Wherein My Daughter Takes on the WRAD Blogging Challenge

My 20-year-old daughter has taken on the World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge!

I think one of the best experiences of being a parent is the time spent reading aloud with both my children. I say "is" because I still read aloud with both my college age and high school age children.  It is rare, but it still happens.  When they were young, we would read at any time of day, but I think my favorite read aloud time was late afternoon, snuggling on the couch with a stack of picture books or one really great chapter book. Readers grow readers: be a reader and pass it on.

WRAD Blogging Challenge II: Answer these questions as your 10-year-old self or elementary school self would have and as you would today.

I think everyone in the world should read...Elementary School: Just so Stories  

Now: The Great Gatsby

If I could listen to anyone in the world read aloud to me it would be...

Always: My mother.  She has an amazing way of making the characters jump off the page and into your head, and her voice is engaging and comforting at the same time.  She is also funny!

When I read aloud, my favorite character to impersonate is...

Elementary School: I went through a Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs stage, when I wanted to read that book out loud to anyone who would sit still long enough. 

Now: Mrs. Bennett from Pride & Prejudice.  Her ridiculous comments and opinions make her very fun to voice, especially if you do it like the Colin Firth movie version.  Nancy Drew, which I frequently read aloud with my family in the summers, is always a fun option.

The genre that takes up the most room on my bookshelf (or e-reader) is...

Elementary School: There were many different types of picture books that we liked to share as family read alouds, and chapter books as I got older.  I liked biographies, historical fiction and adventure stories.

Now: Jane Austen. Her books should be their own genre. Actually, classics, followed by historical fiction and realistic fiction.

The last book I wish I’d written or inspired me to write my own story is...

Elementary School:  I think this was around the time that I heard a story about people with a volcano in their basement that they thought was a ghost (maybe I came up with it, but I don’t think so).  I made it into a create-your-own book that you do the illustrations for and write out the text and then send it in to be published.

Now: Peter Reynolds’ I’m Here.  I love this book’s message about being yourself and loving others for who they are.  I wish I could put these sentiments into a book as nicely as Peter.

World Read Aloud Day is a week from tomorrow.  It is not too late! Pick up a book, find a listener and Read It Forward.