In The Spotlight: Laura Bush

Reading Recommendations for Young Children From America’s First Lady

"Deep inside her very private life, the first lady may well be a woman whose passion is ideas. She laughs off this notion, but her hobbies are the solitary pursuits that captivate only those whose minds are engaged.

The voracious reading is one.

She jokes that her husband tells her: 'Laura, for G-d's sake, turn off the light.' Her reading list reveals a certain intellectual rigor, like the complete works of Willa Cather. She is reading all of Edith Wharton's novels for a second time, along with a biography of Wharton. Lynne Cheney, wife of the vice president, gave her 'Girl With the Pearl Earring,' literary fiction inspired by a Vermeer painting. Mrs. Bush calls it 'really fun and interesting.' "—Washington Post. More…

Laura Bush: Librarian and Teacher

The wife of George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, Laura Bush holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Southern Methodist University and a master's degree in library science from the University of Texas. She is the second First Lady to hold a post-graduate degree. After graduation, she worked as an elementary school teacher and a librarian in Texas schools.

Born in 1946, Laura enjoyed "teaching" her dolls to read and Girl Scouts as a young girl. Laura Welch married George Bush in 1977. The Bushes have fraternal twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna Bush who are named for their grandmothers. They graduated from separate colleges in 2004. The Bushes have two Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, and a black cat named India. Mrs. Bush’s official biography is here.

An Advocate for Early Childhood Education

"As a child, I loved listening to my mother read to me. Little did I know that she was doing much more than providing comfort and entertainment; she was paving the way for my learning and success in school.

Research tells us that the early language experiences and education we provide our children shape the way they think and learn. The quality of these experiences affects a child’s enthusiasm for learning, ability to interact with others and success in school.

Though many children grow up hearing a broad vocabulary and being read to from infancy, others enter school without knowing the names of letters or how to count. For these children, reading and learning can be a struggle. If they are unable to overcome this obstacle, their loss affects all of society…

As a mother and former public school teacher and librarian, I believe we all have a duty to help our children achieve success. And I am proud to join President Bush in his goal to make America’s schools the best they can be."—Letter from Mrs. Bush

Reading Recommendations for Young Children

This is Laura Bush’s list of bedtime favorites and books for lap-time reading to and with young children.

Goodnight Moon, Margaret Wise Brown
Babar (series), Laurent De Brunhoff
Carlo Likes Reading, Jessica Spanyol
Clifford the Big Red Dog (series), Norman Bridwell
Corduroy, Don Freeman
Frances the Badger (series), Russell Hoban
Hop on Pop, and others by Dr. Seuss
Make Way for Ducklings, Robert McCloskey
Mother Goose Rhymes
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs, Tomie De Paola
The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Simms Taback
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Why Mosquitoes Buzz In People's Ears, Verna Aardema
Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, Richard Scarry
Cuadros de Familia/Family Pictures, Carmen Lomas Garza
Curious George, H.A. Rey
Frog and Toad (series), Arnold Lobel
George and Martha (series), James Marshall
If You Give a Pig a Pancake, Laura Joffee Numeroff
Little Bear (series), Else Holmelund Minarik
Magda's Tortillas, Becky Chavarria-Chairez
Officer Buckle and Gloria, Peggy Rathmann
Sarah's Flag for Texas, Jane Alexander Knapik
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, William Steig
The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats
The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Tomas and the Library Lady, Pat Mora
Amazing Grace, Mary Hoffman

A booklist for reading aloud as a family is here.
A booklist for intermediate and independent readers is here.

Education Initiatives

Laura Bush’s Education Initiatives include, Reach Out and Read (ROR) and Ready to Read, Ready to Learn. The former is a program that makes early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care. The latter is designed to ensure that all young children are ready to read and learn when they enter their first classroom; and to ensure that once there, children have well-trained teachers.

Another Initiative, Healthy Start, Grow Smart publishes a magazine series which outlines activities designed to stimulate infant brain development and build skills that children will need once they start school. The entire series is available free in downloadable PDF format at the official White House website.

Related Weblogs

1. Montessori Mom (“Learning to Read” Archives)
2. Mommy Life (Christian Montessori Megamom)
3. Callapidder Days (For Adults—Fall Into Reading Challenge)

What books do you like to read to your children?

Photos Courtesy of Tina Hager (The White House)

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