Cal State Northridge professor Barbara Hill suggests one way parents can take their kids on a wild adventure without spending a lot of money.

"Introduce them to the joys of reading," said Hill, director of CSUN's Child and Family Studies Center. "There is a growing recognition and awareness of the importance of books and reading in nurturing learning and the imagination.

"Indeed, becoming literate begins at birth. Parents' interested response to children's cooing and babbling sets the stage for developing vocabulary and conversational competencies, which in turn become the written word."

Hill said reading to and/or with your child during the summer can inspire a lifelong love of reading, introduce them to whole new worlds and adventures without leaving the comforts of home, or at least the shade of a good tree on a warm summer day.

Hill said parents don't need to start off on this new "adventure" alone. She said local public libraries sponsor reading clubs for children and librarians can help parents in locating the appropriate books for each age and stage of development.

"Start with your child's interests. Do they like animals? Are they fascinated with cars and trucks? Do they have a keen sense of humor? Today, virtually every genre of the literary mainstream can be found in children's books," Hill said. "This is an invitation for parents to savor the enjoyment of books with their children."

Hill has some favorites she recommends parents share with their young children. They include You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer! by Shana Corey; Fishing in the Air, by Sharon Creech; Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type, by Doreen Cronin; Olivia, by Ian Falconer; The Everything Book, by Denise Fleming; Max, by Bob Graham; Wemberly Worried, by Kevin Henkes, Kate and the Beanstalk, by Mary Pope Osborne, and Madlenka, by Peter Sis.

She also recommends two websites on children's books - www.bookhive.org and www.hbook.com - for their reviews of current titles and thoughtful advice and information.

Hill suggests that while parents enjoy summer reading with their kids, they might also want to take a little time for themselves.

"We are aware how children learn by example, so a home filled with print-rich materials such as books, newspapers, magazines, maps, etc., says clearly to a child that this is something that is important," Hill said.

California State University, Northridge has more than 29,000 full- and part-time students and offers 58 bachelor's and 50 master's degrees. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley.