CELEBRATE BEDTIME READING WEEK

Bedtime Reading Week is always the first week of November

Dianne Ochiltree is a woman on a mission:  to make bedtime reading a part of every family's nightly routine.  That's why she's proposing an annual celebration of the daily  practice during the first week of November.  By putting the spotlight on the benefits of bedtime reading in this way, Ochiltree hopes to encourage grownups to make it a regular habit shared with the little ones in their lives.    

"Sharing a book with a child is a special way to say 'I love you'," explains Ochiltree, a published children's author, children's book reviewer and mother of two now-grown children.  "It only takes a few minutes a day to foster a lifelong love of reading."

"Bedtime reading also helps create childhood memories that last a lifetime," Ochiltree continues. "For example, our adult sons not only remember the books we shared together in those early days, they also remember the special feeling of that one-on-one time with Mom or Dad."  The benefits of bedtime reading are not 'for kids only', either.  "No matter how busy our day had been, taking the time to cuddle together with a book before the lights went out helped us all calm down, and get a better night's sleep," she admits. 

Ochiltree's fond memories of bedtime reading, both as a parent and a child herself,  provided the creative inspiration for her latest picture book, Lull-a-Bye, Little One (G.P.Putnam's Sons).  As she toured in support of the book, she discovered she was not the only one who has found inspiration in the nightly ritual. Not a book signing or speaking engagement passed without several adults sharing how much their own childhood bedtime reading experiences made them the passionate (and accomplished) readers they are today.  It did not take long for their tales to inspire the brainstorm of a week dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of bedtime reading. 

To help get everyone involved, Ochiltree has created a special section of her author website, www.ochiltreebooks.com, dedicated to bedtime reading.  Visitors to the site will find resources to help parents, grandparents and others choose bedtime books appropriate for reading to infants and toddlers; tips for schools, daycare centers and libraries wishing to plan Celebrate Bedtime Reading Week activities; and links to childhood literacy resources for anyone wanting to find out more about the educational benefits of reading to the very young on a regular basis.

• What to read to at bedtime...from the experts! Click here. NEW!
• For links to bedtime reading resources for parents and others, including some suggested book title lists, click here. 
• For a list of 'how-to' books about daily reading to young children, including a few anthologies of short stories and poems for bedtime, click here.
• For a tips on making bedtime reading fun for you and your child, click here.

To vote for your favorite bedtime book and to be entered into a contest to win a free autographed copy of LULL-A-BYE, LITTLE ONE, click here!