Read Your Way Around NYC

Summer and books just go together. Whether it's beach reading, summer reading lists, or those extra daylight hours, summer just seems like a good time to catch up on your reading. This week Mommy Poppins is going to help you turn your children's reading list into a week full of activities with a great idea that was suggested to me by our school Parent Coordinator, Laura.

Laura wrote a terrific article in our school newsletter about a book, Storied City: A Children's Book Walking-Tour Guide to New York City. It takes all the children's books that have been written about New York and connects them with the real life city. Talk about experiencing literature first hand. I love this idea.

Storied City is suitable for parents of kids of all ages. It covers picture book favorites like Lyle Crocodile and The House on East 88th Street up to novels for older children, like Paula Danzinger's Remember Me to Harold Square. The Lower Manhattan section, which uses children's books and literature to take you through the history of New York, would be great for homeschoolers or anyone who wants to show their children NYC history first-hand.

Taking inspiration from the book, all this week, I'll be suggesting excursions you can do with your kids to experience their favorite children's books in real life. We suggested an outing like this a couple weeks ago with our Brooklyn Bridge/Dumbo walk and the book Twenty-One Elephants. Stay tuned for more to come.

Storied City is out of print, but there are still some copies available on Amazon.