If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School Don't! and If You Ever Want to Bring a Piano to the Beach Don't by Elise Parsley

from goodreads

5 stars

As a parent I have come to the understanding that kids aren't going to believe you or at least will take what you say with a healthy dose of skepticism. I don't know why that is. I don't lead them astray, yet with everything I say or try to convey to them I can see their inner dialogue going "sure mom, like that's true".

I am sure I am not the only parent who have kids like that. When you tell them something isn't a good idea, but they have to do it anyway as if it is something to prove. And when you the parent are proven right, it doesn't change things. That skepticism will remain. My hope is that when they are older, perhaps when they have their own kids, it might go a way, at least a little bit. Until then I'll just keep on trucking.

Synospis

These books centre around a girl named Magnolia as she gives us some very sage advice.

My Thoughts
These books are such a fun read. My kids enjoyed reading them and I enjoyed reading them. I even made my husband read the piano one and I heard him chuckle.

The alligator one is more geared to the children's audience. A teacher or school administrator might appreciate it as well. It is still funny and enjoyable on many levels.

My favourite of the two is the one about the piano at the beach. Why? Well first of all it is ridiculous thinking about getting an upright grand to the beach, and that is kind of the point. Second how many times have we said "don't bring that" to our kids and then when they remained insistent we said, "You have to carry it and make sure it doesn't get lost. You are responsible."? The author does a great job at showing the logic behind why we suggest the kids leave their treasures at home. Since the kids laugh at what is going on it shows that they get the logic. It totally gets the whole parent-child struggle of having nice things and then seeing them lost or ruined. This book helps us recognise that the struggle is real and that we are not alone.

I totally recommend these books. Young and old will love them.

Pinkalicious: The Pinkamazing Storybook Collection by Victoria Kann

from goodreads

5 stars
Birthday season number 2 is upon us. And this year I told the girls no birthday parties. I am just over them and really don't feel like figuring out how to entertain a bunch of children for hours, or paying others to do it. But, I have allowed them to have some friends over for a more subdued celebrations, and no presents! (Seriously, they have so much they really don't need anymore.)

I am looking forward to Miss G's playdate this Saturday. Miss G decided to have a spooky tea party with two of her friends. They are going to decorate cupcakes, make flubber and do a monster craft. It was fun seeing Miss G's creative side (and her not going crazy over accessories or mandatory things).

Miss V is also fine to go with a subdued approach. She is going to invite 3 or her friends over for a movie night and some pizza. I can handle that.

Perhaps by the time Miss P gets to school I might feel like doing birthday parties again, but for now low key is the way to go.

Synopsis

This is a collection of 6 stories from Victoria Kann's Pinkalicious collection of books. They are The Pinkerrific Playdate, Pinkalicious:The Princess of Pink Slumber Party, Pinkalicous and the Pink Hat Parade, Pinkalicous:Flower Girl, Pinkalicious: Soccer Star and Pinkalicious and the Pinktastic Zoo Day.

My Thoughts

I really have mixed feelings when it comes to book collections. While it is nice to have a collection of books for the kids to read all in one place, the books themselves are heavy and sometimes cumbersome to read. Sometimes when people give us the collection we already have some of the books so now I have duplicates happening. And often I get stuck reading more stories then I wanted to at the time. This collection, however, I love.

What is so great about this Pinkalicous collection. Well the first is these are books that I would not have readily on my shelf. Some are from her "learn to read" pinkalicious books, which are actually good stories. The others are from her actual story book series but are not her first ones that we would already have.

Second. When the story ends the kids can't see the title page of the next one. This makes it easy to read one story and only one. My kids have a Dora collection story book and I always end up having to read the whole thing because when the story ends they can see what the next story is and of course beg for it. Now, I am all for reading to kids, but at bedtime when you only have time for one story and don't want to start a whine fest it is nice when they can't see what is coming next and can easily accept it is the end. So thank you book editor/designer for making it easy to close the book without tears. Yes, it is more paper, but it makes the transitions so much nicer and makes the stories feel complete and separate.

Third. How can you not like Pinkalicous. The flower girl story is my favourite and I love it. But the other stories help with problem solving, using your imagination, and being nice and supportive to one another. As always the illustrations are fantastic. If you don't like pink you might not like this book as much because there is a lot of it.

So, if you are going to take the plunge and get a story collection book that you aren't going to groan over or wish you never brought into you house, then I would recommend this one. It has fun stories, is easy to read, and it is easy just to read one story and not all of them. And since I recommend it, it must be good because, as I alluded to, I usually can't stand these all in one books.

Don't Say that Word! by Alan Katz Illustrated by David Catrow

from goodreads

2 stars

Being a parent can be stressful at times. You are the moral authority. You are the person who needs to teach kids what is appropriate to do and say. That is a lot of responsibility. Also, there are so many options, there is no right way to behave really. Yes, there is the standard, be nice, don't hit etc. But you also have to teach them to stand up for themselves, and that might not always seem like the nice thing to do.

I find the hardest thing about all this is figuring out what words are bad or not. I have some friends who have told their kids that the word "stupid" is a swear word. Now while I totally believe that that is a word that should not be said all the time to belittle others, but sometimes, if the shoe fits you got to say it. So does it make me a bad moral authority if I don't tell my kids it is a swear word too? Others have the same rule with the term "shut up". While in general I do try to avoid saying it... again, once I am at the end of my rope it is going to slip out. (For example, when I am in the middle of cooking dinner and all three kids are trying to get my attention or are running around like a pack of hyenas in the kitchen).

I guess this is when discussions around words are important. Instead of hard fast rules, perhaps explanations and help to navigate the linguistic challenges are called for.

As with anything in life, and parenting, we just have to try and do the best we can. We can't make comparisons. We can be inspired and wish to make positive changes from what we see from others. But we should never feel dejected about ourselves because of these comparisons. And if my kids seem uncouth compared to others because they use words like butt, or fart, or stupid, well so be it. I guess we will be uncouth.

Synopsis

Michael is trying to tell his mom about the day he had at school. Just when he gets to the best parts his mom yells out, DON'T SAY THAT WORD!

My Thoughts

Ugh! I did not like this book at all. I guess kids might think its funny, but I just don't get it.

I always try to find something positive... so I guess the rhymes were pretty clever. And perhaps there are truly parents out there who don't like the word "toilet" or "burp", but like really.

The words in the book that were supposedly "bad" were words that normal people use and I don't want my kids to begin thinking they are bad. Bodily functions seem so taboo now and causes embarrassment. That is probably why there are so many digestive issues, people are embarrassed about farting and even saying that word. That passes on embarrassment to the kids who end up holding stuff in causing pain and discomfort that should not happen. Seriously people, we need to liberate these words!

So ya, this book is definitely not a favourite. And it is not because I am super prudey or anything. I initially picked it up because I was excited to see what naughty words were going to be said. But, this just left me feeling frustrated by the censorship this shows for words that are just normal.

Read it if you would like to, but I do not recommend it.

Fairest of All by Sarah Mylnowski

from goodreads

4 stars

I have come to the conclusion that children are very inconsiderate. How was this conclusion decided upon? The stuffiness of and congestion of my head nose and sinuses. On the weekend Miss P was sick. She had a slight fever and was slightly congested. I was the person she decided she had to cuddle with all day. She was back to normal the next day. Monday rolls around and I am congested, can barely think and supremely irritable. And my thought was "doesn't she know this is the week that I need to organize some bins and tidy the mudroom?"

Now I know, you can always put off chores, but not these ones this week. I have already put off the mudroom since October and the bins are from last week. And my sister and her family are coming on Friday meaning 6 extra people in the house. So... these chores really can't be put off. No way, no how. Hopefully I will be less fuzzy tomorrow and can get to tackling these things before the masses descend. But, all I can think of is the inconsiderateness of Miss P, the germs she transferred to me (next time her dad can be her snuggle buddy) and the person that gave the germs to Miss P. Thanks for this cold which makes thinking hurt... how kind of you. NOT!

Synopsis

Abby and Jonah have just moved to a new town where things are different. Abby is having a hard time adjusting. Then one night Jonah and Abby get sucked through a mirror into the story of Snow White, which they manage to mess up and have to put right.

My Thoughts

This is the first of a series of books in the "Whatever After" series.

This was such a delight. I read this book out load to my older two and they loved it.

I thought that it was quite clever and showed the weirdness and timelessness of fairy tales perfectly. Mylnowski allowed Snow White to be someone who had ambitions and ideas. Snow White was definitely not going to be a girl who simply went a long with things just because it was her story. She wanted to write her own destiny which was quite cool.

We are all looking forward to continue the series. This is a perfect book for girl bonding moments.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

from goodreads

4 stars

Lately the kids haven't been looking for new books. They seem to be wanting to read their old favourites. For Miss P that means a lot of Where is the Green Sheep.

Sometimes it is nice to go back and revisit old friends. I have many books that I like to go back to from time to time. I love spending time in their world. With my books-to-read list getting longer and longer I don't spend as much time with these old friends as I am forging new reading relationships. Perhaps I will need to change that.

Synopsis

Sally and her brother are stuck at home, with their mother out, feeling bored. Then comes the Cat in the Hat to change all that.

My Thoughts

I have a love hate relationship with this book. Currently I am loving it, but that can change. I think the main reason why I am loving it now is that over the Christmas Break we watch a lot of The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot about That. It is a cute show and shows the Cat as a more thoughtful character than what is portrayed in the the book. The show helps flesh him out and he becomes more loveable. (It helps that he his voiced by Martin Short... I adore Martin Short.)

I do like that the book is simplistic. It is a story that not only helps kids learn to read but is interesting too! That combo does not always exist. I also think that this story is very relatable. Who hasn't been bored wondering what to do, or been worried about getting found out by their parents or someone in authority. I also like how the Cat picks up everything. I wish my kids would catch that hint.

I don't like the Cat's total disregard for the discomfort of those around him. I know it is fun to have fun and try new things, but when it is causing massive anxiety for someone else, then perhaps it is time to stop. This lack of caring is something that I do not like.

This book is a classic kids book and will be around for a long time. It has that timeless quality and that sense of fun and adventure that is going to have kids keep coming back to it again and again. The copy we read from I had when I was a little girl, and I'm sure it will be around when my kids have kids. (The binding is exceptionally good.)

A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Philip Yates Illustrated by Sebastia Serra

from goodreads

5 stars

I don't know what it is about pirates, but man they sure are fun. As soon as my kids' eye catch a pirate book they have to get it. Miss G even wants to make pirate gingerbread men for Santa because of the book The Gingerbread Pirates.

When you think about the history of pirates and what they were like in real life, they really weren't so fun. In fact, I would not want to encounter them or encourage my kids to learn of them and their ways.

I guess that what happens with the distance of time. Things, that in reality were quite horrible, become fun through nostalgia. We have the luxury of picking out the good things so we can have fun and casually ignore the horror.

So, thanks time. Modern pirate kid books will have a place on our shelves because of you.

Synopsis

It is the night before Christmas on the Sarrk and the pirates are waiting for Sir Peggedy. A great piratey take on the Clement C. Moore Poem, The Night Before Christmas.

My Thoughts

This was such a fun book. Like his other book, A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas, Yates does a great job of planting you into pirate's life and becoming one of the crew.

I love the pirate jargon, and Sir Peggedy. I love how Yates is able to keep true to the original yet make it completely his own. Serra's unique fun style of illustrations add life and vibrancy to the tale.

This is a great, fun, Christmas book that is definitely going to be a classic in our house.

The Santa Trap by Jonathan Emmett Illustrated by Poly Bernatene

from goodreads

3 stars

Well... I am slowly starting to feel a bit more Christmassy. On the weekend we went to a nearby tree farm and got our Christmas tree. It looked way smaller in the field. In reality it takes up like half our living room. But, it makes me smile every time I see it. It is definitely worth the slight inconvenience if it does that.

It was the kids Christmas party at my husbands work on Saturday as well.  They always do such a great job. Miss P's dreams were fulfilled because she finally got to sit on Santa's knee. She has been talking about doing that for weeks. And, for the first year in a long time our family didn't make the cry wall! Now if that isn't an accomplishment I don't know what is.

Synopsis

Bradley Bartelby is bad and never likes the presents Santa leaves him, so he has come up with a plan.

My Thoughts

If I was rating this just on my own without thinking of how my children enjoyed it, it would only be a 2. My husband and children enjoyed it and chuckled, but I really did not enjoy this book.

I didn't like how the parents were spineless. I didn't like how Bradley really didn't seem to learn anything. I understood why Bradley built the Santa's Trap, but I felt he didn't learn from this experience and thus would not change his ways. That seems like a waste. To me it was a "what was the point" type book. I know that not all children's books have to have a logical point but it should still be fun, and for me it just wasn't.

I did like the drawings. I did like the elephant element. And I did like what happens at the end with the tigers. I could see the beginnings of Bradley humbling himself. But because the end didn't show real character change I just felt it was a let down.

Your kids will probably have fun with this book so it is worth stomaching it, but for the adult, unless you are like my husband, it will leave something lacking.

The Twelve Days of Christmas in Canada by Ellen Warwick Illustrated by Kim Smith

from goodreads

3 stars

December 1st! I guess it is really time to get serious about Christmas. Usually by this time if I haven't bought things I have at least a list made up and some sort of plan. This year... not happening. It's not that I'm anti-Christmas or feeling particularly grinchy. I just haven't got my brain to the place of sugar plum fairies yet. I'm sure I'll get there, hopefully before December 24th.

What do you to help you get into the Christmas spirit?

Synopsis

Two children and their grandmother travel across Canada over twelve days.

My Thoughts

This book confused me. It's a picture book, but then it is also a travel guide to Canada. Though the pictures look like it should be a book for kids 4-8, it is more appropriate for 10-12.

For every day there is a lengthy letter telling all about what they did on that particular day. And then on the other page there is an added line to the song of The Twelve Days of Christmas. The letter is too long to hold little kids attention so we just looked at the pictures and sang the song. When I read it myself later the letters were full of fun and cool facts and made me excited to take a cross Canada tour. You can learn a lot. So, if you are reading it then I would totally change how you read it according to what kids you are reading it to.

This book celebrates all fun things Canada, but in a rather long winded way. While I think it is great I think it is missing its target audience, or at least is unsure of who the target audience is. Because of this confusion I don't think this book will be as loved as it should.

Shh! We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton

from goodreads

3 stars

November is such a strange month. In one week you can go from a balmy 16 to snow. On Saturday we went to my husband's company's Christmas party. When we arrived it was chilly, but not snowing. By the time we left 5 hours later it was a winter's wonderland outside with about 2-3 cm of snow over everything. Good thing I finally got around to buying Miss P her winter boots!

Synopsis

Friends out for a walk want to catch a beautiful bird. It's okay... they have a plan. What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts

To be honest, I wasn't as impressed with this book as I thought I would be. The premise seemed really cool and I was ready to be thoroughly entertained, but, it just didn't happen for me. My kids and husband on the other hand were giggling away. Perhaps this is a case of it's me not you.

It is a good book for kids who are learning to read or for young readers who enjoy repetition as it is a story of repetition.

I did enjoy the illustrations. I thought they were kind of cool.

I think this is a book that might grow on me over time and I didn't mind reading it over and over. I just would choose a different book over it if I had a choice. But, your 2-6 year old will probably love it.

When We Go Walking by Cari Best Illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker

from goodreads

3 stars

I know I have sung the praises or the library before, but I have to do it again. I love the library and the best part is my kids love it too.

The programs that they have at the library are so great. Miss P and I go to two programs a week. There are stories, singing, dancing, crafts and games. She always looks forward to going. When I tell her it is library time she gets a big smile on her face. When we drive by the library or are walking by it she yells out "Library!" and then promptly asks to go in and see her favourite library worker, Sam.

The older two don't go to the public library as much. We get busy after school. But during the summer we try to go as often as we can and they participate in the summer reading club. This fall I did sign them up for one program that is through the library and frontier college. It is called reading buddies. There are two children per adult and they go into the library and read books for the first half hour and then play games for the last half hour. Miss V and Miss G have had such a fun time going. They want me to sign them up for another session, if the library is hosting one.

It is so nice to have a whole community gathered around your children helping them with their love of reading. Reading truly opens doors to new worlds and ideas. Yay for reading and yay for libraries!!

Synopsis

Wendy and her family walk down rambling road. They each see different things and Wendy likes to collect things too.

My Thoughts

I was kind of disappointed with this book. The cover looked so promising, but I found the story kind of flat. It's cool that the girl is creative and all but seriously, something should be done about her hoarding tendancies. That just seemed to bug me.

I did like how the family members all looked for things to see and each person saw a different thing. I also liked how it went through the different seasons and how different things could be found at different times. I liked how the book kind of encouraged us to get out there and walk. Physical activity, especially when done together with the family, is the best! It was also neat to see Wendy use her imagination and make her own "Rambling Road". But, once again, all the junk she brought home irked me. So It was sort of a bitter sweet moment.

The artwork in the book is fantastic. I love the differing textures used. You can tell it is a collage of different items and textures but it doesn't feel jumbled or disjointed. They items work seamlessly to create really great pictures.

So this book was ultimately a jumble of feelings, some good some not so good. In the end I just felt it a bit too lackluster and it just wasn't for me.

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

from goodreads

4 stars

Miss G is always inventing things. She has heaps of drawings and plans and goes through so much tape is is rather ridiculous. Some of her creations are pretty interesting. Often she runs to her room saying"I have a great idea for the best thing ever!"

What can be frustrating at times is when she needs help with her creation and she expects you to know exactly what she needs and wants. When you tell her you don't know what you want her to do, she does not always believe you and then gets mad when you tape something at the wrong spot. Or sometimes her plan does not always work out the way it did in her head... that can be frustrating too.

When I say this book on my library's main page I knew I had to get it out. It screamed Miss G because I had heard those words before.

Synopsis

A little girl along with her puppy assistant set out to make the most magnificent thing.

My Thoughts

This author totally got the little girl inventor thing down. The brilliant ideas, the thorough drawings, the many, many, many trials and the frustration when things weren't going quite as planned.

I liked how the author shows that many of the greatest things are created through the trial and error process and that you might not get it perfect the first time. I liked how methodical the process was. I liked how a cooling off period or walking away period is sometimes what is needed when you are stuck. I also liked how the author showed that while some of her models weren't good for what she wanted they worked for other people. Sometimes when we set out to create something we might create a thing we didn't expect but is useful for others.

The drawings were quite nice. They were simplistic yet exactly what this story needed.

This is a great book to encourage kids to solve their own problems, think things through and keep trying. I really enjoyed it.

The 13 Days of Halloween by Carol Greene Illustrated by Tim Raglin

from goodreads

4.5 stars

Well, Halloween is coming up this Saturday. I am still making some last minute tweaks to the kids costumes but for once I am feeling like we are ready.

Miss V is going to be Little Red Riding Hood. I made her a red and white tutu style skirt and a nice warm fleece hood and cape. Hopefully the cape will help her stay a little warm when they are out on Saturday. Halloween can be pretty chilly in Canada.

Miss G is going to be a ballerina witch cat, the last time I checked. Hopefully it all works out for her and she will be happy with the result.

With Miss P I totally thought we would have an extra year of putting her in whatever costume we wanted, but nope. She is determined to be a dinosaur/dragon. Luckily my friend has a dragon costume lying around and I think it will be perfect. Seriously, how did my 2.5 year old get so opinionated?!

I am looking forward to a nice quiet Halloween. Our neighbourhood is an older one so there aren't as many kids. Last year I think we got 15 kids at our door. So, it should be a nice time of reading and relaxing while my husband take our our kids and I wait for whoever drops by.

Yay for Halloween!

Synopsis

A nicely dressed, gentlemanly ghoul gives gifts to his friend.

My Thoughts

Well here is another book where they take a familiar song and change the words around to be a fun Halloween book.

I loved the illustrations and the toads. The toads were probably my favourite.

I loved how everything worked with the tune so we could all sing along. My kids liked seeing all the different gifts. Miss P especially liked the spiders and the worms. She also liked the lady's dresses. Every time we turned the page she would exclaim "ooh pretty dress". She likes her dresses, what can I say.

All of us were a bit disappointed at the end when we don't get to see what the gift is that the lady gives the the man. I tried to make it fun by saying "oh, we get to use our imaginations. What do you think she gave?" But the kids weren't buying it. My husband even exclaimed "Laaame!"'

This is a fun book that will definitely get you in the creepy and fun Halloween spirit. Happy Halloween!!

The Halloween House by Erica Silverman Illustrated by Jon Agee

from goodreads

5 stars

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And it seems to be especially true when it comes to books written for specific holidays. Why reinvent the wheel when you can take something beloved and make a few tweaks to come up with a great holiday tale.

I am definitely one of those people who will take a song and change the lyrics to come up with something to fit the situation. I must say that seems to be a talent all on its own. It can be hard to fit things into the rhythms and rhymes.

So hear to all the original creators of songs and rhymes and stories that allow the rest of us to use our creative juices. We wouldn't be able to do it without you.

Synopsis

Two men on the run from the law decide to hide in a mansion. Yet what they meet there is not what they thought.

My Thoughts

This book is awesome! Not only do my kids love it, but I love it too.

It is a play on the song "Over in the Meadow" and the rhymes fit the song perfectly. I would sing the song but it was still a bit too cheerful for the book so I changed the song to its minor key form and it definitely helped the story become a bit more eerie.

In this Halloween house they meet werewolves, vampires, worms, skeletons, witches and more. The illustrations really helped the story come alive. I loved seeing the scared expressions on the faces of the convicts as they were running from monsters and dancing with skeletons.

I especially love the last picture of the book. I won't tell you what it is but it definitely completes the book.

If you are looking for a fun book to get you into the Halloween spirit this definitely is the book. It was such a delight.

Monster Mash by David Catrow

from goodreads

5 stars

Growing up we were making the transition from records to tapes to cds. My family had a collection of very interesting records. There was a Smurf record, a Muppet compilation, and my favourite one with spooky songs. This was my first interaction with the song Monster Mash. You cannot hear that song with out wanting to do your best 50s dance moves.

Now I get to pass that song on to my own kids, and they like it because it is about monsters and it is just fun. While listening to a cleaned up sound version isn't quite as nostalgic as listening to a scratchy record, this song still brings me a lot of joy and usually kicks off a dance party.

Synopsis

Illustrator David Catrow takes the beloved song Monster Mash and brings it to life through his fun illustrations.

My Thoughts

This book was so much fun. Nothing is better than trying to make your spookiest voice while reading it. My husband is the champ. He is so good at spooky accents.

When we got it out I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't know it was going to be the song Monster Mash. I was thinking they were going to try create monsters in a mashup or something. So when my oldest kept singing Monster Mash and then my middle daughter kept asking about the Monster Mash song I was a bit confused and was like what is going on. But then when I finally read the book myself it all clicked together.

This was a great book. The illustrations were just perfect for the song and it got you in the spooky groovy feeling. It was just so much fun.

So if you love the song, you will love the book.

In English, Of Course by Josephine Nobisso Illustrated by Dasha Ziborova

from goodreads

4 stars

I feel really lucky to have been born and raised in Canada. Canada is a pretty nice place to live. But even here, sometimes the grass seems greener in other places. Growing up, and even now to a certain extent, I have wanted to live in Europe. How awesome would it be to have so many different countries and cultures so close by and how cool would it be to learn a bunch of different languages. While Canada has two official languages I must say my french is not at all where it should be in order to converse easily with the francophones of this country. While english seems to be becoming the universal language, I feel I am am sort of doing myself a disservice by not trying to learn other languages.

Learning other languages helps develop different ways of thinking and communicating what is really in your head and heart. It bridges gaps between others. Also, think of how many more books you can read instead of having to wait for a translation. How awesome would that be?

Synopsis

This is a story of a young immigrant girl in New York. She and her other classmates are trying their best to understand this new world and being understood themselves.

My Thoughts

This was such a fun read. You never really think about how kids might feel in their new surroundings and a new language. You kind of figure they will manage. People always say "oh they will pick it up so quickly" and while the case may be true it is still difficult for them.

It was interesting to see the girl's thoughts about what they other students were saying, and then the thought process for what she was trying to say. We learn that a lot can be lost in translation.

I liked at the end the girl takes what she learned and expresses how motivated she is for her next story. She is not going to give up.

This is definitely a story that helps promote, patience, empathy, and love for those who are new and learning english or any language for that matter. They are people too with intelligence, charm and wit. May we all be kind.

Sadie the Ballerina by Joan Betty Stuchner Illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin

from amazon.com

3 stars

Seriously what is it about little girls and ballerina's. It seems every time we go to the library we always end up with a Ballerina book in our bag. Maybe the ballerina books on the shelf can sniff out little girls who love to dance and some how zoom into their hands. Sort of like magnets. The kids can only see are the spines of the book yet they are able to sifter and sniff out books that deal with dancing or princesses or have glitter on the cover. It must be a gift, or some inner radar. I am definitely puzzled.

I guess there is nothing wrong with ballerina books. I should just be glad that they got something. But seriously, I don't care if the little girl wants point shoes or a tutu. And seriously, how many of them can really ever be the sugar plum fairy? Is there no other ballet that they can discuss? Maybe I should write a ballerina story, I could discuss a more obscure ballet and maybe the girl does not want to be a ballerina but a monster truck driver. That would jazz things up a bit.

What I do know is that I need to branch out the book selection. I don't think I can handle another ballet story for quite a while.

Synopsis

Sadie wants to be a ballerina and wants to go to ballet school. Her mother responds with the dreaded words, "We'll see."

My Thoughts

This was an okay read. Kind of your typical little girl wants to be a beautiful, graceful ballerina, but sometimes is clumsy. Nothing too new or inventive.

What irked me was what Sadie did at the ballet. I was like "thanks author for now making every little kid think that they should all sneak on stage and dance with the performers." Like seriously. Sadie didn't even really get reprimanded and in the end her parents agree to let her go to ballet school. If my kid did something like that we would leave as soon as she got back to her seat and we would be talking about proper etiquette while out in public. And they probably wouldn't be going to ballet school. At least not for a while. That kind of behaviour can be dangerous and absurd. Adults who did that would probably get arrested or something. I just could not believe it! It irked me so much.

So if you like ballet and you can handle ill-behaved disobedient children then this is the book for you.

Tallulah's Toe Shoes by Marilyn Singer Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger

from goodreads

3 stars

It always amazes me how inherent certain things are. When the kids hear a groovy beat their body automatically moves with the groove. I did not have to teach them that. All three of my girls naturally gravitated to nurturing their dolls. While perhaps I modeled it, I did not force them to pick up the dolls (there are tons of other toys they could have chosen to play with) they just did it. Miss P's doll is glued to her hip all the time right now.

There are some things that are different. Miss V has really been drawn to drawing intricate and beautiful pictures. That is an inherent gift to her. Miss G likes to be fashion and come up with some interesting clothes combinations. That is an inherent gift to her. Miss P, well I'm not sure what her inherent gift is yet. She probably has one that is great and unique just like she is.

I think it is harder to know for certain what your own inherent gift is. Sometimes it is easier to see it in others than yourself. People sometimes search their whole lives before they find it. I'm not sure what mine is, but that doesn't bother me. I am enjoying exploring new things and gaining new skills. And I guess that's just it. We need to be happy with where we are and find joy in the journey.

Synopsis

Tallulah dreams of having a pair of toe shoes of her own. When will she be big enough?

My Thoughts

To me this book was just meh. To my kids they loved it. I don't know what it is about little girls and ballerina's but, they love them.

I like how the story teaches them that sometimes we need to be patient. That somethings are just impossible until our bodies grow bigger and that we need to be happy where we are now. I also like how it talks slightly about how we need to work hard to perfect things. Most people when they have a talent make it look effortless, little do we see the hours of practice and the tenacity it took to perfect the moves etc. It is usually anything but easy at the beginning.

The story itself wasn't all that mind blowing or anything. It was sort of the run of the mill dancing story.

This is one of a series off books about Tallulah and her ballet adventures. While you might not care about the story your little girls (and I guess boys if they are into dancing and ballet) will love this book and the beautiful drawings.

Summer Reading With the Kids

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Summer reading. It is a fun time to read to the kids. I find we are actually better able to read a chapter book at night and get engrossed in a story in the summer than during the school year. 

During the school year by the time you have done their home reading, helped them with any other homework, done after school activities such as swimming lessons, church groups and brownies it is time for a prompt bedtime. During the summer there are not nearly as many activities and there are no school commitments and bedtime is not as strictly enforced.

These are the books that we have enjoyed reading together this summer. Charlotte's Web and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe were audio books that I downloaded and we listened to on our long road trip. The girls loved listening to the stories and would ask for them after again and again. It made for a nice peaceful drive through Illinois and Iowa. It was such a nice relaxing time in the car.

Pippi Longstocking was a fun read and I will have to get the other books in the series. The girls liked the silly goings on of Pippi. They like the knowledge that Pippi knows and how fearless she was. Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder: the magical fruit was more a book that I wanted to read and forced on them, but they are liking it. They like how Nilly gets into funny situations. They really liked the card game he played. With Pippi and Fart Powder I think the kids might get more out of it if they were older and reading it themselves. There are a few play on words that the kids might understand better once they have mastered more of the language and saw the words on the page. As it is they still enjoy the stories, but might not get the full joy from them.

Maybe this will be the year that we continue with chapter books into the school year. We will see. As for now, I'm happy with this years summer chapter book reading selections.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

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5 stars

There are some books that quite frankly I am embarrassed I haven't read yet. Many are books from my tween years that never seemed to have made it onto my stacks. Number the Stars is one of those books. I can't believe it has taken me over two decades to finally read it. I love The Giver and have read the rest of the books in that series, but for some reason I never made this one a priority.

When I made my books-I-want-to-read list for the year I made sure I put it on. I was not about to go through another year without reading it. What books do you have on your list that is like this. Are there any other books that you feel guilty or embarrassed about not reading yet?

Synopsis

Annemarie lives in Denmark. When her best friend's family need to hide she and her family need to be brave to help save them from the Nazis.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. It is a quick yet powerful read.

This is a great book to use as an introduction to the Holocaust and WWII. Much of the writings about WWII are either about France or Russia or Poland and the occupations that happened there. It always intrigues me and makes me want to do more research when I read a book that is set in a different/less popular occupied country such as Denmark. It is interesting to learn about how each of the occupied countries had different ways in which they dealt with the occupation. None of them are better or worse just different. Each country seemed to be dealt different cards and had to figure out what to do with them.

While it doesn't go in depth you still feel the stress of the situation, the confusion of the situation and the hope that things will get better and work out.

If you haven't read this in a while or haven't read it yet I encourage you to do so. It is always good to reflect. This book would be good for kids 10 and up.

The Little Sleepyhead by Fran Manushkin Illustrated by Leonid Gore

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4 stars

Now that we are in full swing of summer bedtimes and waking up times seem to have gone out the window. While we are still trying to keep up sort of semblance of a schedule I can still hear the older girls whispering far into the night. In the mornings I have been able to sleep into a delicious 8:30, this morning it was even pushed back to 9. Man am I spoiled. I probably should try to be more rigid with the bedtime. Getting back into the school routine in a month and a half might be a bit challenging. But, sometimes, you just need a break from it all. And if that break let's me sleep until 9, well I think I can handle that.

Synopsis

There is a little sleepyhead wandering around trying to find a place to sleep.

My Thoughts

I really liked it and the kids really liked it.

It was cute to see the sleepyhead try to mimic the animals that it sees to find a new place to sleep and having some pretty epic fails. I liked how the animals woke up each other. Sort of like a domino effect.

I like how it ends. It is almost like a motivational speaker slogan.  If this sleepyhead can fall asleep you can to! I don't know about your kids but mine are the masters of coming up with reasons why they don't need to sleep or why they can't fall asleep. I think the ending is for them.