What to Read? That is the Question...
A little break from the usual bedtime stories, today's post is all about some of the great stuff here on Substack.
Howdy, readers!
Today’s post is a little different to usual. I thought it would be nice to take a moment to shout out some of the great work being created here on Substack.
In today’s post, you’ll find an article that breaks down the research behind reading for pleasure, a wonderful little segment on first chapter books for kids, and a list of tips and tricks for making reading with your kids as fun and engaging as possible. You will also find a much-needed serving of positivity in the form of the Feel Good Newsletter.
Parenting Translator
Dr. Cara Goodwin brings a science-based approach to parenting information and advice in her hit newsletter, “Parenting Translator”. In her newsletter, Dr. Goodwin takes the science around parenting and breaks it down. A perfect example of that — on a topic very relevant to Story Whale — is her wonderful piece on the benefits of reading for pleasure.
In this piece, Dr. Goodwin runs through a recent study on reading and its benefits for children. Importantly, Cara does an awesome job of breaking down the limitations of the study as well.
Cara finishes the article with a short list of phenomenal tips and tricks to help get your little ones to enjoy reading.
Can We Read?
Sarah Miller’s newsletter, Can We Read?, is jam-packed with reviews and recommendations of wonderful children’s books.
The post I’m highlighting has a fantastic little section on the world of first chapter books for kids. In Sarah’s words: “My advice is to pick one, don’t overthink it too much, and start.”
The dream is to one day make it onto one of Sarah’s phenomenal recommendation lists with Story Whale!
Readable Moments Book Club
Another Goliath in the kids’ books recommendations space is none other than the one and only Sri Juneja and her newsletter, Readable Moments Book Club.
I’ve talked about Sri before. Her newsletter, Readable Moments Book Club, offers recommendation lists for every situation, fantastic interviews with a range of fascinating folks, as well as her own wonderful think pieces.
In this particular article, Sri offers a range of helpful and creative tips for making reading with you kids as fun as possible. She goes over a slew of wicked little ways to keep your little ones engaged, from picking the right book to using voices when reading to encouraging discussion about the story.
Bonus: Sri also did an interview with me earlier this year!
Feel Good Newsletter
There can be a lot of negativity in the world sometimes. Erica’s Feel Good Newsletter is all about taking a moment to look at the bright side of things. In her weekly newsletter, Erica gathers up a list of good news moments from all around the world.
I’ve linked above to the recent 100th issue of her newsletter. Massive congratulations, Erica! In this particular issue, you’ll find the story of a science breakthrough in the face of climate change and the video of a dolphin being rescued. What’s not to love about that?
Story Whale
That’s me!
For those who are new here to Story Whale, I thought it might also be good to go over what’s going on here and what the current line-up of ongoing stories are.
First up, The Beast of the Forest! This is the story of a boy named Jimmy who sets off on his own into the local forest to try and disprove the town legend of the so-called Beast of the Forest. Safe to say Jimmy bites off a little bit more than he can chew.
Next up, the story of a young dragon Princess named Hanna. This is the story of a young dragon with the dream of setting off to the mighty Scale City to compete in the famous Fire Festival.
Finally, there is the story of a lost pigeon in New York City. Lew was scavenging on a cruise ship when, suddenly, he found himself separated from his friends and family, lost and all on his own in the Big Apple. Soon enough, he starts to make some new friends as he tries to adjust to life in the big city.
Thanks for reading!
That’s going to be it for today’s slightly unusual post. Next week, Princess Hanna returns. Subscribe for free to make sure you don’t miss it!
More than happy to help spread the word about the Readable Moments Book Club! And thank you, Sri 😊 Likewise!
Thanks for the shout out! Story Whale continues to be one of my favorite newsletters and the work you do is just 👌