Medieval Lesson for the family

I'm on a trip to Seattle, WA to visit my daughter. I checked out several audio books to listen to in the car. One was Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz.

This book is a series of 22 monologues written by Ms. Schlitz for her students. Each character tells a story about his/her life and are good portraits of what life was like in medieval England. I found it quite fascinating.

This summer as you vacation with your family, listen to audio books to help pass the time. The stories can provide opportunities for family bonding, laughter, discussions and education.

Travel safely.

Summer reading challenges

With school out for the summer, how will you keep your children reading? Set a good example. Find some time to relax and curl up with a good book in the backyard. Be sure to visit your local library and learn about summer reading challenges offered for both children and adults.

When my children were young they were allowed their very own library card when they could write their name well enough to sign their card. Our library had no limit on the number of books one could check out, so the limit I set was, "as many as you can carry". We would take home 4 stacks of books, spread them out on the cool wood floor of our living room and read the afternoon away.

Today I checked the internet for some summer reading programs. The Association for Library Services to Children has a list of Notable books. It includes many award winners.

About.com features the "Top 10 Summer Reading List for Kids and Teens: 2010".

Both Borders and Barnes and Noble have summer reading challenges for children that include opportunities for them to earn a free book.

Make reading a priority for your children this summer with quality books and memories they will treasure.