By Lucy Corkhill
03rd May 2013
The Federation of Children’s Book Groups founded National Share-a-Story Week in 1974 and over time, it became National Share-a-Story Month. The Federation of Children’s Book Groups itself is a charity, created in 1965, with the aim of promoting children’s interest in books and reading, working alongside libraries, schools and playgroups. Book groups for both parents and children offer an opportunity to discuss books, get inspired by visiting authors, and listen to stories being shared.
1. Start reading a story together that will last the month
There’s nothing quite as thrilling as getting tucked into bed with a warm drink for the next instalment of a long story book. It’s a great opportunity to share special time with older kids, including teenagers who might turn their nose up but secretly be delighted to curl up with you as the story unfolds. Choose a big epic classic like Oliver Twist or Treasure Island and always leave it on a cliff-hanger so they can’t wait to get into bed!
2. Start a book group with your kids
Ask them to suggest books for you to read and then spend some time discussing them together. This is particularly useful if you’re finding it difficult to communicate with older kids about their feelings: by sharing a book with you that really means something to them, you gain an insight into what’s currently important to them and find ways to deepen your conversations. Everyone finds themselves ‘identifying’ with characters, and shy or troubled children might be drawn to a particular character in a search for a part of themselves they’d like to discover.
3. Make up a story together
You could assign each other characters and take turns ‘acting’ your character, a bit like a play, or you might choose to each make up a chapter to read to one another each evening. Other ideas include assigning names and adventures to household pets, taking an ordinary object in your home on a round-the-world trip encountering people along the way, or picking a favourite character from a book and re-working the story to your tastes.
4. Share your favourite kids’ books with your children
It’s always such a pleasure to find a box of books that you treasured as a child; opening them up again can transport you instantly through time to the frustrated little person identifying with the freedom of Pippi Longstocking, or the awe-struck kid prising up the floorboards in search of the Borrowers. Sharing these stories with your children is a wonderful way to remember what it’s like to be small in a world of adults.
5. Create book-filled spaces
Engendering a reverence for books is a real gift we can give our children. Find a corner of your house – in your child’s bedroom, in the living room, or kitchen – and fill it with books that you know your children will enjoy. You might have a section for library books (visiting the library with your kids is another way to open up the world of books for them), reference books (so much more fun than trawling the internet!), picture books, comics, your favourite kids’ books, and even an area jam-packed with books by their favourite author. Enhance the area with cushions, a good reading lamp, paper and pens, pictures of characters and scenes…create a reading haven your child will want to escape to.
