One mom’s quest to awaken her little ones’ love of reading at the local library
Despite the advice from my pediatrician, reading to my infant daughter felt a little ridiculous.
Sitting in the corner of the nursery, I dutifully turned the pages of board books by Dr. Seuss and Richard Scarry. Yet, my narrative flourishes and spot-on sound effects notwithstanding, I could scarcely hold Julia’s attention compared to her toy box, pop-up tent or even my necklace.
As an avid lifelong reader, I was eager to introduce a love of literature to my daughter as soon as possible. I had started collecting editions of my favorites, like “Madeleine,” before Julia was born. I had asked for books with a commemorative scrawl inside the front cover in lieu of cards for our baby shower.
Yet when she showed any interest, it seemed more for the sensory content (cue slobbered-on covers or touch-and-feel tomes) than for the story.
Despite the fact she was still in diapers, I couldn’t help but wonder: would she ever love reading as much as I do? I steeled myself to accept the answer could be no.
Allison Stice 