In the last two nights I’ve read the first two books (The Field Guide and The Seeing Stone) in the five part series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, by Tony DeTerlizzi and Holly Black. I’ve got the third one on reserve at the library, so that’s what I’ll be reading tonight! These books are quick and fun … Read more
I am almost finished with The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread, by Kate DiCamillo (Newbery Medal winner in 2004). Put it on your list of books to read! It’s a fun story about a mouse, a rat, a princess, and a servant … Read more
Kids need to do creative and interactive things each day rather than just watching TV and engaging in only passive recreation. The Toddler’s Busy Book by Trish Kuffner is a great resource for moms, pre-school teachers, day care providers, etc. It has some great ideas for fun activities and games for 1 1/2 – 3 … Read more
Tedd Arnold has written a three book series about a little boy who takes a bit too literally all the things he hears people say. The books are about a boy’s misunderstanding of “body-part idioms.” For example, when his dad says, “Give me a hand,” the boy thinks his dad really wants him to give … Read more
This week’s book talk book is Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. After reading this book, I would have to say that it is in my top ten favorites. This book is absolutely wonderful. I was enraptured from the very first word. I have watched many different film versions of this story, but … Read more
My sister recently told me about a series she started reading called “His Dark Materials,” by Phillip Pullman. She told me she liked the first book but just emailed me recently rescinding her recommendation after finding out some disturbing information about the rest of the series. Apparently Pullman has used these books to promote his … Read more
This is one of my all-time favorites. I love how the pages have holes where the caterpillar has eaten through and also how the pages start out really narrow on Monday and get wider and wider the more the caterpillar eats. The illustrations are also excellent. I think this book should be in all home … Read more
This week’s “book talk” book is The Outlaws of Sherwood, by Robin McKinley. My favorite genre of books is historical fiction, so I love stories centered around events in European history especially, as this one does. I know that many many books have been written about Robin Hood by many different authors and I thought … Read more
One of my favorite books that brings back lots of happy childhood memories is The Story of Chinaman’s Hat,” by Dean Howell. It’s the story of how the Hawaiian island, called Chinaman’s Hat, came to be. My grandma used to read this book to me all the time. It is not only a great story … Read more