Adventures to Take When You're Stuck at Home
When I was a kid, being sent to my room was the best form of punishment. All my favorite things were there, like my Breyer horses, my boombox with stacks of my favorite cassette tapes, and my shelves of beloved books.
I had discovered at an early age what American aphorist Mason Cooley put so nicely:
"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."
Within the pages of my books, I raced my horse across the desert sands of Arabia in The Black Stallion, I solved the mystery of The Secret Tunnel with Mandie, and I even fought in The Pushcart Wars of New York City. Many of us are stuck at home this week, because of bad weather, viruses sweeping the globe, or financial reasons. But we don’t have to stay stuck.
"That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” - Jhumpa Lahiri
You don’t have to pack your bags or load the car. All you have to do is collect a book or two, grab your cozy blanket and your favorite drink, and you’re on your way to adventures anywhere in this world or in another world.
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." - Frederick Douglass
But your library is closed? Try Libby or Hoopla through your local library (all you need is your library card number to sign up!). Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited for 30 days of a fabulous selection of Kindle books. Or try a 60-day trial to Scribd for unlimited audio and Kindle book selection. Not sure what grade level to look for? Remember that kids can listen to books at a higher level than what they can read on their own. My four-year-old listens to and loves books that would be more of a 3rd or 4th grade reading level if she was reading on her own.
"So it is with children who learn to read fluently and well: they begin to take flight into whole new worlds as effortlessly as young birds take to the sky." - William James
I have only listed the first book of the series, but many of these books are series or have many other great books by the same author. Make sure to explore the ones you love.
Baby-Grade 1
Grades 1-2
Grades 2-3
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
Adults
Just like I found when I was sent to my room, you will find books make the walls disappear as the new adventures sweep you into faraway lands and new worlds. And the pages turn, being stuck at home doesn’t seem quite so bad.