Chapter 1

Last week, Olivia and I embarked on a new adventure.

I’ve been reading three books a night to her for over three years. We enjoy the quiet time, the chance to settle in, relax into each other as we read. We’ve been reading so many books for so long that we’re starting to reread some of the books. Olivia has never been one who wanted me to read the same book over and over. She likes the fun of new books, new adventures, new stories and characters. But she’s sweet about it. When I pick up a book and we read the title, she’ll look at me and say, “Did we read this one before?”

I will usually answer, “We might have but it was probably a long time ago.”

She’ll smile and say, “I think we did read it. But that’s okay.”

Then I’ll ask her if she’s sure she wants to hear it again and when she grins at me like I’m asking the silliest question ever, I start reading. She usually settles her head on my shoulder and listens intently, sometimes reading along with me, laughing at the silly parts and wanting me to share the best parts with Lyssie, who is usually on the other side of me reading her own book.

Last week, though, we discovered something new. The chapter book.

While at the library picking out our usual twenty-one books for the week, Olivia brought me one that is not shelved in the usual area from which we select our books. This was from the area where Alyssa gets her books.

This book was thicker, heavier. Definitely longer. I smiled at her and put it in my bag, thinking that we might not actually read it but I wasn’t going to dampen her enthusiasm by not checking out a book she’d brought me.

When I pulled that book out of our bag a few days later, Olivia settled in and we started reading The Two and Only Kelly Twins by Johanna Hurwitz. We only got through about twenty two pages that first night but Olivia loved it. There were so many laugh out loud moments during those twenty two pages, so many places that she wanted me to tell Lyssie about.

We finished the book the next night. I was thrilled that I didn’t have to go back and remind Olivia what we’d read the night before. She was totally into it and remembered exactly where we’d left off.

The next day when I got home from work, I walked in to find Olivia telling her dad all about the book we’d read about the twins. She was giving him a detailed synopsis of the story, retelling the best parts (her favorite was when one of the twins tells her sister, “I’m a girl, not a French fry!”) She also wondered if either she or Alyssa ever had to have their appendix removed. No, by the way, neither has had to have that done.

I love that I’m raising girls who love to read. I’ve been an avid reader forever. I want that for my girls. I want them to have worlds opened for them, their imaginations stretched and their minds blown by the stories captured between the covers of amazing books.

I can’t wait to start on the Junie B. Jones series with Olivia. I can just imagine the giggles to come.