Read Aloud

The past couple of weeks, we have been having a family story time before bed. The kids snuggle up with Neal and I do the reading (while Miles does some interrupting). It's fun to have that quiet time before bedtime, and it helps develop the kids' patience and listening skills. The book we just finished was so good, that I had to share it with all of you. It's called The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo (Because of Winn-Dixie). Perhaps you've already read it. I had heard about it somewhere and heard rumors that it's being made into a film, so I picked it up at the bookshop one night. We all loved it! It's sometimes sad and often funny, some of the words are big for the younger kids, but they understood it well enough, and came to love Edward. It's a wonderful story of a selfish little china rabbit who learns how to love others after he becomes lost and alone.

Here are some of Bagram Ibatoulline's beautiful illustrations. There aren't too many, so the kids were thoroughly enchanted with all of them.















If you're looking for a good book for your kids (and yourself; I had to hold back the tears a few times), check it out! It would be great under the tree, books are the best gifts!

What's Wrong with Me?

So remember how I finally bought that Twilight book because every single person I know, through blogs and in real life (I have a real life?) gushes about it? Well, I read it. And no, I didn't read it in one sitting. It took me about four days. So now I'm just kind of confused as to why I didn't really like it that much when every other person loved it so. Are you going to stop reading my blog because I'm not even all that interested in reading the second book? I'm sorry. I tried! I would call it, in fact, I did call it on the phone to Steph, "fun." It was a "fun" read, which, I admit, you need every once in a while. But, enh (picture me tilting my hand back and forth like the so-so hand gesture).
Call me a book snob or whatever, but this book, below, is what I call a good book:
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. It's also a young adult novel. I actually just picked it up at the bookstore the other day when I was in the kids' section. It had two of those shiny silver award medallions on the cover, so I bought it. LOVED it. It's a little LM Montgomery, a little Harper Lee, a few laughs, and a few tears.

I think you might like it, too. In fact, I'm calling it this week's Children's Book of the Week. And I'm saving it for Audrey to read when she's in about fourth grade.

Children's Book of the Week: 19

This week's book is another one we love to get from the library. It's all about the joys of reading, and it's called

The Best Place to Read
by Debbie Bertram & Susan Bloom

This book is about a little boy who is trying to find a good spot to read his book. He tries, Goldilocks-style, place after place. His teenage sister's room is too noisy, some chairs are too lumpy or filled with a big doggie, the ceiling fan near his father's chair is spinning too fast & making him cold, the kitchen table is sticky, the sprinklers turn on when he goes on the grass, and finally, in his exasperation, he comes to his mom and says,
"Mommy, oh, Mom!
May I sit on your lap? I love it so much when we share."
The best place to be, just my book, Mom and me--
At last . . . In a comfortable chair."

You can reserve it at your library or pick it up here!

Children's Book of the Week: 18

This week's book comes not only from our rather extensive library of Rosemary Wells' charming creations, but straight out of my very own childhood. I loved this book when I was little, and if you haven't read it, well, then, shame on you. You need it, especially if you have more than one child. It's called

Noisy Nora
by Rosemary Wells

This book follows little Nora around her house as she comes to realize the difficulty that comes with being the middle child. Poor Nora is ignored because mother and father are either helping Kate with her homework or feeding baby Jack. She finally has had enough and, after being scolded repeatedly for making too much noise, decides she better just leave home. It's adorable, so fun to read aloud, and the kids always love it. You can get yours here.

Children's Book of the Week: 17

This week's book is one that Audrey's teacher read to her class one day. She told me all about it when she got home and how much she laughed while Mrs. Marroquin read it to her. Lo and behold, there it was in the next Scholastic Book Order! It's very silly, and I find that the sillier the story, the more my kids want to read it. It's called

The Great Fuzz Frenzy
by Janet Stevens & Susan Stevens Crummel

This is the story of a colony of prairie dogs that, one day, receives a tennis ball in their burrow courtesy of the neighborhood dog. They are immediately curious about the ball and then one of them points out that "it's fuzzy!" Suddenly, they are all quite obsessed by the fuzz and beging tearing it off and playing with it. They start making clothing and silly costumes out of it. Neighboring colonies of prairie dogs hear of the fuzz and come running to get some of it, too. Soon, the ball is picked and picked until the fuzz runs out! All the prairie dogs start stealing fuzz off of each other, and soon they are all fighting. Something a little scary (for the prairie dogs) happens next that sends all the little animals back into their burrow, where they realize what's really important: each other.

And not the fuzz.

It's a really cute book, a very silly premise, but so fun for the kids!

Read more about it (and the awards it has won) here. You can buy one here!

Children's Book of the Week: 16

Okay, we're all sort of on the mend. We're going to Disneyland a week from today, and so we're talking ourselves into feeling just fine. But that makes us kind of tired, so then we take a nap. But anyway, here is another installment in my Children's Book of the Week series. This book is very precious; Audrey and I both love it. I think my sister-in-law Charlotte gave it to us when Audrey was a baby. It reminds me of all the stories Neal tells about going to the nursing home with his mama when he was a young boy. They would visit with all the lonely senior citizens, and that's just what the boy does in this charming book,

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
by Mem Fox

"There was once a small boy called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge and what's more he wasn't very old either. His house was next door to an old people's home and he knew all the people who lived there." He would visit them all the time, and got to know them all for their best qualities, but "his favourite person of all was Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper because she had four names just as he did. He called her Miss Nancy and told her all his secrets."

Soon, Wilfrid learns that Miss Nancy has lost much of her memory, so he goes in search of memories so she can have some to keep. He asks all the old people, "what's a memory?" and they answer things like, "something warm, my child, something warm," "something that makes you cry, my boy," or "something as precious as gold."

He goes home and starts collecting things to give to Miss Nancy: seashells he found at the beach, the medal his grandfather gave him, which made him sad, fresh warm eggs, and his football "which was as precious as gold." He calls on Miss Nancy and gives her each thing one by one. At first she thinks him strange for bringing him all these little things, but then she starts to remember. Memories of her childhood and young life come flooding back, and all are illustrated so beautifully. She remembers "the day she had met [Wilfrid] and all the secrets they had told. And the two of them smiled and smiled because Miss Nancy's memory had been found again by a small boy, who wasn't very old either."

Oh, it's just the cutest book. You can get yours here.

Children's Book of the Week: 15

We found the cutest book at the library the other day. It's especially appropriate for our family, since all three of my children inherited my trademark cowlick, which I inherited from my mother and she inherited from hers. All six of us have the same cowlick in the exact same spot on our foreheads. This is a cute little book which comically explains where "cowlicks" come from. It's called

Cowlick
by Christin Ditchfield

The illustrations, by Rosalind Beardshaw, are darling. In the story, a large mama cow sneaks into the bedroom of two little boys one night. She

"sees a face so soft and sweet framed with hair so smooth and neat. Quickly, as he starts to stir, before he wakes and catches her, bending low, bestows a kiss:
Sluuuurrrppp!
Cowlick!"

Oh, and once the deed is done,

"no brush or comb will do the trick when you've been given a big cowlick!"

It's a really cute book, it's short, sweet, it rhymes, and it's fun to read. You can get yours here!

Children's Book of the Week: 14

This week's book is a Christian children's book. My mom always finds us the best "church" books, as we call them. She's never even brought us the same one twice. We don't have any LDS bookstores in our area, so we count on her to introduce us to the newest and best church books. This one is perhaps my favorite. It's a board book with little flaps, but it's perfect for kids of any age. It teaches about faith and it's called:

I Know He Is There
by Rebecca GundersenThornley

It's the sweetest book, told from a young (redhaired) girl's perspective. She compares everyday experiences to the relationship she has with God, which helps explain the concept of faith in real terms. The author makes this difficult concept seem so tangible for young minds. Here is an excerpt:

"When Grandma calls me on the telephone I can't see her, but I know she's there. I hear her crinkly voice ask, "Do you like the birthday blanket I sent you?" I feel the thick, cozy, hand-knitted blanket she made for me. I taste a big bite of warm chocolate cake--Grandma's recipe. I don't see her, but . . . (lift the flap) I know she is there."

It goes on like this, the girl talks about hearing her little brother sleeping in the next bed, she can smell his stinky feet and hear him breathing, and even though her eyes are closed, she knows he is there. The last page reads,

"When I fold my arms and bow my head to pray, I can't see Heavenly Father, but I know He's there. I can't hear Him, but I know He hears me thanking Him for all my blessings. I can't see Him, but I know He sees me, and watches over me. I can't touch him, but . . . I know He is there."

It's precious, a must-have for every Christian family with young children, and you can find yours here.

Children's Book of the Week: 13

This week's book is a Caldecott Medal Winner, and was published in 1956. It's charming, it's tall, and it's called

A Tree is Nice
by Janice May Udry

This book is so simple and sweet. The text is great for beginning readers, and not only is it amusing, but it is full of interesting facts about trees, for example, that if you plant a tree next to your house, it will help keep it cool. Some of my favorite lines from this book:

"A tree is nice to hang a swing in. Or a basket of flowers. It is a good place to lean your hoe while you rest."

"A tree is nice to plant. You dig the biggest hole you can and put the little tree in. . . Every day for years and YEARS you watch the little tree grow. You say to people, 'I planted that tree.' They wish they had one so they go home and plant a tree too."

It's so charming, and you can find yours here.

Children's Book of the Week: 12

This week, I'm featuring a little series of books, printed in the 1960s, which introduces children to the great cities of the world. I believe my friend gave me the first one (London), and I then bought another for my sister (Paris). They are wonderful childrens' travel guides to the great cities and places of the world. The illustrations are beyond charming. Each drawing could easily be a blog header, if you know what I mean. We'll start with this,

This is London
by Miroslav Sasek

This is London begins with a gray page, and says, "Well, this is London. But don't worry, it is hidden in fog like this only a few times a year in winter." It goes on to tell about the history of London, beginning with the Romans 2000 years ago. Sasek describes, in children's terms, the people of London, the monuments of London, and somehow ends up communicating the charm of my favorite city.

the Underground trains

"This is Piccadilly Circus at night."

The Green Line coach, which will take you to see the countryside.

Needless to say, I can not describe without being very wordy, how much I love this book. If any of these places below are among your favorites, you absolutely must have the book! You can rationalize it by saying that you're buying it for your kids, but really, mine are for me. I'm on a mission to collect all of them, and I think I'll start with Texas.

The first book in the series was This is New York.

Check them out here, on Amazon.

Children's Book of the Week: 11

This week, I'm featuring a series of books. We own two of them, and are on the lookout for more. They are the

My First Little House Books
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

These books are so beautiful, in such a simple way. Obviously, they tell the familiar story of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the girl whose family left their home in Wisconsin to make a new life on the wide-open prairie of Kansas. In the first book in the series (above), Laura's family arrives on the prairie and meets their new "neighbor," Mr. Edwards, who helps Pa build a house while Laura, her sisters and their mother, get the rest of their new life organized. It's a short book, but the quietness of such a life translates very well through the illustrations. These are all great reads, especially for little girls.

You can see this image of the first page larger by clicking here.

"Once upon a time, a little girl named Laura traveled in a covered wagon across the giant prairie. She traveled with her Pa, her Ma, her big sister Mary, her little sister Carrie, and their good old bulldog Jack. They were searching for the perfect place to build themselves a little house."

This is the other book that we have, and tells of the simple yet special way in which the Ingalls family celebrated while on the prairie.

Other titles in the series include:
Winter Days in the Big Woods
Going West
Dance at Grandpa's
Christmas in the Big Woods
County Fair
Sugar Snow
A Farmer Boy Birthday
Going to Town
Summertime in the Big Woods

Click here to have a closer look!

Children's Book of the Week: 10

This week's book is another beloved classic from my childhood. Maybe you had it when you were little, too. It's still in print, because it's absolutely precious, and it's called

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
by William Steig

This book will make you cry, just warning you. It may look harmless, with the donkeys and pigs on the cover, but it is among the most tender stories I've ever read in a children's book. It tells the story of the curious little donkey, Sylvester Duncan, who is the apple of his parents' eye. One day, he finds a strange pebble for his collection and soon discovers that by holding the rock and making a wish, his every wish is granted. On his way home to share his treasure with his parents, he meets up with a "mean, hungry lion," and instead of wishing the lion "would turn into a butterfly or a daisy or a gnat," Sylvester panics and wishes that he could be a rock. So he becomes a rock, and is then unable to pick up the pebble to wish himself back. He realizes that his only chance of becoming himself again is for someone else to pick up the pebble and wish that the rock were a donkey. Ya, fat chance, and so, "being helpless, he felt hopeless." After a month of searching for their dear son, his parents thought that they would never see him again. "They were miserable. Life had no meaning for them anymore." Seasons pass, and in the spring, they decide to picnic to cheer themselves up. They end up sitting on the rock that is Sylvester, and he wants to shout, but he has no voice. They find the pebble, and wish that he was with them, and in an instant, Sylvester is back.
They return home, embrace on the sofa, and although "some day they might want to use [the pebble], . . . really, for now, what more could they wish for? They all had all that they wanted."

Oh, it's so good. I'm serious, pardon the long story-telling post, but you must at least get this one from the library. It's kind of a longer book, better for at least ages 4 and up.

You can buy it here.

Children's Book of the Week: 9

I absolutely worked my fingers to the bone today. My little goal of planting some pretty flowers turned into about 3 1/2 hours of yard work for me and my intermittent helper, Parker. I also decided to rearrange furniture in the kids' rooms and do some general decluttering (read throw away toys). All in all, a very productive day. But instead of folding the six loads of laundry I have waiting for me in the other room, or making the kids' lunches for tomorrow, I've decided to share this little book with you. We originally checked it out from the library in Los Angeles, and I remember loving it, so we checked it out from our local library last week, too. Still haven't purchased it, but it's on my Amazon wish list! It's a cute little twist on the fairy tale of Rapunzel, called

Falling for Rapunzel
by Leah Wilcox

"Once upon a bad hair day, a prince rode up Rapunzel's way," it begins. The prince is calling from too far away, and so Rapunzel can't quite make out what he's saying. He calls up the traditional "throw down your hair," but "she thought he said, 'Your underwear.'" He tries and tries again, Rapunzel, "do you have a ladder? Rapunzel tossed out pancake batter. It covered him from head to toe. She yelled, 'It's better cooked, you know.'"

The story gets sillier and sillier, and the illustrations are really charming, simple and colorful. The prince has all sorts of things thrown down at him, but in the end, he ends up with Rapunzel's maid. I won't tell you how that happens. You'll have to check it out for yourself!
All of a sudden I feel like one of those weird kids on Reading Rainbow.

Anyway, check it out! You can buy it here.

Children's Book of the Week: 8

This one's a classic, at least for me and my siblings. I loved this book when I was little, and if you haven't, check it out!

Ira Sleeps Over
by Bernard Waber

This story is about a young boy named Ira (which I always thought was a girls' name when I was little), who is going on his first sleepover at his friend Reggie's house. But his problem begins when his pesky older sister starts to tease him about his teddy bear. He can't decide if he should bring him along or not, and we always get a good laugh when he mentions that his bear's name is Tah Tah. He goes back and forth, he's bringing him, he's not. Once at Reggie's house, the boys play office with rubber stamps, they have a wrestling match, and when forced to go to bed, they start telling ghost stories. Reggie stops his story to retrieve his little bear, Foo Foo, and Ira quickly runs home for Tah Tah.

It's a great story about how little kids sometimes think they're grown ups, but deep down, they're still just little babies in so many ways. I love it.

You can find Ira Sleeps Over here!

Children's Book of the Week: 7

Okay, this one's a little out there. Not nearly as endearing as this one, and the illustrations aren't even close to as cute as these, but this book makes me and my kids laugh, and so we love it.

Peanut Butter Rhino
by Vincent Andriani

Basically, it's about a rhino who is planning a picnic with his friend, Elephant. He makes two peanut butter sandwiches, and after going outside and taking inventory of his picnic box, he inadvertently sits on one of the sandwiches. He can't find it anywhere, so he enlists his friends to help him find it, all the while we, the readers, see the smashed sandwich every time he turns around. Finally, Elephant says, "Excuse me, Rhino. But why is there a squished peanut butter sandwich on your bottom?" This is where the kids laugh like crazy, because it says "bottom." Hugs abound as Elephant brings out the two sandwiches he made, and they go ahead and picnic.

I hope this installment of Children's Book of the Week hasn't caused you to lose all trust in my taste in kids' books. Sometimes you just need a silly, crazy book to read with your little sillies. And this one is perfect.

Guess what, this book is for sale for $.39 on Amazon, right here.

I now turn the time over to my Guest Blogger, Neal!

Children's Book of the Week: 6

This week, I'm featuring one of the many fabulous works of Todd Parr:

Reading Makes You Feel Good
by Todd Parr

All of Todd's books are complete feasts of color. All the people are different colors, with crazy hairdos, and his message usually focuses on the fact that being different is good. This book touts the many advantages of reading and how it can make your life better, even if you're a little kid. The pictures have lots of little text details, like labels on books in the library, signs, and an funny food (like worms) on the counter in the kitchen. My kids love these silly details, and they encourage you to slow down and read each page slowly with your kids. It's a really fun book, and one of the many Todd Parr books in our collection!

Here is Todd Parr's website, fun for the kids! You can find this book, and all of Mr. Parr's others, here!

Children's Book of the Week: 5

Taking Care of Sister Bear
by Ursel Scheffler

"Hold me, too, Mama!" cried Little Bear. "But you're too heavy," said Mama Bear, and she rocked little Sister Bear back and forth. "Little Bear,you're not a baby anymore! You're big enough to play outside while I feed your baby sister," said Mama Bear.

"Having a little sister was no fun at all! She ruined everything, and everything revolved around her."

Poor little bear, living the plight of older siblings everywhere: ignored and pushed aside while the baby is tended to and cuddled. In this sweet book, Little Bear is asked to care for his little sister while his parents go off to pick berries and mushrooms. When he gets tired of the responsibility and stops paying attention to her, she wanders off into the forest! He searches until it gets dark, when he starts to get scared. He hears his parents calling his name, and they are holding his sister, who had wandered back home alone. He ends us realizing how much he really does love his baby sister, even if "little sisters can really be a pain."

It's a really sweet book that I think most kids can relate to. You can get it here!