World Citizen Wednesdays #13: International Book Giving Day

Welcome to World Citizen Wednesday!

Each week we pose a question to members of the fabulous Multicultural Kid Blogs group and share their answers here.

To find out more about these amazing bloggers, check out the Multicultural Kid Blogs Facebook page. And watch for our group website, coming soon!

This is a special edition of World Citizen Wednesday, dedicated to International Book Giving Day, coming up on February 14.  This day promotes a great cause: getting books into the hands of as many children as possible.  Find out how you can get involved!

To celebrate International Book Giving Day, this week we ask:

What books are your kids reading now?

Amy of Delightful Children’s Books and International Book Giving Day: This week, my 3-year-old and 5-year-old’s favorite books have been Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Day it Rained Hearts, the American Girl books (especially those about Josefina) and our most recent issue of Ranger Rick Jr. magazine. My 8-year-old reads a lot! He has been reading Calvin and Hobbes, Ivy and Bean, Captain Underpants and a Harry Potter book.

Alyson of World Travel Family: My 8 year old is a big reader, he’s currently re reading, for the fourth time, Eragon by Christopher Paolini. He adores this series of books, he talks about it all the time and his play is often influenced by Eragon style magic and spells. My little one, 6, refuses to read, he says he doesn’t like it. He does spend a lot of time looking at Asterix and Tin Tin books, as does the elder one, I know he’s reading some of the words, one day he’ll just decide to read all by himself. At the moment I can usually get him to read me a story book in exchange for computer game time, but that’s it. Both of my boys are unschooled, I don’t push it too hard.

Kim of The Educators’ Spin On It: We are reading all of David McPhail’s books for The Virtual Book for Kids. My six year old is also in love with her new Highlights magazines the she received as a gift. Love reading gifts that come in the mail each month! Hint hint…. Our act of kindness project is going to include books & mail!

Frances of Discovering the World through My Son’s Eyes: My 4 yr. old doesn’t “read” yet but I do read to him a variety of books. He enjoys when I read to him, and often sits down to look at the books by himself.

• Children’s picture board books: Judith Byron Schachner collection of SkippyJon Jones; Sandra Boynton’s books: Blue Hat, Green Hat, Moo Baa La La La, Doggies, Night-Night, Little Pookie, A to Z, Opposites; Eric Carle’s collection: Brown Bear, Polar Bear, & Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
• Books about diversity: Whoever You Are by Mem Fox, Leslie Staub; We’re Different, We’re the Same (Sesame Street) by Bobbi Kates, Joe Mathieu; A Rainbow of Friends by P. K. Hallinan; It’s Okay To Be Different by Todd Parr; The Colors of Us by Karen Katz
• Dr. Seuss’ collection: One Fish, Two Fish, Fed Fish, Blue Fish; The Cat in Hat; Green Eggs and Ham; The Foot Book
• Bilingual and Spanish books and his all time favorite Good Night Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown

He has a variety of other books, religious, culture, animal, numbers, etc. We read them all!

Carrie of Crafty Moms Share: My 4 year old does not read yet either, but we are enjoying Cinderella books from different cultures, David McPhail books for Virtual Book Club for Kids and a few winter books.

Becky of Kid World Citizen: I try to have the big kids alternate between fiction and nonfiction so my daughter just finished Boxcar Children and is now halfway through the Magic Treehouse Penguins and Antarctica, Mary Pope Osborne (accompanies fiction Eve of the Emperor Penguin by the same author). My son is reading a Nate the Great book:).

MaryAnne of Mama Smiles: “Farmer Boy” by Laura Ingalls Wilder is our bedtime story at the moment – LOVING it. We are also loving David McPhail’s books – my 5yo son especially enjoys the Pig Pig books.

Varya of Little Artists: There is a fly guy in my soup! Froggy series. Barbie series (bilingual books made for the Barbie cartoons). Three Little Pigs…She “reads” them – as in she memorized the stories and when flipping pages she recites what she remembers.

Jody of Mud Hut Mama: My girls’ favorites are anything by Julia Donaldson, especially The Gruffalo, but we do have a new (to them) book that is getting lots of giggles – The Monster at the end of this Book. I loved this Little Golden Book when I was a kid – my mother just sent it to us and I am now remembering why it was such a favorite.

And ours? My three-year-old’s current favorites are Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site; Frederick; Pizza at Sally’s; and Millions of Snowflakes.  His long-time favorite Good Night, Gorilla has also gotten back into the nighttime rotation recently, much to my delight.

Thanks to all the bloggers who shared their answers here! You can read answers to earlier questions in our previous installments of World Citizen Wednesday, including tips for traveling with kids!

Find out more about these wonderful bloggers by visiting our Facebook page, subscribing to our Facebook feed, following us on Twitter, or following our group Pinterest board! On Twitter, you can also find us by using the hashtag #multiculturalkids. And watch for our very own website, coming soon!