Reading is for all Seasons.

As the weather begins to close in around Canberra, the Autumn leaves are ablaze of maginficent bursts of reds and oranges. They whirl and tumble through the winds enabling piles of glorious crackling and shuffling underfoot. Fog and frost blanket the mountains and valleys that surround my little rural community and reminds me that winter is creeping up on me very quickly. Now is the time to sit in the sun on the verandah (out of the wind) and read a good book before the weather closes in.
Mind you I can’t wait to read in a comfy chair in front of a warm glowing fire with a hot cup of tea (or maybe a glass of red wine) beside me either.
Meanwhile in the Northern Hemisphere Spring has everyone excited and preparing for the long hot Summer months ahead. This means holidays and plenty of hours to spend reading that favourite book. Whether at home, camping or a simple day at the beach, there is always time for a little self indulgent quiet reading.
Whether you and your family are packing to go skiing in the Snowy Mountains this winter or you are planning a trip to the seaside for some much needed rest and recreation, don’t forget to pack the books for the kids too! Not only do you need some down time, but so do they.
Reading over the summer months or any holidays keeps the kids minds mentally active and is just as important as physical activity.

• Reading keeps the mind stimulated.
• Encourages imagination and creativity.
• Promotes healthy discussion and debate.
• Enhances divergent thinking.
• Increaes skills and abilities.
• Relieves boredom.
• Is a lot of fun.
• Promotes opportunities to snuggle and share as you read together.

Thinking of that last point, I was at a neighbours house yesterday and she showed me her “Story Chair.” A delightful place to sit and cuddle with her grandchildren while reading a favourite book together. One of which just happens to be my book, Gingerbread Aliens. (One of her grandsons likes to sleep with it under his pillow as he is so proud to have an autographed copy). She told me how the chair use to sit outside on the verandah but was unusable there as it tended to habour so many redback spiders it was not an inviting place to sit. Now the “Story Chair” has a very special place inside where everyone can enjoy it so much more! I thought this was such a wonderful idea I asked if I could share it with everyone. Imagine if we all had our very own special “story chairs” to read with our kids or grandchildren, I think we would all make the time to read with them a lot more no matter what the weather happens to be like, winter or summer.This is a great spot to snuggle under a blanket and keep warm and read in winter or a cool spot to relax and read in summer. I just love it!
Before I close I just wanted to add this spectacular clip I have reblogged from http://jrbarker101.wordpress.com/201 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVcQnyEIT8&feature=player_embedded


If you don’t already love books with their wonderful characters and the amazing places that you find inside them, this will surely help you see the life of books in a new way. It reminded me of  a fabulous book that was made into a movie when my kids were little, “The Pagemaster,” by David Kirschner. I have always loved the concept of the characters in all my books on my shelf coming to life at night while we sleep.
Have fun reading.

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