Literacy is LIT and we have to keep pushing the love for reading in our youth! I am a high school teacher and let me tell you, helping high school students read books is a struggle and what is worse is when they read something and have NO idea what they just read. Now I give them a break because, for most of them, English is not their first language.

One of my fondest memories as a child was when I called my aunt to talk to my little cousin and she said, “We can’t talk right now, we are reading.” Two things I took from that:

1. Reading should be a family love affair– This is a great time to spend quality time together and to make it “A Thing”
2. Reading should be a priority– For me, I loved talking on the phone and for them to not want to talk but read a book stunned me and I was impressed

I never did tell them that, their love for reading sparked my love for reading and I envied that family time that they had.

4 reasons children should fall in love with reading:

1. Helps build vocabulary– I can’t tell you how many times I send my students to look up words or teach them how to break down words. Today, I helped my 12th-grade student with some questions but had to teach them how to break down the word to understand it. For example, they asked, “What is consumption?” I asked her for the root word and they did not know. 
2. Helps with comprehension– Making connections to reading, relating it to real life helps children understand on a deeper level.
3. Helps build critical thinking skills– especially if you ask open-ended questions about what they were reading.
4. Takes them places- My mind is very actively creative due to the books I read as a child. When I read, I literally could see me in those places and experience the events that were happening. I read a very descriptive story to some of my scholars and they will tell me they can’t picture what is happening. Which is probably because they do not have the vocabulary needed to understand what is going on. 

So I am very excited to introduce these children’s books into your life and would hope you grab them to add to your bookshelf especially since summer break is right around the corner! I definitely challenge you to challenge your children to take the time to read every day!

 11 Books to Add to Your Bookshelf this summer for children of color

Ebenezer the Sneezer

My friend DeCorey Hale recently published his first children’s book, Ebenezer the Sneezer. This book is so adorable, it has a rhyme scheme, great for sight words and very descriptive.

“He sneezed on a brown spotted dog. He sneezed on a bumpy green frog.”

Ebenezer the Sneezer is a great book for children 8 years old and younger. It is fun and vibrant and will have your child laughing out loud. The illustrations are beautiful, full of richness. I felt bad for old Ebenezer the Sneezer because he sneezed on everything!

Be sure to grab your copy here.

Other books for children of color

You can click on the picture to read more! 

Older Readers

So tell me, what books are you reading right now? Will you be grabbing one of these books?

Be sure to share and comment! Thanks for reading!

Peace and Blessings,
CicelyRenee

This is a sponsored post and all opinions are MINE!!!! There are also some affiliate links so if you decide to click and purchase, you will help me have a cup of coffee! I appreciate it! Thank you.