In the quest to become child-like, one might discover that rereading can be a richer and more satisfying exercise than previously considered. The harried adult may struggle to see the point. Just plowing through a book seems adequate to check it off, and, surely, there is no time to revisit it. It’s done. One thing after another.
Children, forever imploring “Again!”, can introduce us to a different kind of reading. Instead of skating across the surface of a well-known book to place it on the shelf accomplished, one can spiral in and out of good books regularly. A bit like spelunking, we are sure to bring up with treasure each time we descend again into a well-written and engaging story.
This has the added benefit of allowing children to experience the story at different stages of development. We don’t have to “save” a good series for when the children are older, necessarily. Obviously, there is content that is not appropriate for very young children, but many great adventure stories contain nothing inherently unsuitable to the very young. Will a four-year-old be absorbed by The Last Battle or The Hobbit? You may be surprised just how much even a young child can comprehend and enjoy in narrative form. They will miss a lot, but if this is only the first pass at a book that will be reread in the family, part of a “family canon,” perhaps.
And rereading will reveal that it is not only the child who misses things in a good story; the adult misses more than they realize in the quest to check it off and move on. Externally enforced patience developed through rereading stories and books offers many rewards.
As children grow, the adult will not necessarily be the one reading the books again and again. Older children can confidently venture into familiar tales they may have forgotten parts of and have the satisfying experience of reading them on their own. But a key component of family reading success is continuing to read aloud even after children have learned to read independently. There are many benefits to extended reading aloud, perhaps most noticeably bonding. Unlike extended nursing, extended read-alouds will not find your agile toddler tearing open your top and making socially unacceptable demands in public.
Even better if there is a decent age spread between the family members. Older children, along with the parents, get to experience the stories again with their younger siblings. As the older ones venture into independent reading, they can share a common reading experience with everyone in the family.
What kind of books could possibly be worth all that rereading? Charlotte Mason, a British educator, recommended “living books,” which Charlotte Mason enthusiasts describe as books “that engage the reader (of any age), relay ideas, and are written in a lively style by someone with a passion for and great knowledge of the subject.” This category casts a wide net as far as time periods, subject matter, and style. Books that are worth reading offer enough that will appeal to old and young alike, and books that are well written have the power to convey ideas that are worthy of consideration.
Lest one thinks acquiring a family library is an extravagant expense, in the current age books are thought of so little value that many of the classics can be acquired for pennies more than the cheapest rate of shipping them. Swapping books among friends is the even more affordable route. If one is lucky, the public library might still have some stray copies of good books floating around.
A family library is not merely books on shelves gathering dust. A family library can refer to a wide range of books revisited over the years through repeated read alouds and independent study. Such a library goes a long way to developing a family culture through shared experiences and the ability to discuss ideas grounded in engaging narrative.
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