling evenings and eventually persuaded him to collect these tales in book form. Illustrations for the book were done by Edmund Caldwell, a brother of Mary Tourtel, creator of Rupert Bear.

The book was first published in 1907 and had an extremely warm reception, being reprinted four times in that year alone. Since then it has achieved the status of a classic South African book and has been also widely read abroad—more than one hundred editions have been printed and it has been translated into Afrikaans, Dutch, French, Xhosa and Zulu, amongst others. Jock was saved by Fitzpatrick from being drowned in a bucket for being the runt of the litter (he would ruin the litter if left with them). Jock was very loyal towards Percy, and brave.

Sir Percy’s History

Eventually after five years of transport riding, tsetse fly infected all Sir Percy’s oxen and he was ruined. He walked penniless into Barberton, all the way from Louw’s Creek, found a job and also a wife, Lilian Cubitt, whom he married. After that Sir Percy relocated to Johannesburg and was then employed by the Johannesburg mining group, the Corner House. He gave Jock to a friend of his, who in time gave the dog to a trader who had a store in Mozambique at a place known as Old Pessene. There Jock was killed one night when he rushed out to attack a stray dog that was raiding the fowl run. Jock killed the thief but was then shot when his master mistook him in the darkness for the other dog. Jock permanently lost his hearing when a kudu cow kicked him. Loss of hearing is attributed as one of the main reasons he died, as he could not hear Tom Barnett when he called him, and was mistakenly shot, because he was thought to be the dog killing chickens on the farm.

Jock was an English Staffordshire Bull Terrier. There is a statue of Jock in front of the City Hall in Barberton, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Jock at the Movies

The 3D animated feature film of  Jock of the Bushveld is in the initial stages of production, with 26 artists, animators and technicians busy in their Johannesburg studios. Some 59 scenes have already been completed using the latest computer-assisted animation, and soon the project will be marketed abroad. Another big scoop is the involvement of some big names in the entertainment industry such as musical writing superstar Tim Rice, and local singers Johnny Clegg and Nianell. A major coup for the filmmakers is Archbishop Tutu’s involvement. He’ll be lending his sonorous voice to a small but key part involving spirituality.

An important part of the movie marketing plan is to focus on education in the Mpumalanga Lowveld, which is the setting for Jock’s story. Corporate sponsorship will contribute to community upliftment and awareness.

Books vs Movies or Theatre

Kids love movies of books, and sometimes see the movie first. Although parents may worry that the movie is a substitute for the book, this is generally not the case. It’s a golden opportunity for parents to suggest that they add to the enjoyment by getting the book/s. Similiarly with the theatre production. Parents can encourage their children to get onto the computer and look up everything they can possibly find about the movie, the plot, the characters, the actors—it’s all reading, whether in book or electronic format. Once hooked on a great book, any child will return to that beloved adventure time and time again. I will be seeing the show next eweek and doing my review.  So watch this space for more

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

Getting kids enthusiastic about reading may seem like a monumental task when you see all the techno-competition around—video games, movies, computer games etc. Actually, one can use all sort of elements to get kids as enthusiastic about books as they are about all their other gadgets.

Most of the time, children are either bored or switched off by the reading choices at school. Kids are riveted by what interests them, so find out what captures your child’s imagination, and direct their attention toward the books on that subject/s.

Kids love computers so turn the idea of reading around—let them create their own story, become an author. What could be more empowering! This will allow them ‘ownership’ of the story, and that’s an irresistible challenge for any child. The subject can be about them, an incident, or a fictitious character. They’ll not just create it but illustrate it (either their own drawings or using images available from the Internet), design it and print it out. You’ll be amazed at what happens once the child takes charge of their own project. You can help your child develop the story, getting them to write it out first by hand, and then going through it several times (maybe another family member can also give their input). They can then create the project on the computer. When it’s finished, suggest the child hand it in to their grade teacher for inclusion in the school magazine or newspaper. Or perhaps it’s a gift for a grandparent or family member. You could even have it properly bound at your local stationers.

Praise and success are incredibly motivating factors in any child’s development. They’ll automatically feel inspired to achieve more. Now you can introduce new activities that show books in a very novel light.

Find a book you both like and, besides reading together, ask your child to suggest alternative actions on the part of certain characters, asking if they agree on how the story is unfolding, and how they would have written the characters’ actions if they disagree. Encouraging a thought process will make your child feel their opinion counts. Once the book is finished, have your child write a ‘review’ and even send it to your local bookshop or library. Imagine their pride and delight if the review is published in a local newspaper, or put up on the library notice board.

A book series is a wonderful way to capture a child’s imagination. If they ‘bond’ with a character such as a young hero/ine, they’ll be eager to continue reading the series as each new book comes out. Two of the most popular that spring to mind immediately are Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter. You can cement this enthusiasm by buying hard cover books for your child as ‘collectibles’—something to be cherished and read again and again. If there’s a movie, even better, and merchandising such as T-shirts, mugs, badges etc, also keep the enthusiasm going.

Following on with the above, most successful books have websites with interesting aspects to explore. Is the series set in a real or fantasy place? Do the characters have important choices to make? Don’t be afraid to let your child get onto the computer and read all about the series, the author, the movie, the actors, the settings, and the characters. Ask your child questions about what they have learned and praise their research.

It doesn’t matter how your child comes to enjoy the written word, but that he or she does. Some imaginative ways of ‘packaging’ the reading process will reap wonderful results.

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel

Reading with your child is a wonderful pastime with so many benefits. Not only does this special ‘together time’ strengthen the bond between you and your child, there are other positive results. You’ll see the growth of your child’s vocabulary, awareness of the world, social behavior skills, listening skills, confidence, and many other developmental aspects. However, in a busy day filled with work, chores, ferrying to and from school, where does the frazzled parent find time to capture those few precious moments called ‘free time?’ Here are a few ideas on how to incorporate reading together for the family with not much time to spare.

Reading doesn’t always have to involve books. Our world is full of text. Use it! A busy parent can create a fun game in the car where the child reads road signs, billboards, helps with a road map, or spots registration number plates and creates words with the letters.

Shopping? The supermarket is a great place for looking for labels, reading labels, helping with the shopping list, and checking the listed ingredients on a tin or packet.

Have fun while you cook. If you’re busy, have your child read something to you while you’re preparing dinner. This time it can be a book they are currently enjoying, something from the newspaper or their choice of magazine. Encourage your child to express an opinion about what they are reading to you. This will draw your child closer to you because your interest will cement the bond between you. Children love being the focus of their parents’ attention, and especially when they are doing something special with the parent.

Kids love baking! Make cookies and candy even more fun by getting your child to read the recipe to you first while you collect all the ingredients required. Then they can continue reading the instructions while you perform the task. Later (while the family is eating the cookies) you can say how much help they were. Praise is vital to your child’s performance. It boosts their confidence and makes them want to do this again.

Dining out? Your child can have fun reading the menu and deciding what they want to eat. Having friends over for dinner? Ask your child to create a beautiful illustrated menu to show your guests. Most kids love the opportunity to get out those crayons and coloring pencils.

Audio books are a wonderful way of helping your child concentrate and develop listening skills while you’re driving. After a few minutes, stop the tape and ask your child questions about what they just heard. Make it interesting by asking what they think will happen next, or what they would do in a certain situation. This will help your child engage in the literary process in a fun way.

Find time in tiny bites. Don’t think that reading to or with your child involves 60-minute marathons. Just before bed is a special time between parent and child. Just 10-15 minutes every evening is possible, and will reap marvellous rewards.

Whatever you do and however much time you manage to squeeze out of your day for reading with your child will all be beneficial. It’s not the daily amount of time that is so important; it’s the quality of your word time together that counts. Don’t forget to have fun because that’s what it’s all about!

by Fiona Ingram, a  South African writer who loves books, travel, animals, antiques, and adventures of all kinds! Read Fiona’s author site and find out about her recently published children’s adventure novel.

I don’t remember actually learning to read; it’s as if I always did. Although we grew up poor (five children to feed, clothe, and educate), my parents always had books in the house. And then of course, there were the books we inherited from my grandparents. My very old copy of The Wind in the Willows, with those simple yet beautiful illustrations, is still on my bookshelf. Ratty and Mole were my heroes (and still are!). Other old friends are The Secret Garden, with exquisite color plates, The Water Babies, Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree series, my collection of the Lucy Fitch Perkins’ twin series, with her poignant stories of children of all eras and places around the world. I particularly loved Anne of Avonlea, The Little Princess and many others.

The list of children’s classics is endless and not so long ago I read them all over again. I ‘inherited’  a  foster child from a disadvantaged background. This little girl came to me at age eleven, practically illiterate, scoring only 19% for English at school. Opening the doors into the wonderful world of books seemed insurmountable because she simply did not understand the connection between the written and spoken word. What to do? Begin at the beginning seemed a good idea.

I started off with my old favourites and Mabel loved them. Suddenly, the words were not frightening because she was hearing about places and people she’d never imagined. She’d lean over my shoulder, breathing down my neck as I read, my finger tracing the words as I sounded them out. The pages began to surrender the magical words, and she found them enchanting! Fired with success, we moved onto the rest of the library, slowly devouring my children’s classic book collection in very tiny bite-sized pieces. I was still doing most of the reading.

One day, Mabel decided she’d help out with the books, and began reading to me. It was still incredibly slow but I began to see the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. We got movies of books, watched them, and then read the books, just in case the moviemakers had left out some important bits. We expanded our repertoire book by book. I found other ways to sneak words into her day, not just when we were doing ‘serious’ reading. She read recipes with me when we baked; she read the instructions on the packaging to me while we prepared dinner; she read advertisements to me when we shopped. Suddenly words were a constant part of her life.

Mabel also began to show her imaginative side at school. Her poems and creative writing pieces began to change, reflecting more color, bigger words, more complex themes and emotions. What a breakthrough! The final moment of success came when just recently she turned to my mother and said, “Gran, will you buy me a book?”

My mother nearly fell off her chair and replied, “You can have as many as you like, darling.”

Mabel grinned. “Oh, then can you buy me all the Twilight books please?” Thank you Stephenie Meyer for being the first author Mabel ‘owns.’ (Apparently vampires rock.)

Her latest ‘own’ books? Inkheart, and The Golden Compass.

Her latest marks for English? A magnificent 75%.

“I can do much better,” she said, frowning. “I’m going to have to improve on this if I want to be a writer.”

I have now adopted Mabel, not having my own children, and I can say the greatest compliment is that she has decided to become a journalist or a novelist (just like me).

Recently I called her and, hearing her voice coming from her bedroom, asked, “What are you doing?”

Reply: “I’m reading!”

Music to any parent’s ears!