Guest Post from Valarie Budayr

I'm happy to share a guest post today from Valarie Budayr.  She's the author of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  She's come up with such a fun interactive way to read as a family and give your kids a spark of passion for books.  I love her ideas of a book themed party!

Slow Reading Family Style and The ABC’s of Book-Jumping 

Slow reading family style, has become a cherished moment in our home. Not only is it a special time in each day to disconnect from our busy lives,  it’s also a time for us to imagine a life inside the pages of our books. 

Starting several years ago, our family hosted a family book-club called Book Adventures. Over the course of 4 to 5 weeks, our chosen book was read aloud. On the chosen date, all of us would gather at our house for a day of bringing this book alive via, costumes, food, crafts, unique games, plays, music, and art.  As each journey has unfolded, book memories have been created and a great love of reading instilled in our children.

As the years passed, our family book-club evolved into a website called Jump into a Book where our many book adventures, old and new alike, are shared with people all around the world.

It’s the official home of the “Book Jumping” idea, where book adventures reawaken the passionate idea of living inside the pages of a book and reading becomes an action word. Each story is a gateway into a magical world that takes reading from a solitary act to a group adventure that includes friends, families, neighborhoods, schools and communities.

“When we weave collaborative play into the fabric of our everyday life, we open the door to transform our relationships, our view points and perspectives on creating happiness, and the joy of innovating with our children.”

To inspire you to set off on your own book journey, and in honor of A-Z Mom's Like Me, I thought we’d look at the ABC’s of Book-Jumping:

The ABC’s Of Book Jumping

A. Adventure and exploration via the pages of a book.

B. Bringing about a movement where reading is no longer a solitary act, but one meant to be shared in a group atmosphere.

C. Creating crafts and projects to help bring stories to life.

D. Developing young minds and imaginations through the power of literacy.

E. Embracing the power of books and sharing that passion with others.

F. Finding pathways and walkways that lead to the wonderful world of reading.

G. Generational: Not just for kids, but also for moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, aunts,  and uncles.

H. Having fun and learning at the same time.

I. Inspiring a generation of Slow Readers.

J. Jumping into a book!

K. Keeping the act of Family Reading a cherished and much-anticipated event.

L. Learning to unplug from the virtual world, and instead experience a world within the pages of a book.

M. Making supply lists before starting a new chapter.

N. Not just reading about the magic within the pages of a book, it’s becoming the magic.

O. Offering a platform to connect with children through reading.

P. Pulling books off shelves and stories off pages.

Q. Quiet reading time is the new “family time.”

R. Reaching into the pages of a story and bringing characters to life.

S. Stretching the act of Jumping Into a Book over the course of several days instead of one evening

T. Tugging at heart strings and influencing young lives.

U. United families reading a single story together.

V. Varying themes and genres to expose kids to all aspects of literacy

W. Wandering through amazing worlds and strange lands without ever leaving the house.

X. Setting eXamples for young readers, communities, and schools.

Y. Young minds blooming and growing.

Z. EnthuZiasm!!

The first step to book jumping is simply doing. It starts with setting aside the time, gathering the family, and slowing down long enough to jump into the adventures of your favorite books and stories.

Valarie Budayr is mom to 3 uber- creative children, wife to one greatly supportive husband, and owner of 1 adoring cat. She is also the award winning author of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory enhanced digital e-book for kids and The Fox Diaries: The Year the Foxes Came to our Garden. You can find Valarie on her site Jump into a Book where creating family-friendly book activities and adventures is a daily event.