Wouldn’t it be great to know that you could provide your child with an additional $250,000 or more over the course of his lifetime? Guess what? You can and it’s easy. According to the Children’s Reading Foundation, “for every year you read with your child, average lifetime earnings increase by $50,000. By the time your child starts kindergarten, you make a $250,000 gift to your child by reading aloud just 20 minutes a day!” Wow, that’s an impressive statistic. What are you waiting for? Here are some recommendations to get you started.

From preschool through primary grades, many of Tomie dePaola’s books hit the mark. This talented man is the author and illustrator of a variety of books ranging from retold legends to stories based on his own experiences. My youngest son was actually the one who introduced me to this author. He discovered The Mysterious Giant of Barletta, written by dePaola, during one of our frequent library visits. For years, this was Joe’s favorite read aloud. Two of dePaola’s most lovable characters are Stega Nona and Big Anthony. Big Anthony tends to get himself into the kinds of trouble that youngsters enjoy and relate to.  Slip into the library and check out some of these entertaining tales.

Patricia Polacco is an amazing author. She draws on her own family experiences, and uses rich language to weave memorable tales. Many of her stories span the ages and can easily be enjoyed by everyone in the family. Thunder Cake, Thank you, Mr. Falker, and My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother are three of my favorites. Hope you enjoy your reading time even more now that you know you are not only building your child’s literacy skills but also his future financial portfolio.