Listening to the Silence

This short little book was a real gem. I've struggled for seven years to help my oldest son learn to love reading as much as I do. He just doesn't have much interest - even as a baby, when I would open a book to read to him, he would slam it closed. When at school he was allowed to check out books, he invariably picked out Superhero books, with text too complicated and too small. I hated reading these books to him. But his teacher advised me that they don't try to direct kids to certain books and even books like this would help foster a love of books. I didn't believe her and rarely did I read them to him, despite him looking at the drawings for hours. Jennie Nash, author of this book, made a similar mistake and eventually had a moment that showed her the error. This book helped me to see the mistake I have made in giving up on ever turning him into a reader.

It has also renewed in me my desire to help him become a reader like me, his father, and his brother. This morning, while I snuggled on the bed reading with his brother, despite the allure of computer games, he kept sneaking over to hear the story and comment on it. It made me feel that maybe I was wrong after all. In addition to some great advice, there are several pages at the back of the book of recommended reading, both aloud and quiet, for children of all ages.

I highly recommend that any parent who is struggling to create their own reader, and even if they aren't struggling, pick this book up. It will renew your dreams of reading side by side with your child and also share some great ideas on ways to help foster a love of books.