New Releases {July/August 2016}

This last month was a fun month for new releases in children's books for us!  Here are a few that we enjoyed!

  Where Are You Going, Baby Lincoln?

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Released August 2, 2016

Both the Mercy Watson series and the continued Tales from Deckawoo Drive have been hits at our house, so I was excited to try this latest book in the series.  Baby Lincoln is probably the most timid of all of the characters in the Deckawoo Drive clan, so I wasn't quite certain how much energy was going to be in the book, or how some of my children were going to respond, but they all enjoyed it and we finished it in one sitting.

Baby Lincoln gets tired of being told what to do by Eugenia all of the time, and decides to go on a "necessary journey".  

Baby packs her bags, buys a train ticket, and sets out on her journey.  Throughout her train ride, she sits by a number of interesting characters that are true to Kate DiCamillo's style.  A man in a fur hat introduces her to the joys of comics (which Eugenia says are a waste of time!), a girl shares her flavored jelly beans, and a little boy traveling alone brings out an unknown talent of storytelling.  By the end of her journey, Baby has discovered a few things about herself, and Eugenia has, as well.  This latest edition is on the sweet and side, which probably won't suit all crowds, but it worked for ours.  Once again, Chris Van Dusen's illustrations do not disappoint.

Coding Projects in Scratch

Written by Jon Woodcock

Published July 5, 2016

I've been on the hunt for STEM activities for my six year old, and this one caught my eye.  Scratch is an online website developed by MIT that allows kids to learn computer coding processes to create their own games and projects.  I had gotten on the website a couple of times to see if I could figure it out enough to get my son started, but felt overwhelmed both times.  

As soon as this book arrived in the mail, my son started poring over it and getting excited about the projects inside.  They are incredibly engaging projects for the ages that the book is geared towards, and have allowed him to learn the program without a problem.  He's had the time of his life, and I love how much he is learning.  This has been an excellent resource, and I highly recommend it!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Written by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne

Published July 31, 2016

I've been excited to read this one since it was announced months ago.  The main differences between this book and the original seven in the series are that this one is written in play script and that it takes place when all of the main characters (Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco) are older and have children of their own. The main character is Albus Severus Potter, Harry's second son.  

I had a hard time with this one due to the fact that it is written as a play, and doesn't have the same flow as the previous books in the series.  This, along with a few other quirks in the story, caused it to not have the same magic as the original seven for me.  However, I still enjoyed the story, and am glad that I read it.  Out of five stars, I would give it a 3 1/2.  Have you read it?  What are your thoughts?

Follow the Trail: Trucks

July 5, 2016

I am always on the lookout for interactive and sturdy board books to put in my diaper bag.  This series is new to me, but I am glad I found it.  Each page has textured trails for little fingers to follow trucks as they go about their duties, along with nonfiction text describing the different trucks.  All in all, the book has nineteen trails and shapes for fingers to trace and outline.  These are great for practicing pre-writing skills.  I have caught my toddler going through this book multiple times.  I'd like to add the rest of the books in the series to our collection, as well!

What have you been reading?  Have you found a new book that your family has enjoyed?  Please share!

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

Our Bag of Books {The Full Moon at the Napping House, Have You Seen My Dragon, and Harry the Dirty Dog}

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.  :)

The Full Moon at the Napping House

Written by Audrey Wood

Illustrated by Don Wood

Published September 1, 2015

Knowing the love my kids have for any book written and illustrated by Audrey and Don Wood, I was excited to see that they had come out with a sequel to The Napping House.  With a full moon, no one is ready for bed and poor, sleepless granny is left with a restless household.  As we read this version together, I can feel my kids energy start out high at the beginning of the story, and then relax as the napping house is able to finally calm down thanks to a chirping cricket.  I loved how it had the same feel as The Napping House, but had its own twist that captured the bedtime process for so many families.  And who can resist Don Wood's delightful illustrations?

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars (I could definitely see myself buying a copy,)

Perfect for: Babies, Toddlers, Preschool, Early Elementary

Have You Seen My DRAGON?

Written and Illustrated by Steve Light

Published April 8, 2014

I'm always on the lookout for a good counting picture book, and this one fits the bill.  A little boy has lost his dragon in New York City, and sets out to find him.  On each page layout, he visits a place where the dragon might have gone to in the city.  Each place he visits is intricately illustrated in black and white, and has colored items that the reader counts, such as boats, buses, dogs, balloons, and taxis.  It starts out with 1 item and ends with 20 items on the final page.  We all loved looking at the illustrations.  Overall, it was an original counting book that gave my toddler some good practice.

My Rating: 4 1/2 Stars 

Perfect For: Toddlers, Preschool

Harry the Dirty Dog

Written by Gene Zion

Illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham

Originally Published 1956

Harry the Dirty Dog is a classic, and for good reason!  Harry hates baths and after hearing the bath water running, he grabbed his scrub brush, buried it in the back yard, and ran away.  When he comes back home, he is absolutely filthy and unrecognizable.  His family isn't going to let him in the house since they don't know it is him!  He retrieves the brush he previously buried and they decide to give the dog a bath only to discover it was Harry the whole time!  I love how this book has been around for fifty years, but still delights children.

My Rating: 5 stars
Perfect for: Toddlers, Preschool, Early Elementary

Happy Reading!

Emily

Our Bag Full of Books {2nd Edition}

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.  :)

The Very Cranky Bear

Written and Illustrated by Nick Bland

Published in 2008

Four animal friends (Moose, Lion, Sheep, and Zebra) find a cave to hide from the cold and play a card game.  Unfortunately, they discover that the cave is occupied by an incredibly cranky bear!  In an effort to cheer him up, Moose, Lion, and Zebra decorate the sleeping bear with the physical characteristics that make them happy (antlers, stripes, and a mane).  Needless to say, bear is even crankier when he wakes up and discovers his new garb.  Bear tells sheep that he just wants a place to get some sleep.  Sheep very kindly sheers off all of her wool to make a pillow for the bear.  As he peacefully sleeps, the rest of the animals are able to continue with their play.

The first time I read this story, I laughed out loud at the illustrations.  There is an image of bear storming out of the cave with a grass mane, mud stripes, and branch antlers that I love.  Adorable and lovable characters with an incredibly sweet solution.

Perfect for: Preschool/Early Elementary

My rating: 5/5

Mix it Up

by Herve Tullet

Published in 2014

Mix it Up is created by the same author as Press Here.  In both books, Herve Tullet masterfully creates an interactive experience with young readers that has them not only participating in the story, but giggling and laughing while doing so.  In this book, readers explore primary colors and secondary colors.  Readers smoosh pages together, rub colors together, and tilt the book to get colors to mix.  When they turn the page, the colors have mixed.  He also explores what happens when white and black are mixed in with colors.

We love both Press Here and Mix it Up.  Both have gotten giggles and requests for additional readings.  They work best as a read aloud for an individual or for a couple of children.  

Perfect for:  Toddlers/Preschool

My rating: 5/5

Activity:  After reading the story, it is absolutely imperative to pull out red, yellow, and blue paint to have a color mixing experiment!

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