Children’s books are stacked high on the end table in our family room, and seeing them always makes me happy.

When our grandchildren were young, reading books together on the couch was a nightly ritual.

They’d pick out some of their favorites, and we’d snuggle under a blanket while I read the books aloud. Later, when they were learning to read, we’d take turns reading the pages. I never knew if they’d simply memorized the story or were actually reading. That didn’t matter. Reading aloud together was a perfect way to end the day’s activities.

When our sons were young, our nightly ritual always included books. At 8 p.m., it was bath time followed by snack time. Brushing teeth and picking up toys were next. The boys would climb into bed, and we’d read a story to them.

I wish I could say this idyllic setting was every night, but life gets in the way. Sometimes they’d fall into bed tired and dirty, and stories were put on the back burner.

I also wish I could say I was a Mary Poppins reader, but the boys would often catch me skipping pages because I was the one who was tired and dirty and only wanted to fall into bed.

Looking back, sitting next to my sons at bedtime, reading favorite tales and then tucking them in remains some of my favorite memories. Because I’m an avid reader, we visited the library on a regular basis. We had a variety of books to choose from at night, and having different books kept their interest alive in reading.

One of our favorite books was “The Monster At The End Of The Book,” a Sesame Street tale about Grover, the loveable monster who discovers he’s the scary monster at the end of the book.

I thought about that book a few months ago, and found it on the internet. The grands and I read it together, and they laughed at the end, just as my boys had many years ago.

Today’s books on the end table include a few “Pigeon” books by Mo Willems. A persistent pigeon tries to convince people he can drive a bus or he doesn’t need to go to bed.

The drawings are simple, but the kids laugh out loud every time we read about this stubborn pigeon.

My wonderful niece Hope is also an voracious reader, and she posts her favorite books on her Instagram account. I bought the ones she recommended, and she was right – the grands loved the stories.

One of their favorites is about counting monkeys who don’t appear until the last page. Watching the kids do hand motions, turn pages slowly and follow other suggestions to get rid of pesky critters in the story is fun for both me and the kids.

Not everyone enjoys having a book read aloud to them, however. I’m a fan of Louisiana writer James Lee Burke, especially his detective character Dave Robicheaux.

I was in the midst of working my way through the Robicheaux series when my mom had surgery. While she was recuperating, I told her I’d read aloud to her because she was still a little groggy.

Using what I considered my best Louisiana accent, I started reading to her. Suddenly, she put her hand on the book and said two words – “stop reading.”

Thereafter, my brother Jeff would threaten Mom with my reading the book if she didn’t take her medicine.

So I returned to the under 10 crowd who seemed to appreciate my voices and accents in our favorite books.

The next time the older grands come over, I think we’ll go through those books on the end table and reminisce about our favorite characters and plots. I can’t think of a better way to spend a hot summer afternoon than curled up on the couch with a favorite, familiar book.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.