Track down The Old Woman Who Loved to Read by John Winch for a wonderful story and beautiful, engaging illustrations.

This book is a treasure, especially if you are involved in a volunteer opportunity that engages your child with aging generations. Through Meals on Wheels, as well as within our own extended family, my daughters are building relationships with elderly people. To keep them from forming too limited an idea of what an older woman might be like, I pulled this book off of Doing Good Together’s soon to be updated Books and Websites page.

As a parent reading this book, the joy is in how familiar this character is. This lovely lady moves to the country for a quieter life, with the hope that she’ll have time to read. As I type my own stack of library books threatens to topple off my nightstand at any moment. The time will come, I tell myself.

Alas, she finds that country life brings with it new and hilarious demands on her time, one of which lands her in a bathtub with her ever-present animal pals.Who among us hasn’t found our designated quiet, reading time consumed by unexpected obligations?

The kids will find this unorthodox older lady to be as entertaining as she is unusual. Ultimately, in the quiet,  dark days of winter, she finally finds a cozy moment to read. This is when, of course, this dear, familiar lady falls asleep.

While the moral is subtle, the story and its heroine are bewitching. Check it out!

Tags: Books & Resources, Children's Books

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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