Reading aloud, a classic Runoia tradition
At camp we love the tradition of reading a book out loud to campers at night in the shacks before lights out. I am sure that like it is at Runoia, story time is a revered part of the day in many homes. As my children have aged the density of the books and length of reading time has significantly increased. What was once a pile of picture books that took maybe 5-10 minutes to read through is now at least a 30 minute sojourn into a hefty novel.
Even with kids of different ages and interests we often hit on a book that everyone wants to listen to. After finding a pile of old Nancy Drew books in the Runoia library we have recently traveled down a path of reading older children’s literature. This not not only stimulates our imaginations as we read about places far beyond out imaginations but these books also generate many interesting conversations about life for children in ‘the olden days.’
Here are some of our recent favorites with our ‘what were they thinking observations and questions?!’
Enid Blyton was a favorite author of my childhood. We had these books shipped over from England so that my kids could enjoy them too.
“I mean really Mum, like you would let us go traipsing all over the countryside with just a basket of sandwiches.” “You probably shouldn’t climb giant trees without telling your parents what you are up to”
“Mum if we were gone for a whole day and had just vanished you’d call the police right?” 
“Wow there is no chance I’d be traveling on a boat by myself from India to New York if I were only 12 years old!”
“I think if I went adventuring I certainly wouldn’t be wearing a pretty dress. She really should wear jeans.”
We would love to know what you are reading. We will be looking for suggestions for the Runoia summer book club in the Spring.
Enjoy curling up with a good book and don’t forget to make it more fun by reading aloud with your family or friends. You never know how it will stimulate conversations and your own imaginations.