Bringing Up Bookmonsters

BRINGING UP BOOKMONSTERS is destined to become THE bible for raising kids who love to read. Its array of ideas is based on child development and language cognition research and practice, and awash in humor that makes it all fun. A must-read for parents and teachers, and a great resource for any library.

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 27 Apr 2021
#BringingUpBookmonsters #NetGalley

Thanks to the authors, The Experiment, and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

This was a really great read for me as a parent and an educator. I found that the light, informative, but familiar tone made it easy to pick up and put down as needed. I think that is really important for most parenting books. It makes it less daunting for overwhelmed or busy caregivers. I did appreciate the Index with citations for assertions made within the book, but as a reader I prefer them in context rather than a broad "Research says...". That's just my personal preference though, and I do think the author's own expertise and field of study cover some of the gaps as well. The Ankowskis clearly know their audience and child development well. I picked up several good ideas from them as well as confirmation that we are doing other things well already. I will definitely recommend this one to my book group that focuses on children and parenting books, and during parent education events at my school. Thanks for the ARC!

I'm a librarian, so the idea of bringing up children to be "bookmonsters" is gold to me. I love reading, and, while I don't have any children of my own, I enjoyed the concepts put forth in this book. A solid read for parents who want to raise kids who love books.

One of my fears as a parent (albeit trivial when it comes to health and safety) is that my two children wouldn’t be voracious readers.

Reading was such huge part of my life and of who I am today. There were a collective series of events and influences that have made me the reader that I am. I definitely won’t be able to replicate them exactly, so I welcome any books that can help encourage a methodology to make this happen.

I went into this assuming it would be a lot like the previously published “Raise A Reader”. I’m happy to report that minus a few obvious similarities, it shed new perspective.

There was an endless amount of knowledge and tips shared that I have already started implementing with my toddlers. I like how this had a tangibility to it, rather than just examples.

I recommend for any parents with little ones who are looking to foster an endless love of reading from a very young age!

Thank you to @netgalley for this digital copy.

Quirky, fun, and full of easily applicable advice, what isn’t to love about this new addition to a well-researched but often ignored sub-field of education? (Fair warning, I was provided a free eARC from Netgalley, so take all raving with the usual grain of salt.) Educators often bemoan the lack of options for educating parents on the best principles of early learning, so this title definitely fills an oft lamented gap in the literature. Not only does the title fill a documented need for educators, but it also answers that nagging question parents ask themselves late at night when sufficiently sleep deprived – I am doing enough to “get” my child reading. However, both myself and the authors of this book would recommend removing that “get” from the sentence ASAP. Children, as is argued throughout the book, should be taught a love of reading, not a chore-like sense of responsibility towards the skill.
Well-organized and written in language anyone – even sleep deprived parents – can understand, this excellent new non-fiction book is sure to delight scholars and parents alike. The information is organized by easy-to-follow topics – with plenty of animal themed humor to keep everyone laughing while they learn – and practical advice that can be followed by parents with children of any age or stage of development. Well worth the read for anyone who is raising or attempting to raise a “Book Monster”.

This was a super accessible book for parents on helping your children learn to read. They discuss how to set yourself up for success from the beginning. They use examples from their own lives and their children's lives. It's conversational in tone and easy to pick up and put down. Though I already knew some of what they discussed, they brought up some new practical things I could immediately do with my children. The books they mention are all listed at the end along with further reading and notes on the research from each chapter. This would be a great book for new parents, or parents looking for practical tips on helping their children learn to love reading.

Parents looking for suggestions on how to encourage their children to become readers should give this helpful and entertaining book a try. Amber and Andy share anecdotes from raising their own bookmonsters, findings from research studies on literacy development, and helpful hints at creating an atmosphere within the family that supports positive reading habits and attitudes.
The book is divided into four parts which focus on birthing a bookmonster, making it feel at home, feeding it, and teaching it tricks. That translates into suggestions on creating an early love of reading, giving that love plenty of sustenance through interaction and access to literacy materials, and helping to make connections between all the related skills (writing, spelling, etc.).

Helpful suggestions for ways to work literacy into shopping trips, car rides, and other events are shared, as well as stories about how the Ankowski's three children responded to different books or materials depending on their ages and personalities. The authors are careful to repeat throughout the text that children are unique and respond in their own ways, so what works with one may not work with another or may need to be adapted.

Back matter includes a comprehensive list of all the children's books mentioned. These are divided up into the sections of the Book Pyramid (similar to the Food Pyramid that parents will recognize from nutrition guides when they were youngsters themselves). Sections are: Unique Interests, Story Books, Learning Lessons, Just for Fun, and Literacy Skill Building. Source notes for all the research studies quoted and a list of book recommendations for parents are also provided.

The research that is mentioned shows the importance of early reading experiences, the presence of books in the home, and adult role models. But the information is presented in everyday language and balanced with the authors' memories of reading adventures with their three bookmonsters over the years. There is even discussion of the importance of play and the hazards of too much screen time.

Altogether a vey readable book which parents will probably be annotating with highlighters and sticky notes as they come across activities or titles they want to try.

This was a fun and enjoyable read! My husband and I are big readers and we read daily with our family together and with our children separately. It has great tips on helping children recognize letters, book lists, advice on how to keep them engaged in the story, and much more. It also details how to bring a love of reading to very young children, not just those of reading ability. This is a great resource for parents and teachers alike.

This cute and creative book is full of insight and suggestions for parents desiring to raise readers. The Ankowskis take a whimsical, creative approach to their presentation of standard early literacy materials.
This book is great for brand new parents, especially, because there are several chapters in the beginning that outline how to integrate language and literacy into every day moments, from labeling and identifying things to have facial expressions when reading books (great for reading and emotional intelligence!)
For the preschool and elementary school aged kids there are book recommendations that are stacked to help build interest and skill. The last third of the book also helps parents expand a child's use of books - for research, for exploration, for comfort, for imagination, for empathy. Each chapter sets up different ways to expand your child's connection to books.
This was a fun read full of playfully presented techniques.
Thanks for the ARC!

An excellent reference book for new parents! This very readable book gives lots of great advice for instilling a love for reading in your child. While geared toward new parents I was able to glean a few great tips for my pre-reader that we haven’t already started doing.

Overall a great book though some may get tired of the number of times the word “Bookmonster” is used!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This is a great book for those who have kids or work with kids and will help them create an environment where kids enjoy reading.

This is a great resource on the importance to reading aloud to your child (at all ages) and inspiring your child to be a reader. It covers what to read, when to read, and how to incorporate literacy throughout your everyday life. It is similar to Born Reading, The Read Aloud Family, and The Read Aloud Revival.

“Bringing Up Bookmonsters, The Joyful Way to Turn your Child” into a fearless Ravenous Reader” written by a wife and husband team is creative, humorous, and would suit parents of new babies and young children.

As a parent of adult children, I wanted to read this book because I am an educator who coaches children in reading. I did find some tips useful for parents of children who were already readers, and see how it would be to beneficial to them as well.

This book is easy to read and takes a humorous approach in writing style to guide you through science based research and tips to help your “Bookmonster” read with confidence, skill and most importantly grow to love books!

The authors carefully guide the reader through plans with a purpose to help develop social emotional and developmental skills, based on imagination and relationships!

It’s never too early to introduce children to reading, beginning with early language. This book helps the reader be engaged in informative, fun dialogue which will ultimately help them develop ravenous readers.

I highly recommend this book for any parents, but a must for new parents. I thought it was clever!

Thank you to the publishers and #Netgallery for the opportunity to read this book!

Last Christmas I looked for a good book for my Granddaughter to help her instill the love of reading to her daughter (my Great-Grand) and any other children she may have. I found a few things but nothing was just right.

Bringing up Bookmonsters has it all. With sound principles and sound advice, it is also fun and contemporary. I think it's a must for the parent bookshelves. It would make a great gift for a baby shower and definitely will be on my list for books to give my family.

Really looking forward to adding this physical book to my library for when I have children! Great ideas and loved the pictures.