It is a beautiful, sunshiny day in Illinois. Families are outside enjoying the warm spring weather. Children care counting down the days until summer vacation.

I love the seasons and all of the memory-making opportunities offered by each. One of my fondest childhood memories of summer is the reading quilt.

The reading quilt was made by my mother and her grandmother during the Korean War. Every day my mom would ride the bus to her job at the shoe factory. My dad was overseas, so mom’s evenings and weekends were spent working on a quilt. And my great-grandmother taught her the fine art and meticulous work involved in such an undertaking. I know that more than a quilt was a result. The time  created sweet memories for my mom.

Years later, that quilt became a gathering place for our family. We enjoyed picnics at the park. We stretched out on it to watch Fourth of July fireworks. And we read books on it. It became the reading quilt. It became a place of sweet memories for our family as we shared books.

Not every family has a reading quilt. Sometimes a parent and child snuggle on a particular chair to share books. Sometimes the reading place is in bed, just before sleep.

One of the wonderful things about having a special place to read together is the tradition it builds. Another thing is the expectation of a time to bond. And surely families of readers anticipate the adventure that a book offers.

What about your family? Do you have a tradition of reading together? It is a beautiful spring day here, the start of a new season. I encourage you to begin a new season of reading traditions with your children.

Carol

I am super excited about my devotionals for preteens. Did I mention that I got the idea for them from an elementary school book fair? Read more about my books here.