Timeless tales: Sharing favorite stories with your children

My very first favorite book was "Ramona the Brave" by Beverly Cleary. My first-grade teacher, Mrs. Harrell, brought me into Ramona's world when she started reading us a chapter a day, every day after recess. I could relate to Ramona; she and I had a lot in common.

She was a younger sister; I was a younger sister. Her big sister was bossy; my big sister was bossy. She was in the first grade; I was in the first grade. Yeah, Ramona was a lot like me.

I went on to read all the Ramona books and a whole lot of other books by Beverly Cleary. She, Lois Duncan, Judy Blume, and Carolyn Haywood wrote the books that defined my childhood.

Six years later, my younger sister was born, and when she was old enough to read, I thought she and I could share a love of the Ramona books. I checked them out for her, but she couldn't make it through the first chapter before she lost interest.

She also had no desire to read Duncan or Blume. R.L. Stine, it turns out, was more her taste. I was so disappointed.

For that reason, I was hesitant to try to introduce my own daughter to the Ramona books when she turned 6 last year, but one night before she went to sleep, I asked her if she wanted to hear a story I liked when I was her age.

She said she did, so I searched for a digital copy through my local library and found "Ramona the Brave" on audiobook. To my delight, my daughter loved it. Every night, she'd ask for another chapter. When the book was over, she asked me if there was another book like it.

The next night, we started "Ramona the Pest"; it was so fun to relive that part of my childhood with my own daughter.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband began sharing one of the children's books he really loves with our daughter as well. Every night, he has been reading her a chapter from Deborah and James Howe's "Bunnicula," which is also one of my favorite children's books, though I read it when I was in my early 20s, not in my childhood.

Again, my daughter just loves the story, and I love hearing her enjoy the tale. I hear my husband reading from the next room, and I have to smile every time I hear her laugh out loud at a humorous moment in the tale. 

I just love that these stories are creating special memories for her, too.