Written by 
Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.
A friend from college recently commented on my Facebook, “Rachael, I get the impression that you like to read.” She’s right. I like to read—and, as must be obvious from my Facebook profile, like to promote books and authors and the joy they bring me.
I am a big reading promoter at home too but manage it without the social media technology. It’s really very simple. I buy books or bring books home from the library and leave them around the house.
But not just anywhere around the house. The basket of library books is beside the couch where you can easily plop down and find something new. The bookcase that divides the living room and dining room has titles facing out in both directions so you can snag something to read while you eat or as you relax by the fireplace. Each of my sons has a bookcase full of favorites in his room but also a nightstand stack for bedtime reading. And you can’t enter any bathroom in the house without passing a bookcase.
We may have gotten a little carried away. A home library doesn’t have to spread to all corners of the house. Just having books in a special place boosts the chance that your child will want to read even more. Reading Rockets has some ideas for creating a home library or for organizing the one you have.
I like that reading is everywhere in our house though. Books are part of our everyday life and my kids have gotten the message books are important and reading is valued in our home. But if you have any suggestions for reclaiming the china cabinet, let me know.
