Last week it was so hot in Chicago, I only took the kids outside if necessary. Reaching above 100F four days in a row, Chicago hadn’t seen a heat wave like this since the mid-1990s (and I wasn’t even living here then).
Thankfully, the kids were easily entertained with books and their new public library reading game.
For every 10 minutes they read, they can color a picture of an ice cream sundae. Along the way, as they fill in their chart, they will be able to redeem prizes at the library. When they finish the chart, they’ll win a free book.
3 year old Martin and 5 year old Rachel enjoy any book written by Mo Willems. Their favorites also include This is Hong Kong, picture books by Grace Lin, and children’s books published by ThingsAsian Press.
The whole family has been reading a lot. It even felt too hot to turn on the t.v. At night when the little ones are in bed, Tom will steal away to the reading corner off the kitchen. My oldest son Jake and I hang out in the living room where the a/c isn’t as strong.
A couple years ago I wrote a column for a local paper, and centered one piece around reading during a days-long power outage.
So no matter the weather–dangerously high heat waves or storms followed by power outages–I’ll never complain as long as I have a good book.
With all those power outages, perhaps a good book AND a candle?
I love reading, but with one thing and another, it’s so hard to get “ordinary” books here in China. Sure, there’s a plethora of ancient books of “classic” literature about, but I prefer something with a bit more meat on its bones.
If they’d had that “read for ten minutes and get rewarded” scheme going when I was a kid, I would have owned the library – I was never without a book on the go, I’d spend hours at a time with my nose stuck in one, and my head in another realm….
Yes, or a flashlight (torch in Commonwealth English?)!
The only get to color in a picture after 10 minutes. Prizes come after 150, 200, and 450 minutes.
I know what it’s like not to have access to many books in China. Aiya!