Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies

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This book about-yes, microbes- was so beautiful and charming! I didn't think that noun and those adjectives would ever be placed side by side, but Nicola Davies book, Tiny Creatures, is just as fun to look at as informational to read. This non-fiction storybook is playful and colorful, and quite factual with a little bit of witticism thrown in. That's a darn fine combination for a topic that is of the science-y nature (and I have to admit, not my favorite topic to read about). My kids loved this book, and wanted me to read it multiple times. 

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I do not have the best memory for elementary science, but I am a big enthusiast of well-illustrated and concise children's books on the topic, and this book is just that. The pictures are quite pleasant and are deifnitely cut from a Victorian-yet-folksy stone, which brings out bright yet somewhat muted or matte colors, without drawing away from the well done writing. 

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Of course the best part about sharing this book with the kids was the learning, of which this picture and words share some of what amazed them--that microbes are on our food, in our stomachs, and in our water all the time. A beautiful book for the science-loving child in your life, and enjoyable for adults, as well. Now, I need to look up what other books this author and also the illustrator, Emily Sutton, have done and put them on hold lickety-split!

Summer Birds The Butterflies of Maria Merian

I loved this picture book that we found at the library, Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian by Margarita Engle. It is a true story, a picturebook biography about a woman who lived centuries ago and was one of the first true naturalists. She discovered that caterpillars turn into butterflies, as it was common belief at the time that butterflies and caterpillars were two separate types of insects.

The pictures are stunning, and have that a botany-for-kids feel (like if these posters were made for kids), and perfectly align with the narrative. I had never heard of Maria Merien before but when looking her up on Wikipedia, I found that she illustrated her first botany book at age 28; quite impressive for the 17th century and being female.

This is a wonderful companion book for science and nature lovers, studies in female scientists and game-changers, and just an all-around beautiful picture book. I see a butterfly project in your future!

The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh

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I am an active follower of the Read-Aloud Revival, a podcast (and facebook group) about reading aloud excellent books to children even once they're old enough to read on their own. I've read the science behind why reading a loud to kids makes such a difference, and I buy into it. The great thing about the facebook page is simply why we're all there--the excellent book recommendations. 

I saw a lot of people mentioning The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh on the forum, and I thought if so many people recommended it, it must be good! I really enjoyed the illustrations, and the simple story (50+ pages), and it gave us a lot to talk about including relationships between native peoples and the settlers. I found out it was based on a true story and I love true stories, especially when they are written well. 

This book would be excellent for a mid-elementary school resource or homeschooling and learning about pioneer times. The story involves a young girl, Sarah, age 8, who goes on a long trip to help her father (to cook for him, actually) for months while he builds their family's new house in a different location. They have to sleep in a cave, watch out for wolves, develop relationships with people who speak a different language, and get the work done before winter. It's short and sweet and it would be a great precursor to the Little House books because of it's size. 

Do your kids like historical fiction, or would they rather read sci-fi, fantasy, or a novel?

Usborne's Big Book of Papercraft!

It's no surprise I love Usborne books (I even sold them for a time!), and this is one of the DIY books that they are so well known for. The Big Book of Papercraft is a book I found for Ani at the library. She loves doing any sort of craft, and Usborne's DIY books are so easy for quite a range of ages. There are pictures for each step, detailed notes for the readers, and a great example on each two page spread to give you an idea.

Ani looked through the entire book a few times before comitting to a few she really wanted to make. I didn't necessarily take photos of all of those, I took photos of some of the ones *I* would want to do. The crafts are really quite varied in this book, and I can really see this book being a part of an art library for many ages and stages for a family. Those types of books make great gifts. Wink!

A few of the projects involve weaving of some sort, and even give instruction for many different styles of weaving, as you can see above. I especially love the zig-zag look on the right-hand side, halfway down the page. I've never seen that before in a papercraft book!

This project is of course, of a cityscape, but it's also a project that could be so multifaceted, and all just with tearing paper to different shapes and sizes, and using your imagination to 'fill in the blanks'. You could easily do this project with any landscape, and fill in 'the missing pieces' of the picture. It's so open-ended. I also see this project as being really fun to make super-sized, and creating puppets (on a popsicle stick or wooden spoon?) and having a puppet show.

This craft is of a collage. It's hard to see by the photos, but aside from paper, there are all sorts of goodies in this collage including googly eyes, fur, beads, glue, string, feathers, etc. I see this project as a great first step in having kids create their own cards for family members and friends. Wouldn't this giraffe scene be fun on the front cover of a hand-written note? I loved collage as a kid and so maybe I'm a bit biased, but the college projects in this book are so well done, and really give great instructions for more if the child is older and wants to get a bit more detailed. 

Ani of course loving her craft time, this time focusing on weaving through a star of David. We renewed this book from the library for another three weeks, so I know we'll have another craft project or two to complete before we have to give it back.  The options really are endless with this DIY book and just give the child a place to start. Check it out!

Grandma's Attic series by Arleta Richardson

*please note there are four books in the series, not just three!*

I first heard of Grandma's Attic by Jamie Martin of Steady Mom blog, years ago. I knew when I first put them on my amazon wishlist that they were too old for my kids at the time, but I wanted to keep them on there to remind my future self to not forget about them! 

Fast forward to this Fall, when One Stop Learning in Surrey, BC was going out of business, and I happened to be there at the right time. This education store was a great store, and I was sorry to see it go, but I did find some excellent materials, including games, kits, and plenty of literature. Not only did I find excellent material, including the four (only three shown above) Grandma's Attic chapter books, but everything in the store was 75% off because they were closing, and my purchase order number footed the bill! What a steal, indeed. 

We've finished these first three of the four, and once I have the next two books we're reading aloud done, we'll start on the fourth book. These books are similar to the Little House books in the sense that they are set in the same historical time period, happened to an impressionable young girl (and often her best friend, Sarah Jane, as well). They are dissimilar in the way that each chapter of the books are a 'lesson learned' by the author, who is telling her granddaughter these stories and goes into narrator after a brief introduction. As far as the 'series' goes, they aren't really a series as much as story following and building upon each book. They are just simple and lovely stories within each chapter, and if she wrote them all in one book it'd be huge, so they made them into 4 books instead, about 150+ pages each. 

Both my kids really enjoy these books and I quite love reading them aloud myself. They're easy to read and many are quite funny. Each chapter is about 12-15 pages, and they're just enough of a story to read right before bedtime, or one during lunch. The writing is excellent, and you can feel the warmth of Arleta's stories through the pages. These are excellent for kids ages 5 and up, and come highly recommended!

The Green Ember by S. D. Smith

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I picked The Green Ember up after requesting my library buy it, and there have been people ahead of me AND behind me waiting for it, which is a great sign for a new author like S. D. Smith.

I first heard about this 360+ paged novel by Sarah McKenzie from Amongst Lovely Things and the Read Aloud Revival podcast. She has an interview with Smith AND another interview (this week's!) that just went live with the illustrator, Zach Franzen. I loved the illustrations from the cover and the book (though I think I expected more throughout the book) and really enjoyed Franzen's interview on the podcast. 

The Green Ember is about two rabbits, Heather and Picket, and the adventure they go on when their family's home is burned and attacked by evil wolves and hawks. The siblings have to rely on each other, and the community they find themselves in, even though the secrets they will find out about their extended family loom large and black in the present day of preparing for war. 

The names are excellent in this book--they stuck out to me, and the story is full and quick-paced, even for a large 'children's' novel. I think adults would enjoy reading this book as well, though I see it as primarily a book for children. I found it a bit clunky to read aloud, often jumbling my words because the sentences were so meaty. That's not necessarily a bad thing, for a sentence to be quite full, but it did diminish my overall experience of the book because of the verbal toll. 

My kids loved this book. There has been a lot of hype on this book since it came out, and the kickstarter fund was well received. The action and the drama of the book kept my kids entertained, but I was thankful we only spent two weeks on it as our family read-aloud, because I wanted to move on. I would recommend this book not necessarily as a family read-aloud, but to an older child, perhaps 8 or 9 and above (with really high reading skills, otherwise maybe 11 years old), and let them have at it on their own. What kid wouldn't like rabbits with swords?

Great Chapter Books I've Read Aloud to My Kids

Today, I thought I'd share a bit differently than a single book review. I've wanted to make a compiled list for our (homeschool) read-alouds for quite a while and this seems like a great opportunity. I often use classics I've collected over the years from garage sales and thrift stores, books from my own past that I've saved,  Sonlight Curriculum's wonderful book lists for inspiration, and Sarah Mackenzie's website to lead me down more literary rabbit holes. So many of our books have been really fun to read aloud, and the kids have fully enjoyed them. I can only think of a handful that either I or one of my two didn't particularly like. Here I'll share a short snippet of what the story is about and whether or not it was a great fit for us. These books are from late summer 2014 until now.  Enjoy and happy reading!

*The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo The kids absolutely loved this book, and it was a truly a great read-aloud. The kids were laughing at the right times, the voices of the hilarious characters were enhanced, and the story had quite a bit of action-perfect for young children. I did another longer review here.

*Good Masters, Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz I should have waited a year or so for this book because 5 & 7 were just too young. This is a great book by a librarian, on the history of the Middle Ages, written from different community members and all in poetry. It's like a triple-whammy history lesson, and listening to it was better than reading it, but the book is necessary for the pictures of each voice and place in society. Eight would be the youngest I'd read this book to.

*Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo Possibly my very favorite elementary read-aloud, saved from my own childhood. I loved it even more as an adult. You can read an extended review here, but this story is so good, and it's even better read aloud.

*Freckle Juice by Judy Blume  This is the first introduction Judy Blume and it certainly won't be the last. This is a quick read and and a laugh-out-loud listen for the kids.

*Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald Lukka LOVED this book. I might try the second on audio, because each chapter was very long and draining. Piggle-Wiggle is quite a character and helps all the neighborhood families think of great consequences for their children's bratty or disobedient behavior. The punishment will fit the crime! It was really funny, clever, and entertaining.

*Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner This was a book I had saved since 3rd grade, when I remember my teacher needing to get another teacher in her room to help her finish the book because she was so overcome by emotion. It's a tear-jerker at the end, but a sweet book about determination of a young boy, and his loyal dog.

*Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar This is another book I saved from my childhood, that I remember loving myself. The kids were slightly confused by it, perhaps not having a traditional school experience cuts the humor a bit, but a funny book to read to kids.

*10 Girls Who Made a Difference by Irene Howatt This book, along with the one below it are a part of a 5-part series each (5 books about girls, 5 about boys) that I love for historical and inspirational purposes. Lukka loved listening to these short essays on historical Christian women, but Ani was too young for the material and the comprehension.

*10 Boys Who Made a Difference by Irene Howatt Same rate for this one, Lukka loved it, Ani was bored. I'd say if you are interested, wait until your youngest is 7 years old. Five was way too young.

*Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Perhaps my second favorite read aloud ever, only after Because of Winn-Dixie. This book is everything a childhood novel should be: sweet, a strong plot and excellent writing, humor, tenderness, and nostalgia (at least from my own childhood). Some books are good to just absorb individually, but this is one of the best to read aloud. Both kids loved it.

*The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson A book I remember but did not own, I quickly made this our Christmas break book, and it did not disappoint. One of my favorite quotes from a childhood book comes at the very end of the last chapter--it's a perfect look at the gospel coming from a child's mouth. Guess you'll have to read it to find it! Both kids loved this and the 80s movie (find it on youtube here) that goes along with it.

*Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren I loved Pippi as a child, but I was not familiar with the books, only the movie. I found all three Pippi books at a thrift store and thought my kids might enjoy it. Both kids loved this book and the movie I grew up on. It's hilarious, as anyone who knows much about this quirky red-head will tell you. A childhood classic, in my opinion.

*Pippi Goes on Board by Astrid Lindgren  My advice is stick with the first one and don't bother with the series. The second book was not good at all. I felt like the plot and adventures were very disorganized and confusing, and although the movie blends both of these books' stories together, you really don't need this one. The kids loved it, but I am now dreading reading aloud the third, and need some space before I pick it up (per their request, otherwise I'd just leave it on the shelf).

*Usborne's Illustrated Adventure Stories (anthology) Lukka got this  for his Christmas book  this year and I think we read it fully in two or three days during Christmas break. The chapters of these 5 included classics are very short, and there is a picture on every page. I'd spare a child less than 5 or 6, as some of the content is a little heavy for little ones. He enjoyed it, Ani went elsewhere while we were reading it.

*7 X 9 = Trouble! by Claudia Mills I have to admit, the only reason I read this is because it had to do with multiplication, something Lukka was finding trying at the time. This book inspired me to (duh!) find something that motivated him to learn some of the times tables (we're only doing 2 & 3 this year). Aside from that, it wasn't a great read-aloud and was quite predictable; cute but nothing earth-shattering.

*The Cricket in Times Square by George Seldon This is our current read aloud we just started today and so far so good. It's a Newberry Honor book so I have high hopes!

The Man With the Violin by Kathy Stinson and Dusan Petricic

Perhaps some of you might remember when a very famous violinist participated in a social study for the Washington Post? Joshua Bell, one of the best violinists in the world performed one of the hardest violin pieces ever in a DC transit system entryway for a day, and barely anyone stopped to listen, except a handful of people. Most of them were kids! This picture book is a retelling of that story. 

A very short youtube clip can be seen HERE of Bell and his violin piece. Something fun to do after you read The Man With the Violin by Kathy Stinson and Dusan Petricic would be to listen to the piece and see how the illustrator interpreted the scratchy scales and melodramatic, flowing parts of the song. The illustrations caught my eye as I was browsing through this book at the library, and I didn't even know it was a true story until we read it in full.

I remember reading about this years ago in the news, and thought what a fun tribute to the sweet children who wanted to listen to this beautiful art coming from Bell's bow. The theme being that children, although can not articulately tell high art from play doh, they do know when art is inspiring them to keep looking, keep listening, or keep 'figuring'. This is a great title and one I think can be used well in the class or at home for exploring how art makes more art!

Blue Birds by Caroline Starr Rose

I must admit, even as an avid reader and lover of all things wordy, I can easily be won over by a beautiful cover. "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? Psshaw. Beautiful covers have grabbed me when the name doesn't ring a bell, or the story is only a little intriguing. I'm an easy marketing target, I suppose. When Caroline Starr Rose unveiled her Blue Birds cover a few months ago, I think I made an audible sound halfway between a gasp and an "wow!". In person it's even more vibrant than the image above. So yes, the cover won me over, but the story, made completely of poems, kept me turning the pages. 

Blue Birds is a story about unlikely friendships. The story takes place in the New World, specifically, the second set of new settlers from England and the Roanoke people who already live there. Alis, the main character from the settlement, finds her new surroundings beautiful, raw, and pure, and can't get enough of the natural world. She stumbles upon a native Roanoke girl, Kimi, and they communicate together secretly through symbols, facial expressions, touch, and gifts.

Life in the New World is tough, and there are tensions between these Englishmen and women and the woodlands people, blood is shed. As readers, we are allowed into Alis's and Kimi's thoughts, and we're given insight into the cultural biases and misunderstandings. All this, and it's written in poetry. There is a quick pace to this large historical novel, and I could have read it in just one sitting if I didn't have to force myself to go to bed. The poems are accessible, and even with less detail than is normally given to a novel, the word images, plot line, climax and resolution don't miss a beat because of Rose's fine tuning. The ending even left me surprised, and that doesn't happen often with the YA fiction I've read.

The other thing I enjoyed immensely in reading Blue Birds was that I was learning something from it. As a homeschooler, I'm always on the lookout for educational materials for my kids (and myself!), and I am highly attracted to historical fiction. I am sure that I will read this novel aloud to my own children when they are a little older and happen to be studying the New World and the Pilgrims in social studies. It's a great fit: you get a glimpse of life in the early settlements, the native's clan, the natural beauty of the geography, and literature (and poetry to boot!) all rolled into one little adventure story. Blue  Birds was a treat to read and review, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

This post is part of a week-long celebration in honor of the book Blue Birds. Author Caroline Starr Rose is giving away a downloadable PDF of this beautiful Blue Birds quote (created by Annie Barnett of Be Small Studios) for anyone who pre-orders the book from January 12-19. Simply click through to order from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, IndieBound, or Powell's, then email a copy of your receipt tocaroline@carolinestarrrose.com by Monday, January 19. PDFs will be sent out January 20.

*I was given an advanced reader's copy of Blue Birds in exchange for a review post but the opinions of this book are my own. I signed up  because I knew I'd love the book! 

Usborne's Illustrated Adventure Stories

Happy New Year Readers!

Now officially back to reality, an adventure book might be a good pick-me-up. How about one with FIVE classics, plenty of adventure, short chapters for the early readers, and great illustrations on every page? Usborne, as usual, has it covered. One of their newest Illustrated anthologies is the we gave to our son this year for Christmas--Usborne's Illustrated Adventure Stories. 

I do a scan of Usborne's newest titles twice a year when their new product comes out, and I almost always have about 10 I'd like to buy and give as gifts, or just own for our homeschooling library. Usborne's illustrated anthologies usually include 20 short stories, or if they're classics--like this new book--there are between 5 & 6 that range from 60-90 pages each in length.

This book has children's abridged versions of the following classics: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Prisoner of Zenda, Don Quixote, The Three Musketeers, and The 39 Steps, including one-page biographies and illustrated pictures of each author at the back of the book.  My kids love these anthologies. The proof is in the pudding, they say, and my kids have certainly eaten all these up. The oldest Illustrated books we have are the Illustrated Stories for Boys and Illustrated Stories for Girls, and they are literally falling apart from use**. 

This book is probably aimed more at boys, because there are very few female characters in the stories, and plenty of action, but both my children are enjoying the stories immensely. We've completed three of the five, and although Don Quixote confused them in places (it's a comedy, but one first has to understand sarcasm), they enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo and The Prisoner of Zenda. These stories have a lot of action and adventure, and also quite a bit of deception, revenge, and death. 

I feel exposing my children to these stories early in life have a few benefits. For one, they are hearing the frame of the stories as young people, they will remember the general gist when they/if they have to read them in the future for school and secondly, listening to a story and seeing illustrations don't compare with the graphic nature of television shows and movies. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I find themes and underlying moral premises easier to interpret in a picture book rather than just hearing the news in the background or watching a movie. 

My kids are enjoying this book, and I'm glad we've added it to our collection of excellent illustrated anthologies.

**I've re-taped the Girls one at least twice. If I wanted to pay the $10 (half the price of it as new, per Usborne's policy), I could get a brand new book, no questions asked, but at this point, I'm okay with it being so love.d 

An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco

I didn't mean to have two book reviews by the same author this month, especially with Christmas titles, but it just happened that way. I fell in love with Patricia Polacco's Christmas story, An Orange for Frankie, when I read it for the first time, to my children before bed.

The story is about a large family, the Stowells, who don't have a lot, but have enough and each other, and Christmas is coming. The family holds off on decorating until their Pa gets back from getting their Christmas oranges to put on the mantle, one for each child. It's Frankie's favorite thing about Christmas. Although Pa is taking longer than normal to return, the family distracts themselves with making food and helping a train car full of hobos to wash up with warm bath, eat, and drink hot coffee, perhaps the first real meal they've had in weeks.

Frankie enjoys talking to the men and recognizes some of them from times before. He sees a new man who is older than the others, and notices he doesn't even have a shirt on underneath his threadbare coat. He tells the 'mister' to stay right there and he gets his nicest Christmas sweater (and the only one that fits well, knitted by his sister) to give to the man to keep warm in.

A few days after this encounter, the family is sick with worry over their Pa, as the winter weather has been blowing hard for days. If I told you the two important things that happen in the end of the book, I'd be spoiling the story for you. All that to say, it's a book about kindness, sharing with others who have less, and the love between a family. A longer book than most bedtime stories, but one that is as touching as it is beautifully illustrated, and surely worth the time spent sharing it together.

The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco

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Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers! Today, instead of sharing a story about the Pilgrims, Native North Americans, or the very first Thanksgiving, I wanted to review a story that is all about gratitude. That's what this lovely holiday celebrates--thankfulness. The Blessing Cup by Patricia Polacco is the perfect picture book in the gratitude department. 

This book is the true story of the author's grandma Anna, when she was a little girl living in a Jewish community in Russia. Her family is content; money is tight but they have each other, and they have their community. Anna's mother's prized possession is a beautiful tea set that is worth a small fortune, given to her as a wedding gift. A prayerful tradition of thankfulness to God, and to each other for their simple life is offered up each night when the family shares tea together. 

When the Jews are expelled from Russia, Anna and her family must find refuge elsewhere, her father becomes sick. They find a doctor who is kind to them, lets the family stay in his house and nurses the father back to health. That's all I can tell you about this children's picture-book memoir without giving  the ending away. It's a beautiful story, both in illustration with black and white pencil drawings with small wisps of color, and in words.

 This book will give you a heaping dose of gratitude, and perhaps a lump in your throat towards the end. I highly recommend reading The Blessing Cup over Thanksgiving weekend, counting your own blessings, and being with those you love. 

Kamishibai Man by Allen Say

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When reading Allen Say's beautiful books, you can usually expect a historical and cultural lesson, and Kamishibai Man is no exception. I first caught wind of Say's work when I picked up The Bicycle Man at a library book sale, and found the book written like a child's memory from decades ago. I've been a fan of his ever since and have picked up a few more here and there, and tried to read all of his books through the library system to my kids. My two, even though they are too young to know author names, and historical nuance, are always quiet and still when listening to a Say book. It's like they sense the importance and the historical tone of the story. 

Kamishiabi Man is a story about a man who is remembering his job of Kamishibai, or the tradition of  Japanese storytelling with picture cards for emphasis. It originated before television, and was a popular way to be entertained (and perhaps then to make money by selling candy to children). The Kamishibai man takes a large wooden cupboard on his bike, stocked with the painted cards correlating to different stories, and drawers full of homemade candy. It reminded me of a theater, but instead of puppets, placards. 

A lot of Allen Say's books use very muted colors, to emphasize the story as a memory, or to put it in historical context, often dating to the second World War. Many of his stories are about Japanese traditions, folklore, or cultural references, and I love that about his books. 

*If you are interested in learning more about Kamishibai, this website might be helpful.*

Wonders of America, a Leveled Reader

One of my children has entered the world of leveled readers. We homeschool, and to keep up the practice of reading out loud every day and using that newly acquired muscle, I try to get four to five of  My First, or Level 1 books for him to read during school hours every week. I found this book at the library and decided to check it out.

Written by Marion Dane Baeur, these books are cross-subject educational: reading practice and  geography. The Wonders of America series have about 10 books or so all together. Included in these are titles about Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls, and more. 

Sometimes leveled readers are hard to sit through. Listening while a child is in the early stages of reading can be a test in patience, but sometimes the books even more so! I like having a book that is an early leveled reader that is also non-fiction, and is relatable to the child more than an action figure on TV or the puppy whose storyline more fits 3 year olds than the 5 and 6 year olds who are reading it. 

These simple and short stories even have a historical lesson tucked inside the meager 30 pages, and each are under three sentences a page, helping my early reader not get too tired and exasperated from the effort. Although the illustrations aren't my favorite,  I'm going to be checking out the entire series from the library, and telling my kids which places I've visited, while helping that young reader sound out words and string together sentences. 

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz

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This review is for the older kid, or the person who loves history and historical fiction. Although I'm reading this to my kids for part of their history homeschooling curriculum, it is a bit over their head. They are missing a lot, but they are catching some of it.

So while this children's book review might be for the older crowd, I wanted to share it because it is a gem. It won the Newberry award, and it is set up like a play. There are twenty-some 'voices' in this village that have speaking parts, so essentially an entire class could put this on and everyone would have a part. There are a few 'historical tidbit' pages interspersed throughout the pages, too, to give the reader background.

Every 'voice' is actually written in poetry. Readers can catch so much history from the richness of the language, the specific names used (many I'd never heard of before, and couldn't tell whether which gender they were for without help from the photo and the audio recording of the book), the descriptions of the jobs, and of course, the development of the relationships that these people shared living their everyday lives. We found out who was despised, how these people got by by tricking their lords (who they rented their property from), and how usually even one or two animals was the difference between shoes, a full belly, and a manageable livelihood.

I would highly recommend listening to the audio of this book while going through the poems, because each poem/person has a distinct voice and I feel the book has greater value when it's enhanced in this way. Listeners can focus on all the little details when they can just listen, instead of focusing on reading and understanding the old English (with puns) and correctly pronouncing the words.

I think this would be a great read-aloud for school curriculum when studying the middle ages, and it really can go along with history and language arts really well. While geared towards children say, 8 and above, my younger ones have been enjoying the story in bits and pieces (maybe 3 'voices') in the car with the audio reading to them.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

"Despereaux looked down at the book, and something remarkable happened. The marks on the pages, the "squiggles" as Merlot referred to them, arranged themselves into shapes. The shapes arranged themselves into words, and the words spelled out a delicious and wonderful phrase: Once upon a time.
"Once upon a time,'" whispered Despereaux.

And then, there's this, too:

"The dungeon, reader, stank. It stank of despair and suffering and hopelessness. Which is to say that the dungeon smelled of rats."

The language is superb in this book. It was a delightful read-aloud that our family could enjoy. I had a vague awareness of this book by seeing it in the YA section in our local library, but not until I read for myself the young adult novel Flora & Ulysses, did I realize they were by the same author. I had looked up Despereaux on amazon to get a little blurb of what it would be about, and saw that it won the 2004 Newberry, one of the most prestigious awards for young adult literature. I was definitely hooked, and put it on reserve.

From the very beginning, this story of the strange little mouse with big ears and an idealistic heart had us all saying, "okay....just one more chapter". It's a large book for a 5 & 7 year old to sit through, at over 250 pages, but the story and the writing were just so good. Thankfully, the chapters are extremely short, too. The characters are quirky and wonderful, and the description is rich and full for this extremely odd plot-line.

Basically, this: a large-eared, yet small and sickly mouse knows he is meant for something big, even though the rest of the mouse community think he is strange and 'not a mouse'. He falls in love with the princess that he shares the castle grounds with, and what happens there includes soup, rats, a very plump and abused maid named Miggery Sow, a jailor with a rope around his ankle, darkness, and love.

I can't necessarily explain it much more than that, reader. You're just going to have to pick it up for yourself!

PS- Don't even bother with the movie at any time. Before the book, or after, it is terrible. It doesn't make any sense and it doesn't follow the plot line at ALL. Characters genders have been changed, bizarre twists added to the plot that were not in the book--absolutely horrid excuse for a film after the movie. What a sour experience after such a fun book.

Perfect Summer Read: Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran

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As lovers of children's literature, we all have our favorite authors, and our favorite illustrators. I happen to love Kate DiCamillo and will read anything she writes. I will also beg the library to get any book Melissa Sweet 'decorates' the pages of. My all time favorite illustrator, though, is Barbara Cooney.

I'm not much of a collector. Sure I have a stash of yarn, and a large glass jar of washi tape, but aside from those two collections, I mostly just amass classic children's picture books. In recent years I've slowed that down, because I have a bookshelf full (and once something comes in, something else has to go out!), but have really just started honing in on a few of my very favorites. Barbara Cooney's books have found that precious real estate, and I try to collect a few every year. If I find one at the thrift store I don't currently own, I feel like I've struck gold. If, over the past year I didn't really find any, I'll order a few off amazon. Usually they're a penny a piece plus shipping, but if I can't find any for a reasonable price, I'll just buy them on prime for regular price. I think I've only had to do that once.

Roxaboxen might just be my favorite Cooney work. I think this is because not only do her illustrations shine, reflecting the simple nostalgia that a well-worn childhood exudes, but because the story that Alice McLerran wrote feels so personal and universal, and it matches the author's story so well.

The story of Roxaboxen is based on a true place. A dusty corner in the South West, it was a mound of dirt just waiting to be explored by the local children of the small town. At all different ages, the children played together to create a world that they dominated in the form of a town, a jail, a backdrop for large weeks-long games, stores, and homes. A place where children could be children, unfettered by rules, they created their own devices from the objects found in 'Roxaboxen', like old wooden crates, broken glass, stones, sticks, and spindly bushes.

It reminds me of my own childhood 'hideout'. My neighbor friends and I had a magical childhood filled with freedom, bikes roaming the neighborhood, and sack lunches; hours spent outside playing. The setting of Roxaboxen is perhaps 50 years before that, based on how the children are dressing, and the outline of faint houses found within the illustrations, but the story is nonetheless relevant to now. Kids need places where they can play, make up their own rules, create their own toys, and figure out how life works with one another, manipulating a place all for themselves.

It's such a beautiful story of childhood. It's perfect summer reading. Once you're done, go out and play!

How to Sneak in Math with Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son, Radius

Most parents of elementary-aged children have heard of the terms 'summer setback' or 'learning loss', and while my kids homeschool pretty much year 'round, I hear from friends that yes, this happens. It's why math textbooks put an entire chapter or two devoted to picking up where they left on last year, so children have time to review it. 

This summer, though, just by reading great books, your kid could not only stay with their grade level in reading and math, but could learn a new thing or two while they're at it. The book series I'm presenting today are written by Cindy Neuschwander. She wrote a quirky picture-book series all about a knight named Sir Cumference. He's married to Lady Di of Ameter, and (do you see where this is all going?) they have a young son named Radius, who through the series begins as a young boy and graduates to knight of his own later on.

These books have real math terms everywhere, and explanations on the hows and whys of mathematical ideas, written in a way that children can understand. Now, Susie Q isn't going to whip out a calculator and start graphing calculus equations, but she might learn what the term pi means, and what a cone is shaped like. 

Our family has read about five of these math adventure tales, and my son loves them. He always says he hates math, but these books, and the concepts behind math, he can understand and play around with after reading. That's the goal. They're funny, too, and I can appreciate a clever math pun. 

The stories we have read are the following:

*Sir Cumference and the First Round Table

*Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens

*Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

*Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland

*Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone

Cindy has a number of other Sir Cumference books in the series that I'm putting on hold from the library. I also see she has a different math series about children around the world. Those aren't at our local library, but I'm going to request they buy them. 

Math and world travel? 

Those kids will never know what hit them.

*****

If reading aloud isn't always your thing at bedtime, youtube has a number of these in full.

Queen Victoria's Bathing Machine by Gloria Whelan

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With a beautiful cover like this, how can you not pick it up? This book struck me first with the lovely illustration, second by the historical nature of the story. I knew from the title our family was in for  a rich lesson, and more than a little humor, as well. This storybook did not disappoint. I loved it.

Queen Victoria's dilemma-- thick petticoats, hot summer temperatures, and traditions of the monarchy-- combines into a playful and educational storyline, written in verse. Children from ages 3-12 could really enjoy this story, which is hard to achieve in a picture book. Young ones tack onto rhyme and meter, and the older crowd will be fascinated by this true story of invention, and royalty from another time and place. 

The illustrations are done by Nancy Carpenter, and I'm already going to track down all of her other illustrated books, because Bathing Machine is just beautiful. It has a somber and muted palette, with very scritch-scratchy pen drawing with watercolor atop. It truly is modern with Victorian overtones. The illustrations are synced well with the storyline, and captures the playful and inventive spirit of the story.

Learn about the historical bathing machine, created in 1846 by Victoria's husband Prince Albert in the back of the book, see a photograph of the machine, on display in England, and gather info for more study on the websites and further bibliography provided. Truly a crown jewel on the shelf! 

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet

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I often get book recommendations on my facebook page, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to find another great children's book at my local library. This recommendation, Balloons Over Broadway, is from our very own Maria. She knows my son loves and is drawn to anything 'mechanical' in nature, and this book captured his attention and imagination. Thanks, Maria! This book did not disappoint. 

I knew I'd love this book from the cover because true-stories always inspire me, and there aren't that many by way of children's titles. When I opened up the hard cover, I was immediately in love. Ever since I was a kid I have had a love with multimedia illustrations. This book is chock-full of them, and the artwork meshes wonderfully with the subject matter. I hope the artist, Melissa Sweet, gets another Caldecott Honor or Medal for this brilliant piece of work. 

Balloons Over Broadway is the true story of a puppeteer named Tony Sarg who created simple machines to finish chores, marionettes to give children and adults alike joy and wonder, and finally, puppets with mechanical underbellies including cogs, gears, and pulleys. He became well known for his artistry and was given an opportunity of a lifetime: to create a "Wondertown" for Macy's department store in New York City. The book doesn't mention if the infamous Macy's Christmas window displays were already in demand, or if Sarg was the first creator of the magical scenes, but his Wondertown was decked out with puppets and storybook characters that mechanically moved. 

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To let Sweet tell us the story in her own words, "[But] Macy's had an even bigger job in store for Tony. Many of the people working at Macy's were immigrants, and as the holidays approached, they missed their own holiday traditions of music and dancing in the streets. Macy's agreed to put on a parade for their employees, and they hired Tony to help." 

The story continues of Tony's trial and error with balloon size and material, filler, and mechanical workings, finally settling on the floats we know today in the annual Macy's Parade! Within the story are photographs of metal tools, toys, fabric scraps, buttons; illustrations on graph paper as Tony worked out the math, puppet stills, (like above), and bits and bops that make books like this so darn interesting to look through. Well done, Ms. Sweet. Balloons Over Broadway is simply fantastic.