According to today’s Shelf Awareness, Saturday, December 1st is ‘Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day,’ founded by novelist Jenny Milchman as a way to expose kids to the joy of books, storytelling, and spending time in a bookstore.

On her website she urges people to take part in this event. She says, “Bookstores hold a place in the hearts and times of our community. They are places to discover an author, a story, a life. Nothing affords the conversation and interaction among books and book lovers that a bookstore does. In the future, whether you download your story or pluck a volume off a shelf, a bookstore will be able to accommodate. But in order for bookstores to flourish and thrive, we must expose future generations to the unique pleasures they offer. On December 1st, 2012, take the child in your life to a bookstore. Watch his face light up as you give him free access, not just to a new book, but to tomorrow.”

This year marks the third annual event, and more than 1,000 stores nationwide are going to participate.

I did not see any of our local bookstores listed, but that doesn’t have to stop you from visiting. Just spending time looking at books can be turned into a special time, but if you are looking for an event the Tanglewood Barnes & Noble will have Clara and the Nutcracker from Southwest Virginia Ballet visit on Saturday at 1:00 to read the Nutcracker story.

My daughter and I happened upon a story telling at the Valley View Barnes & Noble by a woman dressed as a bunny reading The Velveteen Rabbit. My daughter very much enjoyed this free event. And I admit, so did I. Unfortunately, I haven’t gone to any others, but I imagine them to be equally as good as the one I did attended.

Tell me about other story tellings you’ve gone too.  I agree it’s nice to support bookstores, especially smaller local ones, but I think the bigger goal is to expose children to books and stories no matter the location whether bookstore, book fair, library, school, or home.

How do you expose the kids in your life to the joy of books?