San Antonio Book Festival: 5 Ways to Get Excited

Did you know that the amazing San Antonio Book Festival is coming up on April 5, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Central Library and the Southwest School of Art. I am so excited to go and take my children. Celebrating books and supporting our public library sounds like a great time to me!

Check out Inga's post about the festival and her great list of books and ways to find books featured at the festival. You can find some of the featured books at one of our very own San Antonio Public Library's branches.

Looking for a good book.

To go along with that post, I am going to share 5 tips on how to get your young children excited about reading...and how to bring books ALIVE in your home, car, bed, couch....

Let's say you checked out Brian Floca's Locomotive. 

1) Display the book in your home. We have a special place where new library books go in our house. The kids know to go here for their special books. By displaying the book and designating a special space, it makes the book more special for little ones, especially since they are very visual!

2) Read it out loud. Perhaps after dinner, when everyone is together? The great thing about children's picture books is that all ages can enjoy them. They are engaging with pictures and words. Usually, when my son really likes a book, we have to read it at least twice in one sitting. This helps him remember the story for when he looks at the book by himself.

3) Do an activity! Even something as simple as drawing or painting a train together. Cut and paste pieces of paper together to make a train track. Read the book again!

4) When you read aloud, mind your tone! It is truly amazing what pre-reading a book and forming my own "voice" for telling the story does. When I am excited, make the proper annunciations and inflections in my tone, the experience is so much more engaging and rich for my listeners.

5) Welcome quality books into your home. Rich illustrations like those in Locomotive (done in watercolor, ink and gouache) make a difference to kids. Kids want to see real art. They don't want to be talked down to. They want to be taken on a journey in the comfort of a parent's lap, on a familiar voice. What a beautiful experience, to share a book.

Are you excited yet? We are! Be sure to check out San Antonio Charter Moms Post about the festival and use her lists and your local library branch!