A Love of Reading Non-Fiction and an Eagerness to Learn More

Any day my son wants to read is a good day in my book. Reading is one of my favorite ways to learn, not to mention an opportunity to transport yourself to another place and time. Dylan has enjoyed reading since he was very young. Whether I was reading stories to him or he was making up his own stories to the pictures, the love of reading has always played a significant role in his life.

Dylan has never been one for chapter books like most kids his age or for fictional books. His passion is reading non-fiction. He wants to learn when he reads. Although he has read Call of the Wild, Gulliver's Travels, and most recently Small as an Elephant, he really does prefer the factual books. 

I'm sure many of you have been in gift shops with your kids and they want some plastic toy that you know will break in a few days, or a stuffed animal that will get tossed aside in a week or two. So you can imagine my excitement when we walk into a gift shop at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and he asks for a book. 

Not just any book, but the book ... the book he saw in the library when we toured the Beckman Center for Conservation Research. 

The one and only LOST ANIMALS Extinction and the Photographic Record. 

Now this book may not seem very interesting to you, but it ad Dylan grinning from ear to ear. Why you ask? Well, see that animal on the cover? That is a Thylacine, also known as a Tasmanian Tiger. Dylan has had lengthy conversations about this extinct animal with zookeepers and is truly fascinated with them.  

So far he has learned about the Heath Hen, which became extinct in 1932. A devastating fire swept through the breeding grounds on Martha's Vineyard and the remaining hens died from a mysterious disease, possibly the result of in-breeding. The last known Heath Hen was named 'Booming Ben'

One of the animals that Dylan spoke to Dr. Ryder about was the Quagga and he is anxious to read more about this fascinating animal. I love that he has an eagerness to learn more and can continue to nourish his passion for learning through reading books like this.