I started reading to my son from the day he was born…I think stories and books are powerful tools for unleashing a child’s imagination. There are definite childhood favorites and old classics that I want to make sure Griffin hears. But, there are also some obscure stories that I’ve uncovered via Project Gutenberg which are worth adding to the mix.
One of these books is “Japanese Fairy World” – a collection of folk stories by William Elliot Griffis. Everyone has heard of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. I think it’s interesting to add multicultural legends to the mix.
I downloaded the text from Project Gutenberg via this link. I’m particularly fond of downloading ebooks, setting into type, printing out, and covering to make a little paperback chapbook.
Here’s some simple steps to make your own print book without using a custom layout program:
1) Download the text into MS Word.
2) Change the page view to landscape. Set the text into 2 columns.
3) Use page breaks to separate chapters, then set the chapter number and title in a larger size and a different font.
4) Scan through the pages to make sure that the text looks as you’d like it. If necessary, manually adjust using hard returns and page breaks.
Voila!
What about you? Are there stories that you think are essential for childhood reading? Perhaps some lesser known classics that are worth sharing?
Cheers, Amy
(Image Source: all cover designs by me… feel free to print off and use for your own personal e-book conversion! Obviously, don’t use for commercial purposes without contacting me.)
Amy Hill
imperfecthouse 