THE ACHESONS

Tacked to a bookshelf in the Acheson household in Portland, Oregon, is a dog-eared notebook. Inside is a list of book titles, dates and single-line book reviews, sometimes as plain as, "I liked this book." The notebook, kept by the three oldest Acheson daughters, is a log of every book they've ever read. Erika, 14, Kirsten, 12 and Katie, eight, have been scribbling in it since they were old enough to write. Emma, who is six, can't wait to file her own opinions.

Creating incentives to read, even if it is just the right to add another title to a notebook list, is one way to help your child become a good reader. Another way is to cultivate an environment in which reading is viewed as entertainment, and new books as a great reward, says Lisa Acheson, former-teacher-turned-full-time mom. Toward that end, she stays in touch with the teachers at her daughters' schools, taking students to lunch each time they've completed four books.

Lisa and her husband Simon, a financial analyst, also give books as gifts, take rainy-day outings to the bookstore or library and make a point of discussing books at the dinner table. When their oldest daughter Erika entered fourth grade, they set up a book group for her.

"We wanted her to see how different people could get different ideas from the same book," explains Lisa. The club, which meets monthly, always features a fun, book-related activity for part of the session. For Jane Austen's EMMA, the girls watched , and discussed how other classics could be set in contemporary times. For Truman Capote's A CHRISTMAS MEMORY, ONE CHRISTMAS, & A THANKSGIVING VISITOR, they made fruitcakes.

The knowledge the kids get from their reading has made them more confident, says Lisa. "Erika will often say, 'Oh, I read about that.' She feels like she really has something to say and contribute to a discussion. It's a big self-esteem builder."

RESOURCES

Reading Is Fundamental (1825 Connecticut Avenue NW, S.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20009; 202-287-3220) is an organization for parents who are looking for ways to integrate more reading programs into their children's schools.