Where are my fellow book lovers? Good news for all of you with raised hands – Book Lovers Day is this week. Book Lovers Day is an unofficial international holiday that is celebrated every year on August 9th. Its purpose is to encourage reading and the love of all things literature. Of course, those of us who are seasoned book lovers can absolutely celebrate Book Lovers Day by putting down our devices and picking up a book. I have a great list of motherhood-specific books if you’re at a loss for what to read next. This is also a great reason to get our kids excited about books and reading.
Why should we celebrate Book Lovers Day with kids?
Reading is fun. At least I think it is. Besides reading being a fantastic hobby, reading brings with it a ton of benefits that we don’t want our kids to miss. Reading has obvious benefits like expanding vocabulary and language skills, but also less obvious benefits like increasing attention span and memory, introducing healthy ways to deal with emotions, and getting those creative juices flowing. And perhaps most importantly, reading with your kids now will instill in them a lifelong love of reading!
How to celebrate Book Lovers Day with kids?
Read a book
If you want to focus on reading books with your kids to celebrate Book Lovers Day, you’re in luck. There is no shortage of wonderful books you can choose. My kids are 4 and 2, so I’m going to focus on books written for the younger crowd when celebrating Book Lovers Day with my kids. Think lots of pictures, fun themes and characters, and lots of opportunities for pointing out sight words.
Of course, you can’t have a blog post about Book Lovers Day without including some book recommendations. I have included below a list of some of our family’s favorite books, as well as some new-to-us books that came highly recommended from very trusted sources (and super supporters of Sara in Season).
From my family
The Pout-Pout Fish (also The Pout-Pout Fish and the Mad, Mad Day – you wouldn’t believe how many times we quote this book in a week)
Little Blue Truck (also Little Blue Truck Leads the Way – my husband and I try to work swish swash swoosh into every conversation we can)
There’s No Such Thing as Unicorns (my 2-year-old loves to find the hidden unicorns)
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? (hands down both kids’ favorite books when they were 1-2 years old)
Dragons Love Tacos (it inspired last year’s Halloween costumes; 4-year-old was a dragon and his sister was a taco)
Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site (my truck-loving kids have been obsessed for years)
Little Excavator (I find myself reciting this book as I go about my daily life)
From friends
Mr. Watson’s Chickens (unique and fun)
The Circus Ship (the favorite childhood book of two very smart and cool not-so-little boys)
The Jolly Postman (very interactive)
The Monster at the End of This Book (who doesn’t love lovable, furry old Grover?)
The Book with No Pictures (a laugh-fest for littles)
Buy a book
Another great way to celebrate Book Lovers Day with kids is to take them to a bookstore to pick out a book. I used to absolutely love trips to the bookstore as a kid. I was like a kid in a candy store, just in a bookstore instead. It was so fun to browse through the kids’ section and pick out a special book to bring home with me. I want my kids to experience that same amount of joy when we take a trip to a bookstore so that they have the same fond memories of picking out books that I have.
I personally love to go to the used bookstore these days. My new obsession is the clearance section (I don’t use the o-word lightly). I come home with a stack of $3 books for myself every time I go and a stack of $1 books for my kids too. No one is concerned about the books being used. We get just as much joy and satisfaction out of a pre-loved book than we would a brand spanking new book. When you look at how much money you’re saving and paper you’re keeping out of a landfill, it’s a no-brainer to hit up the used bookstore!
Borrow a book
If you’d prefer to borrow a book to celebrate Book Lovers Day with your kids rather than purchase a book, don’t forget about your local library! I was a total library kid when I was younger. So many great memories of the children’s section live in my brain and it was a milestone to graduate to the teen section upstairs. I had arrived!
After COVID closed or severely limited so many public library programs, it’s important that we get back in touch with our local libraries. I love the enthusiasm that I see from local librarians trying to get kids interested in reading, exemplified my @mychal3ts. So, head on over to your local library to celebrate Book Lovers Day with your kids. I’m sure they’ll have something fun planned!
Gift a book
Seriously, y’all, let’s make this a thing. Why not gift a book to celebrate Book Lovers Day? I love the idea of my kids waking up to a new book (likely new-to-them) at the breakfast table on Book Lovers Day. No need to go overboard and purchase each child a whole new library, just one little book will do. I’m heading to the used bookstore to check out the clearance rack as soon as I finish typing.
Make a bookmark
If your little ones love a craft, get out the craft supplies and make a bookmark to celebrate Book Lovers Day! This can be easy. No need to make this more complicated than it needs to be. Cut some construction paper into a strip, give your kids markers or crayons and stickers and let them have at it! Once they’ve put the finishing touches on their masterpieces, make a big deal about sliding the bookmark into a beloved book. This sounds so fun. I think I’ll make myself a bookmark too!
I hope you all have so much fun celebrating Book Lovers Day with your kids. Please let me know how you decide to celebrate. If your kids make bookmarks, please share a picture of their creations over on Instagram @sarainseason. I can’t wait to see them!