One of my favorite parts of summer reading is the book clubs that we have here at New Carlisle Public Library. I love books, and summer book clubs are the perfect place to share that love and foster it in children. This summer, we did something new. As part of our reading journal, we created a character gallery. It was a spot where we drew a picture of each character in the book that we read. As my book club worked on our pictures together, we talked about the characters—what made them unique, why we liked them/didn’t like them, etc. It was a great way to love books and talk to one another.
TALKING with your children is incredibly important! It develops critical language skills, emotional resilience, and executive function. All of these are so important for lifelong success. During August, you can pick up Character Journals in the children’s department. Grab one for each person in your family. Work on them together and talk while you create!