I’ve posted before about the importance of reading aloud to children, but a recent positive experience has prompted me to write about it again.

I’ve been reading Phoenix by S F Said to my nine year old.

Phoenix is a sci-fi / fantasy children’s novel that I read for my own pleasure a couple of years ago. I loved it so much that I kept hold of it until my children were a bit older.

Finding the time to read a chapter aloud to children can be hard; my children respond well to picture books before bedtime, but trying to read longer stories to them at that time seemed a bit ambitious.

Plus, I only really wanted my eldest child to listen to this particular story, so I tried to find a time to read when it was just the two of us, rather than the whole family reading different books together in the same room.

The solution to this has been to read aloud to my child during bathtime.

Phoenix  by S F Said, and illustrated by Dave McKean, was published in 2013. 

Bathtime is that rare opportunity when I can give my full attention to just one child rather than both of them.

Bathtime used to be stressful; we’d battle about how long they could stay in the bath, when they should get out, too much splashing, arguing about wanting to stay in until the water turned cold… we even used a timer to help control how long bathtime lasted.

But now, bathtime has become quiet and calm. It has become the time when I read a chapter (or two) aloud from Phoenix.

My child can relax in the water while enjoying the story, and I enjoy reading to him, in this quiet and calm environment, away from other distractions.

It has become precious time.

I’ll be sad when we finish Phoenix, but I’m looking forward to sharing another adventure together, during bath-story-time.

Do you have any suggestions for books to read aloud to a nine year old?