Encouraging Reading: Books for Car Trips

We just returned from a whirlwind weeklong car trip that involved driving from NC to GA to FL and then all around the state of FL and back again. That’s a lot of time in the car for a 20 month old, and we found that books really helped to keep her entertained. In my rush to pack, I only put a few in her bag, but after a stop at my parents’ house we left with a supply from Nana’s collection.

Books aren’t just good for keeping kids quiet and entertained when you’re on a road trip. I think planning for a trip can provide an opportunity to make reading special. Get a new book or two for the trip. For young children, it’s easy to pick out something that features a favorite thing (my daughter loves ducks – and her Nana lent us the fabulous Dib and Dab’s Swimming Day). For older children, let them pick. Then put the books away until just the right moment in the journey! The anticipation is part of the fun.

As a librarian, I’m usually a big advocate for checking out library books rather than buying them, but in the case of travelling, I think it’s a good time to buy a book. First of all, you don’t want to be the person paying a hotel or campground or relative to ship back an overdue library book or the person who lost the library book at Disney World or wherever. Second, there is something very special about owning a book. It shows a child that books are important enough to own, and gives them opportunities to reread or revisit whenever they like. If you’re watching your pennies (as most of us are), look for books at the dollar store (I noticed my local Dollar Tree has a decent selection of Sesame Street board books), thrift stores (you can often find series chapter books here), or discount stores like Marshalls, Ross, or TJ Maxx, where brand new quality children’s books show up for a song - even bestsellers!

Finally, make sure that you bring along a good book for the trip, or at least a few magazines. Let your child see you pick out a special title and relax/escape with it on your journey. That example will go far.