SOL: Dear Li'l T: A Letter to Li'l Readers Everywhere.

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Dear Li'l T,

We've watched you grow up so much this year!  Your sense of humor amazes me.  You are bold and funny.  Sometimes it is at the right time.  Sometimes it's not.  (And then I have to hide my giggles for the sake of parenting...but only sometimes...)

I've been thinking about you as a reader a lot lately.  You are so good at it.  I want you to love it.  

I've been wondering about the day when I would see you linger in a stack of books deciding which one to read next.  I've tried not to push and prod.  But I just want to see you excited about books.  And for the longest time, you tolerated them at best.  

I would recommend.  I pleaded.  I begged.  I may have even told you-"You had to."  Ugh.  I'm sorry about that.  

And then Your Dad and I backed off.  As much as I wanted you to embrace all the reading all the time, I just waited.  

Dad still read to you.  We still took you to the library all the time.  You were able to read whatever you wanted.  There just wasn't "The One" for you.

We kept trying.  For 8 (almost 9) years we've been trying.

And this summer....I'm so happy I could squeal.  But I won't because cool Mamas don't do that.  :)
I think it's happening.  I think you might be falling in love with reading.

As I was watching again today, I've learned so much about how you are growing as a reader:

• You can't go wrong with animal books.
• The chapter books have to include adventure, but they can't be scary.
• My heart may have melted when you started picking up cook books.  We'll keep working on that Mac n' Cheese recipe.  (And it may have spurred a rough draft about gender roles and books.  I'm not good at this style of writing, but will try it anyway!)  
• You can Always pick up the picture books I grab for school.  Always.  

I've learned in these almost 9 years that this is a winding river for you that we will follow as long as you need us to.  

Yes, You can Read That.  

Joy!
Kendra