Let the #Bookaday Reading Begin

This past summer I joined many readers across the blogosphere by participating in Donalyn Miller's (@donalynbooks on Twitter)  Book-a-Day Challenge.  I knocked many books off the TBR list and added many titles to it too! About three weeks ago Donalyn suggested a Holiday Book-a-day on Twitter and everyone started jumping on board for some more reading fun!  I took some time to review my Goodreads lists, visited the Scholastic Warehouse Sale in my area (talk about good timing)  and gathered titles I wanted to read over my Christmas vacation.  Then something amazing happened...I actually had a FREE weekend last weekend!  That's right...all my Christmas shopping, wrapping, and decorating was finished and other than church on Sunday morning, I had not ONE commitment!  So I decided to start my #bookaday reading even though I wasn't actually on vacation yet. Sunday night my pile was gone.  So I had to start all over! I know, what a terrible problem to have, right? So I have spent the last three days gathering more titles. Thank you Inter-Library Loan for delivering my requests to quickly, btw.  So here are my piles...yes, you read that right...piles!  My six year old niece wanted to create her own Book-a-Day pile after I explained why I had so many books. She asked me to share it with you.  In my opinion, you're never too young to start making reading plans!

 MG Novels I plan to read include:

Ninth Ward  by Jewell Parker Rhodes (almost done)

Neil Armstrong is My Uncle & Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me by Nan Marin

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberger

Trackers: Book One by Patrick Carman

Tales Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Alabama Moon by Watt Key (re-read)

Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson

Skywalkers: Mohawk Ironworkers Build the City by David Weitzman

Picture Books I plan to read include:

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems
Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies
The Christmas Eve Ghost by Shirley Hughes
But I Wanted a Baby BROTHER! by Kate Feiffer

Disappearing Desmond by Anna Alter

The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers

Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum by Meghan McCarthy

Tell the Truth, B. B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

Switching on the Moon by Jane Yolen & Andrew Fusek Peters

The Christmas Giant by Steve Light

Lost Boy: The Story of the Man Who Created Peter Pan by Jane Yolen

Soar, Elinor by Tami Lewis Brown

The Extraordinary Mark Twain by Barbara Kerley

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg

  

 Kylie's #bookaday pile includes:

Fancy Nancy Pajama Day by Jane O'Connor

The Perfect Nest by Catherine Friend

Fancy Nancy Explorer Extraordinaire! by Jane O'Connor

Best Baby Ever by David Milgrim

The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee

There are Cats in This Book by Viviane Schwarz

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems

Bats at the Ballgame by Brian Lies

Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox

Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart

The Christmas Giant by Steve Light

The Christmas Eve Ghost by Shirley Hughes

Rover by Michael Rosen

But I Wanted a Baby BROTHER by Kate Feiffer

Disappearing Desmond by Anna Alter

Now it's not too late to join the Book-A-Day holiday fun...blogging isn't required!  You can read picture books, middle reader/YA books, professional books, or adult books.  It really doesn't matter...the point is to read!  Share what you're reading by using the #bookaday hashtag on Twitter, Goodreads, or blog posts. Feel free to leave a comment on this post with links to your blog posts and Twitter names so I can see what you're reading.   I would love to hear about your vacation reading plans.  What books will be in your Book-A-Day pile? 

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day~December 4th

Not long ago, Jenny Milchman from Montclair, New Jersey, had one of those wouldn’t-it-be-nice ideas: What if there was a day called Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day?  Instead of letting it go the way of most daydreams, Milchman got busy turning it into a reality. She chose a day: the first Saturday in December. She enlisted her husband’s help in making a poster, which she posted on her website. She wrote about it on her blog Suspense Your Disbelief.   She told everyone she knew and the idea took off!  And so today, December 4, 2010 is the very first Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day.

I just LOVE this idea! What a wonderful gift for a child -- to be introduced to the joy of book owning and to the special thrill of being surrounded by books, any one of which might become a lifelong friend. Many bookstores across the country are celebrating this inaugural event by offering special event and discounts.  My family is making it a complete event by going out for dinner and then going book shopping after.  I can't wait to see what everyone picks out.  Here are a few I'll be looking for: