Have your grandchildren caught the reading bug? You can encourage their love of reading by giving them books and reading aloud to them whether you live close by or far away. Reading brings families closer together and promotes a love of literacy as early as infancy.
If you’re fortunate to live near San Carlos, California, you have access to one of the most remarkable children’s bookstores in the USA — The Reading Bug! Even if you don’t live nearby, you can still benefit from this unique family-owned bookstore with the wealth of options they offer: daily storytime, sing-alongs, author visits, discussion groups, craft days, podcasts and newsletters.
Founded in 2008 by Diane Savage, a grandma, and her daughter-in-law, Lauren, the Reading Bug has expanded twice. In 2015, they began a subscription service with a global audience in mind — Reading Bug Box. This service delivers personalized hand-picked gift boxes matched to the unique age and interests of your grandchild. In addition to the theme boxes, you can also give your grandchild a monthly subscription to Reading Bug Box.
GaGa Sisterhood Meeting
For our November GaGa Sisterhood meeting, Lauren Savage, co-owner and founder of The Reading Bug hosted our group of 25 grandmas. Lauren is a woman of many talents. In addition to being an entrepreneur, she’s a mother of 3 children, an actor, writer, and creator of the podcast, Reading Bug Adventures. Her podcasts feature original stories and music, co-written by Lauren and her husband, as well as author interviews and time travel adventures to places around the world.
Lauren started our meeting the same way she starts her storytime with a stretching song that got us all stretching up to the sky and down to the ground. Her energy is infectious and she delighted us with a reading of Can I Be Your Dog? This heart-warming story, appealing to grownups and kids, teaches empathy, letter writing, and persuasive writing. Lauren also brought a large pile of her favorite books and described each one and the appropriate age range.
Book Recommendations
Infant to 4 years
- Oscar the Octopus by Matthew Van Fleet (the child can open flaps, touch and feel textures)
- Chomp Goes the Alligator by Matthew Van Fleet
2 to 4 years
- Turn the Key on the Farm by Julie Merberg (a key is attached to open pages)
- In My Heart: A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
3 to 7 years
- The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright
- Grumpy Monkey Party Time by Suzanne Lang (the message: it’s okay to be grumpy)
5 to 8 years
- Lenny the Lobster Can’t Stay for Dinner by Michael Buckley
- Do You Like My Bike by Norm Feuti (Acorn series for beginning readers)
7 to 9 years
- Hero Dog by Hilde Lysiak (for early readers)
- Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick
- Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison (series)
8 to 12 years
- Mac B, Kid Spy #1 by Mac Barnett (series)
- I Love You, Michael Collins by Lauren Baratz-Logsted (diary format: girl writes to astronaut)
- The Bookwanderers by Anna James (recommended for families to read aloud)
10 to 14 years
- Train to Impossible Places: The Cursed Delivery by P.G Bell (Harry Potter genre series)
- Nightbooks by J.A. White (contemporary fantasy)
Whether you choose any of these books or selections of your own, consider making books a regular part of your time with your grandchild.