The Terrible Two and The Terrible Two Get Worse

The Terrible Two

written by Mac Barnett and Jory John

Illustrated by Kevin Cornell

For some reason, mischievous characters have always been some of my favorites.  It isn't that I can relate to them personally, but I always find great amusement in their shenanigans and perhaps live vicariously through them.  I kept seeing The Terrible Two pop up on recommended lists, and after reading a few nonfiction in a row, I was in the mood for something quick and humorous.  This was the perfect choice.  It was quick, light, and full of mischief and laugh out loud moments.  Some books are written to convey a message, and some are just meant to be enjoyed.  The Terrible Two is just that---meant to be enjoyed by young (and old!) readers.

Miles Murphy just moved to Yawnee Valley, and is on a mission to be the school prankster.  On his first day, he discovers that he has competition...someone has parked the principal's car on the school's front steps.  Niles Sparks is a pranking genius who has the perfect cover in his self-created position as School Helper, and the principal's star student.  When Miles and Niles combine forces, blundering Principal Barry Barkin is in for trouble and pure chaos.

The illustrations perfectly match the quirky characterizations, and add to the humor.

The Terrible Two Get Worse

Miles and Niles are back, and have plans for some terrific pranks.  However, there's a problem.  Barry Barkin has been fired as principal because of all of the pranking chaos that has occurred.  His father and former principal, Bertrand Barkin, is put in as the new principal.  Bertrand is a new challenge for Miles and Niles because he doesn't acknowledge their pranks. If nobody knows about a prank, is it still a prank?  Feeling bad about getting Barry Barkin fired, Miles and Niles are determined to pull a big enough prank on Bertrand to get Barry his job back.  Will they succeed?  Miles and Niles begin to draw some lines----they love a good prank, but don't want to hurt anyone along the way.

Cleverness at its best, and one that even reluctant readers will want to read.  It moved a little slower than The Terrible Two, but still had some laugh out loud moments.

My Rating:  5 stars for The Terrible Two and 4.5 stars for The Terrible Two Get Worse   (I will be adding these to our home library).  They would make great read-alouds in upper elementary grades.
Perfect for: 10-12 year olds

There is a third book in the series that is going to be released next February, and it looks like the fun is going to be taken to a whole new level!



Happy reading!

Emily

Starting Read-Alouds {With Young Children}

When I taught elementary school, my favorite time of the school day was after lunch.  All of my second graders would pile into the classroom, and excitedly find a place on the floor.  It was our time dedicated to me reading aloud to them from a variety of chapter books of my own selection, and not from the textbooks.  I always took great care in choosing books that would peak their interest and introduce them to authors or series that they would return to in the future for personal reading.  As I saw how much they looked forward to that time, I knew that reading aloud from chapter books to my family was a tradition that I wanted to incorporate when I had children of my own.

Now I have my own little family I'm reading aloud to, and have learned some things along the way that have helped in setting up our read-aloud habit.  I started reading aloud chapter books when my oldest was about 2 1/2, and siblings have grown up hearing read-alouds from the time they were infants.  Some tricks I've learned along the way that have helped us with little ones {and big ones!} are:

Choose one or two times during the day and make it a daily habit.  

When they are really little, I love to read chapter books to them while they are eating lunch or a snack.  When their little mouths are busy eating and they are sitting up to the kitchen table, they are able to quietly listen to most of the story and catch a lot of what is going on!  As an added bonus, they stay at the table longer because they want to hear the story, and don't get down before their meal is through!  Double bonus!  At the beginning, keep it short.  Guage how long to keep reading based off of how well they are sitting still.  As soon as they start to get restless, put a bookmark in and pick it up the next day.  At our house, some days we read aloud for half an hour, and other days only ten minutes.

Read with expression!

You can make or break a story simply with the amount of energy you put into it.  With read alouds, the more dramatic flair you add to the story, the more exciting the story becomes.  Vary the voices for the characters.

Establish a few rules.

For us, these have depended on where we are reading.  When I'm reading to them in their bedroom before bedtime, the rule is heads on pillows unless there is a picture to look at.  But, generally, the main rule is to listen quietly.  I usually take a few breaks to chat about what is going on and give them time to ask questions or talk about an exciting part.  

Choose books that will have them looking forward to read-alouds!

Interestingly enough, you don't have to worry about rules if you pick the right books.  We've dropped a few books without finishing them because they just didn't cut the mustard and everyone was restless.  I would much rather have them excited to hear a story they love than try to force our way through a book that no one is enjoying.  For toddlers and preschoolers, short chapters with lots of colorful pictures help.  Silliness, easy to follow plots, and fast moving adventures help seal the deal.  

Here are some of our favorite read-alouds for ages 2-5.  I hope you find one that your family will love, as well!

Mercy Watson 

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Mercy is a pampered pig who lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson.  She loves buttered toast and always ends causing exciting action or commotion.  Full of colored illustrations.  We love her antics.  

The Princess in Black
Written by Shannon and Dean Hale

Princess Magnolia isn't your ordinary princess.  When alerted to a problem, the princess secretly changes into her black costume, and defeats monsters.  Large text, colored illustrations, and short chapters make it a perfect beginning read-aloud.

My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland
Written by Ruth Stiles Gannett

In this series of three stories, Elmer befriends and helps a dragon named Boris.  Full of adventure, friendship, and fantasy, they were a definite hit.

Tumtum & Nutmeg
Written by Emily Bearn

Tumtum and Nutmeg are two mice who live in the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage unbeknownst to the Mildew family, the humans who live there.  Short novels full of fun characters, humor, and adventures.

The Boxcar Children
Written by Gertrude Chandler Warner

The Boxcar Children stories are simple and easy to follow, but I am always amazed how intrigued children are by them and how closely they listen.  The Alden children are orphans who don't want to be separated from each other and try to take care of themselves by making a home out of an abandoned boxcar.

Pippi Longstocking
Written by Astrid Lindgren

Astrid Lindgren is in a class all of her own when it comes to telling a good story.  Pippi is an orphan who lives all alone in the house named Villa Villekulla and truly marches to the beat of her own drum.  Pippi amuses the neighbor children, maddens the adults in the town, and provides a lot of laughter to those who read about her.

James and the Giant Peach
Written by Roald Dahl

James encounters a strange little man with magic, and as a result, a peach on the peach tree near his aunt's house, grows to gigantic proportions.  James crawls into the peach and discovers a number of creatures that have also grown!  The peach starts rolling down the hill and takes James on an adventure that literally saves him.  Hands down, this is the story that my two-year-old has enjoyed the most.


Happy reading!

Emily

Our Bag of Books {Let's Play, It's Only Stanley, and Finding Winnie}

Every week, we come home from the library with a bag full of books.  Some books are new, some books are old, and some are books that we have checked out repeatedly.  Every week, a few stick out for various reasons.  I share them in hopes that you'll find some new ones to enjoy with your family.  :)

Let's Play!

Written and Illustrated by Herve Tullet

From the same author as Press Here and Mix it Up comes the new release Let's Play.  In this latest book, Tullet has the reader follow a line with their fingers in a manner that reminded me of an amusement park complete with a carousel and roller coaster.  His classic yellow dot follows a line throughout the book to experience a number of twists and turns, adventures, and obstacles that the reader guides it through.  Tullet knows how to provide simple text and illustrations that delight and amuse.  My little crew couldn't stop giggling during our read-aloud.

My Rating: 5 stars (we will definitely be adding it to our library!)

Perfect for: Toddlers, Preschoolers, Early Elementary

It's Only Stanley

Written and Illustrated by Jon Agee

The Wimbledon family is trying to get some sleep one night, but it is impossible to do with Stanley in the house.  Stanley is a dog that one cannot help but love.  He has big plans up his sleeve, and goes to great lengths to make sure they happen.  From making catfish stew to messing with the oil tanker, Stanley works all throughout the night to make sure he gets to where he wants to go.  Each time the dad investigates what Stanley is up to, he always comes back to tell his family that "It's only Stanley...".  I am not a huge dog person, but I would love a Stanley in my life.  Written in poetic form, it made for a great read aloud that I've seen picked up by little hands many times throughout the week.

My Rating: 4 1/2  (I would recommend it to anyone!)

Perfect for: Preschoolers, Early Elementary

Finding Winnie:
The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear

Written by Lindsay Mattick

Illustrated by Sophie Blackall

Finding Winnie tells the story of the real bear that inspired the tales of Winnie the Pooh written by A.A. Milne.  I had known small bits of the story, but found this non-fiction picture book interesting and informative.  Harry Colebourn was a Canadian on his way to Europe during World War I when he saw a little bear at a train station and purchased it.  Winnie (named after the town Winnipeg) traveled with his military unit and was loved by all.  Before advancing further into war, Colebourn left Winnie at the London Zoo, and it was there that Christopher Robin and his father came to know Winnie.  While the story is full of beautiful illustrations, I loved looking at the photographs included of Winnie and the adventures the bear had as a military unit mascot and at the London Zoo.  It is a fabulous book to kick-off reading any of A.A, Milne's stories.

My Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Perfect for: Early Elementary, Middle Elementary, Late Elementary

Happy Reading!

Emily

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure

Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure

Written and Illustrated by Bill Peet

 

Bill Peet ranks as one of our family's favorite authors and illustrators.  Peet worked at Disney for 27 years, working as an artist and screenwriter, and as such, his illustrations remind one a lot of early Disney cartoons.  Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure (published in 1959) was his first of 35 children's books, and has all the elements of a classic picture book.

Hubert, a very conceited lion, is sharpening his claws on a rock when a spark from his nails causes his mane to catch on fire.  By the time the fire is extinguished, he is as bald as bald can be.  Hubert tries to hide to avoid any of the other animals from discovering the situation, but nosy Hornbird can't resist a good juicy and flies in to get all of the details.  Before long, all of the animals have heard and are there to help poor Hubert.  After much thought, Elephant remembers a cure that just might work, and sets off to collect the only ingredient needed: crocodile tears.  

To Elephant's dismay, the mean and crafty Crocodile has no intention of sharing anything.  On hearing the story of how Hubert lost his hair, Crocodile is rolling on the ground with laughter and shedding tear after tear!  Elephant quickly collects the tears and takes them back to Hubert to let them work their magic.  Hubert rubs the crocodile tears on his head, but no one is quite prepared for what happens as a result!

Classic characters, amusing story line and illustrations, and perfect rhyming have made this book one that everyone enjoys reading time and time again.  

Perfect for:  Early Elementary, Late Elementary
My Rating:  5 stars (We loved it enough to add it to our personal library!)

Interesting Fact:  Bill Peet did all of the storyboards for both The Sword in the Stone and 101 Dalmations.  For more information on Bill Peet, visit here.  

Happy Reading!

Emily

Tumtum & Nutmeg

Tumtum & Nutmeg

Written by Emily Bearn

Illustrated by Nick Price

Published in 2008

Mice in children's books have always fascinated me.  For some reason, they become beloved characters that we root for.  In reality, I would never be able to share my living space with them, and shiver at the thought of them.  I am extremely grateful for the fact that I have never seen one in my house, and I hope I never do.  One of my friends (whose reading taste I trust completely) recommended Tumtum & Nutmeg, and we have come to adore these two little mice.  Isn't it a strange thought to love mice?  

Tumtum and Nutmeg live in a snug little house named Nutmouse Hall (complete with 36 rooms!), which is located in the broom cupboard of Rose Cottage.  Rose Cottage is owned by Mr. Mildew and his two children named Arthur and Lucy.  Mr. Mildew is a widower, and an inventor.  Unfortunately for the children, the house has not been kept up on, and Mr. Mildew is always busy working on his inventions.  Rose Cottage is a mess!

Tumtum is a very generous and calm kind of mouse who likes to eat and read.  Nutmeg is a little more tense, but very kind and thoughtful.  She assumes a motherly role towards Arthur and Lucy, and wants to do everything she can to take care of them and improve their living quarters.  The two mice sneak into the attic where the children sleep in order to make improvements, and clean up the place.  All is going well until Aunt Ivy enters the picture.  Aunt Ivy is enemy to all mice, and does everything that she can to get rid of them.

Interestingly enough, everything that Aunt Ivy does to remove mice from Rose Cottage is exactly what I would do.  Her actions seem so much worse, however, when she is trying to harm two mice as sweet and caring as Tumtum and Nutmeg.  You can't help but dislike her, especially when she poisons Tumtum!

The Nutmegs friend, General Marchmouse, is summoned to save Tumtum and rid the house of Aunt Ivy.  Will he succeed?  You'll have to read it to find out!

Adventure always seem to be just around the corner with Tumtum and Nutmeg, and especially General Marchmouse.  Emily Bearn has written a total of nine books depicting their adventures, and every one that we have read is delightful, charming, and fast-paced.  One chapter was never enough for a sitting!  Illustrations by Nick Price are frequent and add to the delight.

Perfect for:
Read-aloud: Preschool/Early Elementary
Independent Reading: Middle/Late Elementary

Happy reading!

Emily

Meet the Author: {Q&A with Chris Van Dusen!}

I've long been a fan of the illustrations of Mercy Watson, and last year we discovered all of the other books written and/or illustrated by Chris Van Dusen.  He has since become a favorite around our house not only for his engaging illustrations, but also for his delightful rhyming and storylines.  He was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for me.  Following his responses, I've highlighted some of his work that I highly recommend!

Which book(s) or character(s) have been your favorite to work on?

I have a special connection with Mr. Magee because he started the whole thing (I still hide Magee and Dee in one of the pictures in all my books). But I really enjoyed creating the Mercy Watson gang for Kate DiCamillo especially Eugenia Lincoln and I also had fun with Mr. Paine, the villain from The Circus Ship. They are two of my favorites. I guess I'm drawn to the dark characters!

What book are you currently reading?

I read mostly in bed before I go to sleep, but I listen to books on tape (or CDs) during the day while I work in my studio. It's a great way to pass the time. I just finished listening to Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand and now I'm listening to The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Both are excellent!

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I love mint chocolate chip and coffee chocolate chip, and there's a place we go to in Florida that has a killer lime/chocolate soft serve swirl that's amazing. But a really good vanilla is really tough to beat. Sometimes a simple dish of plain old vanilla tastes the best.

If I Built a Car

Published in 2005

Jack is a young boy who has thought long and hard about how he would build a car.  It wouldn't be just any ordinary car.  Oh, no.  It would be complete with a swimming pool, a snack bar, and a robot.  It also has the abilities to float, submerge under water and fly.  Written in perfect poetry, this makes a fun read aloud.  My husband has said that this is his favorite story to read to the kids.  According to him, the book captures exactly how a young boy thinks.  I love the engineering and creativity portrayed throughout the book.

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary/Late Elementary

If I Built a House

Published in 2012

Jack has put his designing skills to use again, and this time he has designed the house of his dreams (and my dreams!).  My favorite room that he imagines is the kitchen that cooks and cleans up after itself.  :)  What kid wouldn't want a flying room, giant slide, ball pit room, or room filled with water and sea life?  Like If I Built a Car, it puts thinking and creativity to use.  

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary/Late Elementary

King Hugo's Huge Ego

Published in 2011

King Hugo is a very haughty king, and likes to boast.  In fact, he gives a speech every Friday morning to the kingdom telling everyone how wonderful he is.  When he is rude to a sorceress, she casts a spell on him that causes his head to swell everytime he says something boastful.  His bragging continues, and his head grows to an enormous size!  Once again, he has an encounter with the sorceress, and once again he is quite rude!  She tells him of the spell, and provides him with a very humbling experience.  Humor and magic are used to teach a very important lesson!

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary/Late Elementary

The Circus Ship

Published in 2009

A circus ship full of circus animals crashes, and all of the animals swim to an island.  The people of the island are wary of the animals until one of them performs a heroic act and the town sees them as kind.  All is well until the unkind circus owner comes to collect the animals.  The town cleverly disguises all fifteen animals to hide them from the angry owner.  

My little family has the time of their lives locating all of the animals in their disguises. 

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary

Head on over to his website to check out the rest of his books and a little more about him. 

Happy reading!

Emily

Our Bag Full of Books {1st Edition}

Every week, we come home with a bag full of books from the library, and every week a few of those stick out.  I've decided to highlight a few picture books every week that I think are worth mentioning for various reasons.  Some of the books that I feature will be new releases, and others will be classics.  In each case, I will give an honest review and rating.  Hopefully you'll find some new ones for your family to enjoy!

Kid Sheriff and the Terrible Toads 

Written by Bob Shea

Illustrated by Lane Smith

Released on October 7, 2014

The Toad brothers are wreaking havoc on the town of Drywater Gulch.  Not only do they kiss your cows and insult your chili, but they also steal your gold and rob the town bank!  That is, until Kid Sheriff rolls into town.  Kid Sheriff is a tortoise-riding dinosaur expert who can't stay up past 8:00.  He wisely blames all of the town mischief on a variety of dinosaurs, which drives the Toad brothers bonkers!  They want all of the credit for their hard work, and they aren't going to see the jail occupied by dinosaurs!

The storyline is great.  There is a lot of humor that made it fun to read as an adult.  Illustrations and text are fitting of the Western theme.  The text intentionally has spelling and grammatical errors to fit the setting of the book, which I didn't mind.  There were a couple of words that I had to replace for my little ones that I felt could have been left out.  Other than that, it was an enjoyable read for all.  

Perfect for: 5 years and older

My rating: 4.5/5

Hermelin the Detective Mouse

Written and Illustrated by Mini Grey

Released on August 5, 2014

Hermelin is a sweet little mouse who lives on Offley Street.  Hermelin discovers a typewriter in the attic, and he uses it to write messages.  It seems like everyone on Offley Street loses personal items and pets, and Hermelin always comes to the rescue.  He finds the lost item, and leaves a little typewritten note telling the owner where to find the item.  He even helps save Baby McMumbo!  Everyone is so grateful for Hermelin (not knowing who or what he is), and decide to throw him a party.  When he shows up, he gets quite the surprise when his arrival is greeted with screams and chaos.  Poor Hermelin discovers he is a pest, and is ready to pack up and leave Offley Street until a visitor arrives in the attic, and takes him home.

Hermelin is such a sweet and heroic little mouse, and I found the story to be quite charming.  My little ones asked to hear the story over and over again.  

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary

My rating: 5/5

The Gruffalo

Written by Julia Donaldson

Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Published in 1999

A little mouse is walking through the woods, and keeps encountering hungry predators.  In order to escape them, he tells them that he is meeting a creature named a "gruffalo" that has orange eyes, a wart on his nose, a black tongue, and terrible teeth!  After hearing of such a frightful creature, they all evacuate, and mouse continues on his way until he encounters a gruffalo that matches his description, even though he had thought he had made the creature up when he was describing the gruffalo to the other animals.  Mouse is very clever, and is able to convince the gruffalo that he, the mouse, is the scariest animal in the wood!

This story is clever, well-written, and fun to read aloud.  Illustrations are classic.  We have checked it out multiple times from the library, and are ordering a copy of our own.  It never gets old!

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary

My rating: 5/5

I Spy With My Little Eye

Written and Illustrated by Edward Gibbs

Published in 2011

On each page, an eye of an animal is featured, along with a color of the animal and a clue as to what the animal may be.  When you turn the page, you are able to see a full illustration of the animal.  It makes for a delightful (and colorful!) guessing game!  It is a short and simple book that has entertained us multiple times.

Perfect for: Toddlers/Preschool/Early Elementary

My rating: 4.5/5

Happy reading!

Emily

The Baby Beebee Bird

The Baby Beebee Bird

Written by Diane Redfield Massie

Illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Every now and then, I come across certain books that take me back to my childhood, complete with all of the memories of reading it with my mom.  We would climb up on her bed and she would read a big stack of books to us as we all crowded around her.  I came across The Baby Beebee Bird in the library, and even though it was a reprint edition with new illustrations from Steven Kellogg, it brought back some fond memories.  

The story was originally published in 1963, and tells the tale of a little baby bird and its arrival at the zoo.  All of the animals are tired at the end of the day, and ready to go to bed, but the Beebee bird has just woken up and is ready to sing!  Much to the dismay of the rest of the zoo, the baby bird sings all night long.  "Beebeebobbibobbi beebeebobbibobbi...." is the song that the little bird sings with all of its heart.

After a sleepless night, lion comes up with a plan that just might work to get the baby bird back on a sleeping schedule that works for everyone.  The plot reminds me of parents bringing home newborns from the hospital, and the dilemma that they encounter when the baby is wide awake during the night, and sleepy during the day.  

I love that it has become a favorite around our house, and I hope my little ones ones will remember it with as much fondness as I have.  

Happy Reading!

Emily