The case for books

Check out this study on the power of books in the home have on a child's educational. Growing up in a home filled with books, I was pleased to see a study showing that books in the home are as important as parents’ education level in determining level of education children will attain.

Following is a summary from EducationNews.com on the study (emphasis is mine).

RENO, Nev. – Whether rich or poor, residents of the United States or China, illiterate or college graduates, parents who have books in the home increase the level of education their children will attain, according to a 20-year study lead by Mariah Evans, University of Nevada, Reno associate professor of sociology and resource economics.

For years, educators have thought the strongest predictor of attaining high levels of education was having parents who were highly educated. But, strikingly, this massive study showed that the difference between being raised in a bookless home compared to being raised in a home with a 500-book library has as great an effect on the level of education a child will attain as having parents who are barely literate (3 years of education) compared to having parents who have a university education (15 or 16 years of education). Both factors, having a 500-book library or having university-educated parents, propel a child 3.2 years further in education, on average.

Evans said, “Even a little bit goes a long way,” in terms of the number of books in a home. Having as few as 20 books in the home still has a significant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater the benefit.

The researchers were struck by the strong effect having books in the home had on children’s educational attainment even above and beyond such factors as education level of the parents, the country’s GDP, the father’s occupation or the political system of the country."

So get out there and buy books!

Washington KidsPost Summer Book Club

Top picks from the Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club.  Go to a local indie bookstore and pick them up!


June 23: "The Red Pyramid" by Rick Riordan. The start of a new series from the author of the hugely popular "Percy Jackson" books. Age 9 and older.

June 30: "The Summer Before" by Ann M. Martin. This "prequel" looks at the lives of the girls in "The Baby-Sitters Club" before the club formed. Age 8 and older.
 
July 7: "Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer" by John Grisham. The author of many legal thrillers your parents have probably read writes his first book for kids. Age 9 and older.
 
July 14: "Chasing Orion" by Kathryn Lasky. The author of the "Guardians of Ga'hoole" series writes a story set in Indiana in the 1950s. Age 9 and older.
 
July 21: "The Batboy" by Mike Lupica. The sports columnist is back with another sports- and family-themed novel. Age 8 and older.
 
July 28: "Finally" by Wendy Mass. A tale of a girl who just can't wait to be 12. Age 9 and older.
 
Aug. 4: "The Talent Show" by Dan Gutman. One of the most reliably funny authors for children is back with a story of kids who try to raise money to rebuild their town after a tornado strikes. Age 7 and older.
 
Aug. 11: "Closed for the Season" by Mary Downing Hahn. Maryland author Hahn, who has been writing creepy stories for kids for years, won an award for this mystery at a shuttered amusement park. Age 9 and older.

Highly Recommend The Hunger Games (Young Adult and Adult)

With all the books I picked up at BookExpo, you'd think I wouldn't need to buy anything new for a while. But as soon as I got home, I bought The Hunger Games from Aladdin's Lamp bookstore across the street.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins was awesome.  Read it and then read Catching Fire, the next book in the series.  Don't take my word for it, listen to several well-known and avid fans:

"I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it...The Hunger Games is amazing."

--Stephenie Meyer, www.stepheniemeyer.com

"The Hunger Games is as close to perfect an adventure novel as I've ever read. I could not put it down. Collins has transformed the ancient Labyrinth myth into a terrifyingly believable tale of future America. Readers will be hungry for more.

--Rick Riordan, author of The Percy Jackson Series and The 39 Clues

Everyone wants to know what you're reading

Prickly City by Scott Stantis

Jon Stewart, Barbra Steisand, John Grisham, but enough name dropping

BEA - BookExpo in America - in NYC was amazing. My first time there, but thankfully I had good tips from past attendees and the ABA lounge saved my sanity many times.

Top things about BEA:

1) Breakfast with Jon Stewart, John Grisham, Condoleezza Rice and Mary Roach (she noted she was the "and more" of the breakfast). Jon Stewart "read" from his upcoming book: "Earth (The Book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race." A nice recap of the breakfast from the Dallas Morning News.
2) Barbra Streisand interview - talked about her new book on design and was quite engaging.
3) Seeing Tim Gunn autograph his book for 3 hours (instead of the usual 1 hour) because he took time to talk and take pictures with every person in his line. I can't imagine how long he would have been there had it not been a ticketed line.
4) The ABA lounge - a sanctuary.

Hanging out with Alison as we "strolled" (tried to navigate the BUSY floor), catching up with bookstore friends and meeting new ones and talking with authors about their books - passionate, excited and fun crowd. Wonderful show!