Chapter Books and our MILLIONAIRE Reader
/Watching my boys grow up before my eyes is always bittersweet, but I love getting the chance to watch them outgrow different stages in their lives and move onto new ones. AJ has not only grown out of being called AJ (he goes by Austin, at least for this summer), but he has also left the picture book stage. He’s getting into chapter books and series, and helping him into this phase is nostalgic for me because I get to revisit a ton of series that I used to love as a kid. Surprisingly, there are so many series that I grew up with that are still really popular now, so I get to pass on a little bit of my childhood to him. Or, more accurately, I get to try to pass it on. I let him borrow my old set of Harry Potter books, and, as he read them, he ended up wanting his own set!
AJ’s Own Set of Harry Potter Books
This new version has so many amazing illustrations that really captures young readers. My versions were the original from when each book was released. I even have book 3 of the British version, when I studied aboard at Sussex University.
AJ set a goal last year to be a millionaire reader at his school. This meant that AJ had to read a million words, along with passing accelerated reader quizzes. It filled me with so much pride to see his determination sprout all on his own. While I had my doubts, he ended up being one of only 70 kids at his school who became a millionaire reader! He was one of the few 3rd graders who succeeded in this challenge, and a huge part of him reaching this goal was his move into chapter books.
One thing I learned about myself through AJ hitting this milestone was how afraid I was of challenging him. I know, as a parent, I’m not alone in that. I think a common thing amongst parents, especially when your kids are so young, is that we’re afraid to push our rascals too hard or have them grow up too fast or push them too soon and watch them fail. My advice? Let them jump straight in. Give them that challenge, whether you think they’ll succeed or not. Let them set their own goals and reach them, or fall a bit short, and then watch them pick themselves up and try again.
The only way your rascals will know how much they can accomplish is if they try, and, as parents, we have to not only let them, but encourage them to do so. I can’t wait for the next challenge I get to watch AJ take on.
Written by Head Rascal (Ngoc Nguyen Lay), mother of two rascals, ages 7 and 9.
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