“A book can’t change the world on its own. But a book can change readers. And readers? They can change the world.”
― Sarah Mackenzie, The Read-Aloud Family

I love books! I’ve loved books since I was a little girl. I still have memories of going to the library in first grade and hearing Mr. Collins, the librarian, read a story about the three little pigs. He would huff, and puff, and blow as hard as he could which made all of us children giggle in delight.

My children are young, and we are just beginning to set the foundation for our life and home. Simeon and I have been talking and praying much recently about what values, rhythms and goals we want for our family. To help us gain a vision, we have been thinking about what we want our life and family to be like 20+ years from now. As our children grow, we want to put things into their lives that will create sweet memories of their childhood days in our home. I want smells, sights, sounds, and stories to take them back to the moments we’re currently living and cause them to smile as they reflect on the love and wonder we shared. I like to imagine that my children will read the same beautiful stories to my grandchildren and share about the enjoyments of their childhood. Maybe, one day, if my children bring grandbabies to come visit we can pull out Green Eggs and Ham or If You Give A Mouse A Cookie and we can laugh, cook and bake together just like we did when mine were little.

One of my favorite mentors, Sally Clarkson, writes in her new book, Awaking Wonder, “The direction you choose to walk determines the place you will arrive.” Sometimes, taking the long look and dreaming of where we want our family to be years from now can feel daunting, but remembering that a race is won by taking one step after another urges us forward.

I am a young mama with toddlers and a baby. We have many years ahead of us to grow and learn. I believe I might have just as much, if not more to learn than even our children. But what an incredible journey to be on together!

I have come to know the power of books and sharing stories from my love of literature. An enchanting fairy tale can be the perfect ending to a perfect day. A silly story can be just what we need to get through a chaotic morning. A parable from the Bible can settle our hearts and focus us on Christ on days when our tempers are short and selfishness runs high. I know life can be so busy, and you might feel like the last thing you have time to do is sit down and read a story as a family. Might I challenge you to take the 10 minute detour? I guarantee it will be worth it. Reading together hits a reset button. As I watch my littles climb into daddy’s lap their eyes alight with anticipation of what story we’ll share next, my heart swells as I try to lock every detail of the moment in my memory.

Creating a read-aloud family looks different for everyone. Time, location, genre of stories and more will vary from family to family. Find what works for you, and do it! You’ll reap rewards now, but I also believe you’ll reap rewards for the rest of your life. Have you ever met a parent who’s children are grown who has said they wish they had spent less time holding them in their lap or snuggling up on the couch to a good book? I haven’t, and I don’t think I ever will. Those are precious moments that I doubt I”ll ever get enough of.

This is just the tip of the iceberg on the subject of becoming a read-aloud family. If you’d like to read more on this topic, get advice on how to get started, or discover recommendations for rich, engaging books, I’d highly suggest the books The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie and by Awaking Wonder by Sally Clarkson. Their wisdom, along with God’s guidance and Scripture, has shaped me and given me a vision for the atmosphere I hope to create in our home.