Parents: Trish and Patrick Kennedy
Kids: son Sean, 7; daughters Fee, 5, and Maggie, 4

There's not much privacy in a busy, three-kid household. That's partly why Trish Kennedy and her husband Patrick created a book nook for their middle child, 5-year-old daughter Fee. They had noticed that she liked to snuggle up with a blanket and pillow and read quietly in a corner of the room she shares with her 4-year-old sister, Maggie.

Trish Kennedy says Fee has always been a reader; she's loved books since before she could speak. At 18 months old, Fee would routinely grab a stack of her favorites and flip through the pages. "The very act of sitting, holding and looking at a book was wholly calming for her," says Kennedy.

Now almost 6, Fee devours everything from Pinkalicious books to the Magic Tree House series, Ladybug Girl books to Shel Silverstein. The private nook encourages her love of reading, but that's not all its for. Fee takes journals — and sometimes even a vintage typewriter — into the cozy alcove to practice writing. One day soon, she hopes to sleep overnight there.

Tips for making your own book nook:

• Bejeweled curtain rod and sparkly curtain panel from Lowe's — plus four hand-me-down curtains — create a gauzy wall of color.
• Decorations hanging from the ceiling give the space a whimsical feel. These include a tissue paper pom-pom with clip-on butterflies, a star-shaped lantern and a string of lights left over from a party.
• A framed chalkboard mounted on the wall is the perfect place for Fee to record her favorite book titles.