What to Read When by Pam Allyn

September 24, 2009 by Elizabeth Donovan, M. A.
Filed under Great Books for Girls

Pam Allyn is an award-winning educator who’s latest book, What to Read When, should be on every parent’s “must have” book list. Allyn celebrates the magic of reading to your children by making it easy and fun. What to Read When provides book recommendations, how to read aloud to your child, and tips to help your daughter develop a lifelong love of reading.

As a mom of three young daughters, I loved so many things about this book! From Allyn’s carefully and skillfully thought out instructions on how to “read aloud” to your child, to her thoughtful selection of over 300 classic book titles arranged by a child’s gender, age, theme, and interest – I found that What to Read When has become the “go to guide” for my daughters and I. Parents can find every book title imaginable presented in a well organized format busy parents like me can appreciate!

In addition, I can choose books based on current events and developmental milestones related to my daughters. My daughters have recently had to go through the death of their great grandfather and their dog this summer. I quickly turned to Allyn’s chapter on “Death” and found two wonderful books that helped me explain the process of dying to my girls in a way that was helpful and soothing: The Mountains of Tibet by Mordicai Gerstein and Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant provided my daughters and I with an opportunity to reflect on the lives of those we have loved and lost in a positive, soothing, and constructive way.

What to Read When is an extraordinary book that provides something far more valuable than a fantastic list of books. Allyn teaches parents how to share in the joy of reading with their children while also passing down one of the most important gifts we can give our children – the gift of loving and connecting with one another.

Case and point? The chapter on “How to Read Aloud.” At first glance, it seemed like something I’d naturally know how to do as a parent. But upon further inspection I learned a great deal. Allyn believes that the “way” you read to your child impacts how you connect with her – and how you both relate to each other. I have now begun to pay more attention to “how” I read with my daughters and it has made a tremendous difference. I’ve always loved reading to them, but now our reading time involves more discussion and reflection. When my daughter asks me why the pesky Pigeon (from Mo Willems book Don’t Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus, a family favorite) is so sneaky, we stop to discuss this important topic. Do our reading sessions take longer? Yes. Is it worth it? You betcha!

I’ve learned to enjoy our reading sessions even more than I used to. My daughters and I eagerly look forward to reading together every day. And isn’t that really the mark of a wonderful book? Thank you Pam Allyn!