Little Monsters Book Club 🎃👻

It is officially August which means it's practically spooky season!? Time to bring out those fall candles , pumpkin snacks, cozy sweaters and my personal favorite apple everything and crunchy leaves. Something about August truly sets the tone for a much calmer time. The days are suddenly getting shorter as nightfall grows longer . You suddenly find yourself snuggled up under your blankets while wearing long pajamas in a nice cozy bed . A time where bedtime stories can truly come alive. Immersed in the world of books page after page. I remember as a kid how important bedtime stories were. I always looked forward to my mom or big sister getting my favorite books It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown , In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories and Room on the broom and reading them to me. I couldn't wait to hurry up and shower and brush my teeth at night. My dad sometimes would tuck me in and listen along as they read me a bedtime story. My library of books was massive for someone who struggled with a learning disability and still couldn't read but, I loved imagining along as someone read to me. I could easily slip away and truly be present in the world of books and it was my happy place.

I'm not an open person so this post is particularly hard as I open up about my learning disability. I loved books and lots of them. I had a library card to check out books and was obsessed with scholastic books and the book fair. I recall my librarian Mrs. Forest always setting aside a couple of my favorite books for me. Magic tree house, Captian Underpants, Mary Kate and Ashley detective agency and the Hardy Boys were just some of my favorites. She even introduced me to Nancy Drew and the Babysitters Club . Noticing I seemed to gravitate towards detective , mystery and sometimes scary would slowly begin the rise of a particular style of reading. My mom and Mickey (grandma)loved Steven King books and other scary stories and sometimes would read short stories from those books with me. Momma , Mickey and my sister also seemed to bond over R.L Stein books and the fear street series.

I was always surrounded by Halloween and spooky from the day I was born. Storytelling was and is very important in our family and how we stay connected even though the only stories they told were ghost stories. I think the only books Mickey owned and read were scary minus her Peanuts comics and Garfield. I was no stranger to the scary, strange and unusual when it came to my family. I remember back when I was five my first scary book being a book Mickey gave me Christmas day called Making faces Vampire, Werewolf, Witch Monster by Keith Faulkner. I couldn't read it so i always let Roz or my dad read it to me while i played with the scary faces. I absolutely loved that book and took it everywhere with me. That same year i also stumbled upon my sister's Goosebumps book Monster Edition. This was no ordinary book but infact magical to me . The magic screamed at you whenever you opened the pages and I loved it. I always played with that book because i loved hearing it scream and Roz noticed how i gravitated to it often. My sister decided to read me my first ever Goosebumps book from inside Welcome to Dead House and after that I wanted more.

Anytime someone read a book to me the world would come alive. I remember being part of a special school program called on the bus. This program was going to help me get on track with the rest of my classmates in reading, math and comprehension. It was '97 and my teacher gave us our first Harry Potter book to take home and learn to read. Mom would often sit with me as I attempted to read to her. The thrill I got unlocking the magical world of stories for someone else had me hooked. Mom was definitely glued because the rest of the potter book Era she worked the midnight sale release and engaged with so many families and young wizards eager to buy the newest book. I almost felt a sense of pride because I felt in my reading and sharing with mom she became the headmistress book keeper. I felt I unlocked a new type of magic and wanted to share with everyone. I began binge reading all sorts of books, one mainly being family storytime with Goosebumps books. My first year i learned to read chapter books I did a 600 minute reading challenge and read way over and won a family four pack of tickets to six flags. It was then i began embarking on the journey of books with multiples in a series.

Sharing my love of reading with everyone began after my Moms best friend Joni introduced me to A Series of Unfortunate Events books. I remember borrowing The Bad Beggining and instantly being transported into a new Era of age appropriate books. I was yet again hooked into a new world of books thanks to her and I am forever grateful because in return as I grew older each book like the Harry Potter series aged and grew darker and with me. I also learned the importance of sharing books and passing on my knowledge of amazing reads to someone else. It gives you a sense of joy knowing that you can connect with so many others just by sharing your knowledge and love of books. Even well into my adult life I still find a thrill going into a bookstore and straight back to the children's and young adults section to pick out a book. It's truly a magical place because I always know once I crack open a book I'll be out of this world and into the world written on it's pages.

Storytime is still a dominate custom in my household. Even though I don't personally have my own little monsters I do have four legged critters that absolutely adore listening to me read. Often times my mom lays in her bed with her doors open as she listens to me read the dogs a bedtime story from my collection . When I babysit my friends little monsters we also have storytime and interact with our books. As time continues to change and I grow older, my love for books remains the same. From being read to when I was young down to reading to my little brother, and cousins now to hosting storytime live with everyone is truly amazing.

Spooky reads have definitely shaped my library when it comes to my preference in books. I can't begin to tell you how many friends have approached me about a recommendation because their little monsters want something chilling but age appropriate. Each time I have given them one of my personalized suggestions I am rewarded with positive feedback and a new little monster addicted to storytime. Knowing someone else unlocked the true magic from reading and absolutely enjoys it as much as myself is truly amazing. Little Monsters Book Club was started for this very reason. To create a magical world of reading , storytime and fun. A safe place for Mummies and Dadcula's to join in as well and listen to books specially picked from Auntie Becky's bookshelf. It will be interactive, engaging and fun for all families and reading levels. Bedtime stories for all ages and a little dash of magic. There's bound to be a story for anyone young and old. Sit down in your comfy jammies and snuggle up as we unlock the magic of bedtime stories with Little Monsters Book Club.