Books are Trusted Friends
Christie Gove-Berg, author of Greta the Great Horned Owl, Maggie: The One-Eye Peregrine Falcon, and Esther the Eaglet shares with us that books are trusted friends in her house.
We at Adventure Publications hope all our readers and their loved ones remain healthy and safe. Without intending to trivialize the current crisis, we will continue to post positive stories in hopes of bringing some joy into your home as a welcome distraction during these trying times.
I hope everyone is surviving all the changes right now. My three kids are now doing school at home and I am working in and out of the home. I wear a mask in the grocery stores and the kids do class meetings on Google Hangouts. To say that things are different is an understatement.
But…but…books are the same. They are the same as they have always been. Books are trusted friends sitting on the shelf holding a whole world between their covers. They invite us to shelter in place physically while allowing our brains to travel anywhere we want in the world and beyond. Pick up an old favorite, or try something new that you’ve been meaning to get to.
Another book-themed pastime that has been really helpful right now is audio books. My youngest finishes her schoolwork before everyone else and she is very chatty. In order to keep her entertained, we’ve checked out the Harry Potter books on disc from the library (curbside pickup!) and she has listened to several all the way through. She can listen while she draws or paints. She has reorganized her whole room while listening to them!
An idea for teens is audio books on a Kindle or an Iphone. This can be a way to get your teen (or yourself) outside and exercising. You can walk or bike while listening. Go ahead—invite a book on a walk!
We’ve also been doing more reading aloud at bedtime. When there are less obligations and activities, bedtime can be more of a process. I like to ask my kids to read to me, after I read to them. I love to hear their voices as I rest next to them in bed.
Here’s a good writing/reading game that you can play anytime. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen. Someone starts by writing a sentence. The next person reads that sentence and writes a follow-up sentence, while folding the top sentence over so the next person can only read the most recent sentence. The story builds as each person adds to the sentence above, then folds the paper to only show their sentence. The final piece of paper looks like a folded fan and it’s pretty funny to unfold the whole thing and read the story in its entirety.
I love how this crisis has made us more creative. There are people reading books online to our children—authors, actors, and our own teachers and friends. There is so much artistic content that is being shared for free. Humanity is stepping up to help us get through this crisis. We are not alone.
About the author: Christie Gove-Berg loves nature and wildlife. Her first book, Esther the Eaglet: A True Story of Rescue and Rehabilitation, was about the rescue of an injured eaglet found on Christie’s parents’ land.
Her second book in the series, Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon, was inspired by a young bird that was injured while learning to fly in the middle of a big city. (Now Maggie is an educational bird at The Wildlife Center of Virginia, teaching people about raptors.)
Christie’s regional book, Minnesota Must See for Families: An A-Z List, encourages families to document their Minnesota adventures together.
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