Every now and again when I receive new books to shelve, I come across one (or quite a few) that I pull aside to read for myself. That's how I stumbled upon today's book. The Read-Aloud Handbook (7th Edition) by Jim Trelease immediately caught my eye for no other reason than I'm a giant nerd for my profession. :-D The first half of the book is a discussion about the importance of reading and more specifically reading aloud to children from birth to...forever. This is not just Trelease's personal opinion but is backed up by extensive research and a plethora of data on the topic. However, it's not all technical jargon replete with charts and numbers. He uses examples from his own childhood which he describes as 'print rich' with a father who modeled reading habits as well as read to him on a regular basis. He was also fortunate to have a teacher that read aloud to the class each day. (This is a rarity in schools because of the rigorous standardized testing schedules and something I strongly contest.) He also received encouragement from a teacher who sent a note home to his parents praising his behavior and writing capability. (That really can make all the difference, folks!) Trelease also talks about the rearing of his children and their nightly routine of book reading.  Perhaps the most compelling parts of this book are the firsthand narratives of the significance of reading aloud throughout childhood and the benefits gained from it. It is chock full of anecdotes from principals, teachers, parents, and librarians and how they did their part to guide the children in their lives to become lifelong learners and readers. I've used quite a few of the 'tips and tricks' that he discusses like using ebooks and audiobooks for visually impaired and illiterate parents in the workshops and one-on-one discussions I've had with parents in my community. (P.S. Wordless picture books are another great resource.) Whether you're a professional in the field of library sciences or education or simply trying to create a love of reading in your own children this is a must have. I bought a copy for myself before I'd even finished reading it! 10/10

Oh and did I mention that the second half contains a Treasury of books subdivided by reading comprehension, age group, genre, and best books for reading aloud? WHY AREN'T YOU READING THIS YET? 

What I'm Currently Reading: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

Does anyone here think the Percy Jackson series is worth reading? I've already watched the movies but haven't read the books at all.

If you were asked to recommend one over the other as a first read of Oscar Wilde, which would you choose:

Lady Windermere's Fan

or

The Importance of Being Earnest?

Thanks!

ETC embarrassing title error.

Does anyone have any recs for LGBT novels wherein the characters are not teenagers? I would prefer the main character to be female and not married to a man.

And does anyone have any recs for fantasy series wherein the main character is female?

Shameless "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray reference in the title, but there's a purpose for that.  I'll get to it in a bit.

First order of business: updating my NaNo count 8921 - I'm aiming for 10K tonight, so I've got my stash of chocolate and I'm keeping a late night.  Will resume reading tomorrow.

Second order of business: I might end up asking on Goodreads later, but I figure it'd be better to ask here.  I'm looking for parody/satire books to use as inspiration reads while I'm writing in NaNo.  I always like to read books that help me get in the mood of what I'm writing, so it'd be great if I could pick up some great books in this genre.

I've already read some of the books mentioned in the ribbon at the top here, but can anyone think of other reads they were impressed with?  I'm totally open to suggestions in any genre, any age group.

One final thing, a few quotes from Beauty Queens, just for good measure:

“Ahem. Dear Jesus," Taylor intoned more fervently. "We just want to thank you for gettin' us here safe ---"
There was a loud, gurgling groan. Somebody shouted, "Oh my gosh! Miss Delaware just died!"
"--- for gettin some of us here safe," Taylor continued. "And we pray that, as we are fine, upstandin', law-abidin' girls who represent the best of the best, you will protect us from harm and keep us safe until we are rescued and can tell our story to People magazine. Amen."

“I hate this place,” Tiara whimpered. “It’s super creepy. Like a haunted Chuck E. Cheese’s where the games all want to kill you and you never get your pizza.”