Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

(review by Deanna)
A friend recommended this book to me and it was very enjoyable.  The first half is about the value of incorporating reading into the family's live and some ideas of how to do so.  The second half is a recommended book list by type and age.  In content and conclusion, it is very much like The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease, which I reviewed here.  In tone, it is more gentle and poignant.  Both are excellent and worth reading and following.

Honey for a Child's Heart: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life reads like a kind mother or teacher speaking, giving advice that has stood the test of time.  Hunt describes the delight and wonder that good books can bring us and our children and how sharing that delight deepens and strengthens our relationships. 

What do books bring a child? ... a big world with all its possibilities - people to know and understand, places to imagine, eyes to see beyond the obvious, words to stretch the mind and heart, and a lasting stewardship of language used in the right way.

The author emphasizes respect and empathy for children and advocates using books as timeless ways of sharing universal truth and joy without moralizing or lecturing.  It is written from a Christian perspective, though I think anyone would take the points she makes to heart.  She includes a chapter on reading the Bible and the special bonds created by doing so.  She also give some workable ways of making that happen from her own experience and family heritage.  She addresses specific question of whether fantasy literature is too unreal for children and how good books handle difficult subjects.

If you are planning to choose either the Trelease book or this one, start with the tone you prefer -   Trelease is more academic and results-based, whereas Hunt is more relationship and character based. Both come to the same conclusion: it is an invaluable gift to your family to enjoy reading together and for a lifetime.