Celebrate National Reading Month in Clinton Township

Attention, Patch families.

As a bestselling author, but most importantly, as a dad, I’ve found this to be my absolute go-to golden rule for parenting: the best way to open doors for your children is to get them to absolutely love to read books. And this won’t happen unless you, the parent, take the job into your own hands.

Reading—no matter what kinds of books they prefer—is the best and only way our kids will be able to grasp a firm footing in this life. Never deny them a book at the store or the library. Make time for reading 20 minutes a day in your house. Read books alongside them. Make the act of reading cool.  

There’s a simple, easy way to get started: pick the books your kid will love. You can even use my ReadKiddoRead.com for a list of the best ones out there. Give them books they’ll enjoy, and they’ll pick up the next one on their own. Then another, and another… until you have a full-fledged reader on your hands, destined for great things ahead.

-James Patterson

Ways to Celebrate National Reading Month

From storytime to read aloud programs, there are plenty of ways to make your children full-fledged readers—and National Reading Month is the perfect time to start. From showing your child your own children's books from years ago to going to a bookstore and seeing punchy, colorful new covers, either can ignite a love of reading into your child. 

The National Education Association, which launched a Read Across America program to motivate kids to read, has plenty of resources on its site. Looking for the best books your family can read together? Then check out this list, the Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children. Get ready to grab "Cat in the Hat" and "Charlotte's Web" from your Clinton-Macomb Public Library branch – all of which have a children's reading room with games and toys about characters from various books. 

NEA also has booklists for every state, such as "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Curtis and "My Ol’ Man" by Patricia Polacco for Michigan. And if you're looking for more great books to read to your kids, check out the ReadKiddoRead Foundation's website for reading lists by age group and category.

The Clinton-Macomb Public Library also offers plenty of resources. Here's a look at of some local reading-related events and programs this month: 

• Winter Reading Club: Kids in kindergarten through grade 6 are invited to pick up a BINGO sheet at any library location and complete it between now and March 30. Turn in a completed sheet and pick a prize from the treasure chest.
• Battle of the Books: The main library is looking for students in grades 4-6 to compete in the Battle of the Books. Participants should read as many books as possible from the Battle of the Books list, available at all library locations, and form a team of 3-5 players to compete at the Main Library at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3. Registration is required. Call (586) 226-5030 to register a team.

Tell us in the comments what books you're reading this month!