Mom's Book Club: First Book + Giveaway!

One of my goals for the fall semester is to have more community events for the wonderful families of San Antonio! We have a FREE Family Game Night coming up on September 14th, a couple of field trips planned for cooler weather, AND...

a book club for moms! 

I think it is important that we never stop learning or connecting with other parents. Previous generations would get together for sewing circles or barn raisings--and we have book club. ;)

We're going to keep this simple, fun, and very low-stress! 

I am VERY, VERY, VERY excited about the first book--it's the first parenting book I EVER read (sitting by my preemie's isolette in the NICU). It has shaped me tremendously as a mother and a homeschooler!

Reading aloud to our 26 weeker in the NICU

Reading Magic

It's a great read by the amazing Mem Fox, author of several of my favorite children's books:


Here's a quick idea of the great tips you can get from Mem herself:

Mem Fox’s Ten Read Aloud Commandments

1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud.
2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read.
3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners.
5. Read the stories that the kids love, over and over and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations on each page, each time.
6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games.
7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.
9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
10. Please read aloud every day, mums and dads, because you just love being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do.

We would love to have you join us! Please RSVP HERE--one lucky momma will win* a FREE copy of the book, Reading Magic!

* One winner will be chosen from the list of women who RSVP for Mom's Book Club. :) I'm purchasing the book with my own money; I have not been compensated in any way to choose Reading Magic for our first book. Affiliate links have been used in this post. You can view my Disclosure Policy here.