By any chance, do you know how reading helps kids? Mmm? In case you don’t, lemme share a few ways.
It helps them develop the ability to think, to problem solve, to make decisions, and to improve their reasoning abilities. It increases their vocabulary and their understanding of grammar and sentence structure. Additionally, it strengthens their social and emotional skills and even helps them learn to decrease their aggression.
But mostly, books give them hours of pleasure and enjoyment! (Sometimes, I think that is more important than those other things . . . )
And what do your grandkids need when they read? Why bookmarks of course!
A couple of years ago, I created some kids bookmarks. They are cute (even if I do say so myself) — especially the read-osaurus and the bookworm.
Even though I’ve already made some bookmarks, I couldn’t help myself. I made some more. These will appeal to older grandkids. (They might even appeal to you, Dear Reader. Feel free to download and print one — or more — for your own use.)
Click on the title above the bookmarks. The printable size will open in a new tab. Right click on the image and save it to your computer.
I can’t pass up this opportunity to share suggestions of great books to read. First, some suggestion for you, grandma.
Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams is a novel inspired by actual events about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary.
The Immortals by Steven Collis is based on the little known story of 4 chaplains and the sinking of the Dorchester during WWII.
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood is how he walked away from his lucrative career with Microsoft to create Room to Read, a nonprofit organization that promotes education across the developing world.
Miss Buncle’s Book by D. E. Stevenson is a a charming little novel about a woman, in a small English village, whose money is running out so she writes a book.
Now some suggestions of YA novels for your grandkids to read.
Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk is a poignant story about a newborn baby girl that washed ashore a tiny island off the coast of Cape Cod in a small skiff. When she’s almost a teenager, she feels a strong desire to know her history and her birth family.
Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee is about a fifteen-year-old Chinese girl who is determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown in San Francisco (in 1906). Then an earthquake rocks San Francisco destroying her home and school.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon is a tender love story about a Korean boy who meets a Jamaican girl on the day her family is being deported.
In The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, you’ll cry and laugh at this tragic, heart-touching story of a girl with terminal cancer and the boy that she meets.
