Ruby the Red Fairy

I confess.  I can be somewhat of children's literature snob.  All books are not created equal - some are definitely better than others.  And in general I try to fill my blog with books that I think are great.  There are also ones that my children generally like as well.  However, there are many books that my children love - that are - well - not my favorite.

I was not always a children's literature snob.  As a child I read very few of the books I now deem as great books.  My favorite series was The Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin.   I loved these books.  I remember many nights staying up late into the night, reading by the light of my lamp, to finish "just one more chapter" and then "just one more . . ."  While this series certainly is not going to go down in history as "great literature" to pass on from generation to generation - they did something very important for me - and I am sure many other young girl readers:  they cultivated in me a love for reading.

What The Babysitters Club was for me The Rainbow Fairies is for my daughter.  She picked out one at the library and read it in a weekend.  After finishing it she started looking at the pictures of all of the other fairies and deciding which ones she liked best, wanting to know which ones I liked best, and trying to decide which ones she needed to read next.  Hallie the Halloween fairy usually does not come for a few days after Halloween allowing our kids to have a few days to enjoy some of their candy.  My daughter put her candy out on the night of Halloween with a note for Hallie asking for Ruby the Red Fairy - she did not want to miss Hallie and her chance to get her new fairy book.

Hallie came through in the clutch and brought Ruby the Red Fairy.  The fairy books follow two friends - Rachel and Kirsty as they help fairies in fairyland solve - fill in the blank: lost fairies, lost pets of fairies, etc.  The stories are written by Daisy Meadows - which is really just a pen name for five different writers who write the books.

And while these books are most certainly not my favorite - I am thrilled about them.  Because they are cultivating a love for reading in my daughter.  And isn't that the most important thing we can do for young children - help them cultivate a lifelong love of reading?