From the time I was little I heard this phrase, “It takes a
village”, usually in reference to childrearing. I want to expand upon that
meaning. To tie that cliché with another catchy phrase, “a rising tide lifts
all ships”, and give a little slice of hope in our crazy world.
Every member of my family reads. My husband loves his
thrillers and science fiction. Our eldest daughter (17 years old) dives
headlong into believe it-or-not “true” ghost stories. Our 15 year old can’t get enough paranormal
romance. She lives it. The 12 year old devours anything she can get her hands
on, and is an aspiring writer. She was a state finalist at Power of the Pen
last school year and plans on competing again in eighth grade. The 8 year old
is a whole other story. She lives in a world of imagination. From books to
games to an avalanche of dolls and stuffed animals that could wipe out a small
village, Princess Dani is a constant inspiration to me. True, they all are, but
Princess Dani wants to spread the love she has for reading with the world. She
keeps me on my toes, and my fingers pushing towards that daily word count.
Thus Princess Dani’s Reading Tree was born!
Every week Princess Dani will read a story for kids of all
ages. The first 3 or 4 weeks will be for preschoolers and kindergarteners. For
instance, the first episode she read “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman.
Later will come bigger books such as the wonderful “Pinkalicious” by Victoria
Kann. When it comes time for chapter books she won’t read the whole thing. That
would just be rude. So she will read the first chapter or two (depending on the
length). At the end of every episode she lets the audience now where they can
find the books.
If you wish to have Princess Dani read your book under her
Reading Tree please contact us at readingtree8@gmail.com
I realize we are just starting and not that big, yet. But in the belief that a
rising tide lifts all ships it takes a village to get kids to read in a world full
of shiny objects that grab their attention. Plus, it’s free advertising.
We shot the first YouTube episode last week, built her a twitter page (@Reading_Tree), a facebook page (Princess Dani's Reading Tree) and a google+(Dani "Princess Dani" Tews), and posted it on Saturday here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaHI9VyxZV2TXXGw-9FAZFw She couldn’t be happier right now than if I told her we were going to Disneyworld.
What do you think about her first episode?
I think its amazing what your doing. Keep up the good work. Reading is the key to everything!
ReplyDeletetwitter- @_iamchianne_
iamchianne.weebly.com
Thank you. Princess Dani and I will be doing all we can to encourage kids to read, keep them entertained, and promote as many authors as we can.
DeleteOur best hope to keep this going is if people realize how much time they let their kids online, whether they're watching a funny video or playing games. Now imagine if instead of watching some one fall flat on their face while parents are standing in line at the grocery story or finishing dinner that child gets a story read to them from some one like them. It's win-win.
Hi! I loved this! Both of my parents were huge readers while I was growing up, and while I was the only one of the three children to latch onto the intense passion for language, my brothers and I all have a healthy respect for the power of written language. We are all highly educated, curious, and complex adults...thanks, I believe, to our mother's constant use of books--reading aloud, trips to the library, and even the obvious pleasure she took in reading for herself. Thank you for sharing your wonderful family of readers in this--especially the awesome Princess Dani!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I'm thrilled you not only enjoyed the post, but that it took you down memory lane. Thank you for opening up. I bet your mom & dad are proud of all three of you. I know were I your mom I would be, just as I am of my four girls.
ReplyDeletePrincess Dani will have a new episode up this Saturday. She's jumping on the Dr. Seuss train to Hop on Pop!
Well, I guess we know who HER mother is...
ReplyDeleteYeah, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. lol
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