The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale by Lucine Kasbarian, illustrated by Maria Zaikina

I adore folktales. I love storytelling and grew up in an area with a rich oral history. The idea of stories being passed down from generation to generation – that my children are hearing stories that other children across an ocean heard a hundred years ago is amazing. True – many are didactic – which normally turns me off in a children’s book, but folktales get a pass. It’s in their very nature to teach you some sort of lesson. Plus, the stories are often so well told and entertaining that it’s okay.

 The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale is retold by author Lucine Kasbarian, whose father told the story to her at bedtime when she was young. In the book, a sparrow gets a thorn in his foot. As he’s flying through the countryside, he happens upon a woman baking bread and asks her to remove the thorn. She happily obliges and the sparrow is on his merry way. However, he soon returns and demands that the baker return his thorn. When she says she threw it in the oven, he demands that she give him a loaf of bread in return. She does, and the sparrow files away, carrying a loaf of bread. The story repeats itself as the bird flies across the Armenian countryside, asking locals to keep an eye on whatever he has and demanding something in return when the original item invariably goes missing. At one point, he even finds himself with an Armenian bride. As folktales go, the greedy sparrow eventually gets his comeuppance. This is the part where readers realize the importance of sharing, being nice to your neighbors, etc.

The story is simple, yet very entertaining. The illustrations give the book an old-fashioned feel – what you would expect to see in Armenian villages of long ago. Word bubbles appear over the bird and the people he interacts with, offering ease in readability for young readers and a bit more interaction. Humorous facial expressions on animals and humans add a nice touch.

This is definitely worth checking out.



Reading level: Ages 4-8 | Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb (April 2011) | ISBN-13: 978-0761458210 | Source: Review copy from publisher


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The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Annah is scarred - scarred from an accident that disfigured one side of her face and body; scarred by Elias's apparent abandonment three years ago; scarred by leaving her twin sister Abigail behind in the zombie-ridden Forest of Hands and Teeth when she was five years old.  She's survived on her own in the Dark City for three years, and is on her way out when she notices someone who looks just like her - except this girl has no scars and appears to walk with the confidence of someone who's led a better, even happy life. Soon, she's reunited with her sister and Elias and meets Catcher, a guy who is amazingly immune from the "Unconsecrated" who roam around in search of human flesh. Like Gabry, he's broken, and she finds herself strongly connected to him.

But life is less than happy. A massive horde of the  Unconsecrated has awoken and is feverishly invading the Dark City. The only safe place is the "Sanctuary," an island run by the recruiters, and they need Catcher to bring him supplies. The recruiters keep Annah, Elias, and her sister on the island to keep Catcher coming back, but they soon learn that zombies are not the only threat. They have to escape before it's too late, but how?


The Dark and Hollow Places is the third book in Carrie Ryan's "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" trilogy. It's fast-paced, exciting, and full of lots of gory zombie action. Oh yeah, and there's also a pretty good love story that unfolds along the way.

Of the three books, Annah is the lead female character that I like the most. She has an inner strength that she's had to rely on for a very long time, but as the story unfolds, you realize just how vulnerable she is and much of a toll a lifetime of living in fear has taken on her. Unlike the second book, which takes place about 17 years after the first one, this one picks up right after the end of the second. Yes, zombies are a central theme, but the book is smartly written and is much more about survival, growth, and learning not only to love yourself but to open your heart to others.

Very well done.

In Front of My House by Marianne Dubuc

One of my favorite things about reading with my kids is finding books in which we can participate together, and Marianne Dubuc's In Front of My House is a really good book for doing just that. It's a circular book, meaning that the book begins and ends in the same way - in a child's house on a hill.

It begins with an unseen child narrator saying, "On little hill, behind a brown fence, under a big oak tree, is..."

You turn the page and see, "My house. In front of my house..." [Turn the page again] "a rosebush. On the rosebush..." The story continues in the same pattern throughout, turning the pages to reveal what's next. At first, it's pretty typical of what you'd see, a bird, a window, the child's bedroom, a sock, etc. Then comes the fairy tale book, and the child's imagination soars. Soon, we're seeing things like a princess, a prince charming (a frog with a crown), the big bad wolf, a vampire, a pirate ship, a lion, a zoo, a shooting star, and more until it eventually gets back to the house on the hill.

What I really love about this book is the anticipation it brings. You have no idea what's going to come up on the next page, and on the first read, my daughter loved to yell out what she saw. After a couple of reads, she knows what's coming next and yells it out before I can even turn the page. In one section of the book, we go inside a dark cave and before I even turn the page, my daughter screams and covers her eyes, hiding from the abominable snowman who is hiding inside the cave. It is so much fun.

I can't forget to mention the illustrations. The book itself is a chunky square book and it's chock full of wonderful, whimsical illustrations that look like the child narrator drew them. Some pictures like the lion are colored in a bit unevenly, giving the appearance that a kid colored it in.

The text and pictures are simple and fun, and kids who can't read or who are just beginning to read get the opportunity to participate in the reading experience. I highly recommend this book for the younger set of children. I can even imagine it being a fun book for an older child to read to a younger child.

Learning concepts: 

• Grammar - Prepositions 
• Literacy/Reading - Prediction

Ages: 4-8 | Publisher: Kids Can Press, September 2010 | Source: Review copy from publisher | ISBN: 978-1554536412




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Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

As long as I can remember, I've always been intrigued by Amelia Earhart's story. Her courage was inspiring, and her disappearance always seemed very sad to me. But I've never really read a lot about her life or her disappearance in 1937. As soon as I received a copy of Candace Fleming's, Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart, I was eager to read it.

First off, I have to tell you that I always love reading Candace Fleming's work. Her non-fiction is always thoroughly researched, and she does an exceptional job of weaving her research together to tell a compelling, engaging story. This was definitely the case with The Lincoln's: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary (my review here). And her fiction picture book Clever Jack Takes the Cake is well, clever, and very well-written (my review here). So, I expected to find a clever, thorough, and engaging story about Amelia Earhart, and of course, I did.

I wondered how Ms. Fleming would address all of the myths surrounding Earhart herself and her disappearance, and in the very beginning of the book, Ms. Fleming describes how she spent two years digging through research to find the real Amelia. She says, "...the person I eventually uncovered surprised me. Amelia Earhart was so much more than a pilot. She was a savvy businesswoman...a popular lecturer; a fashion icon;.... But most important, she symbolized the new opportunities awaiting women in the twentieth century"  (ix).

And with that, Amelia's story begins. The book alternates between July 1937 -- the time of her disappearance and the days of searching that followed it -- and the story of her life from the time she was born. The different chapters present an Amelia Earhart that is not only courageous but super smart and savvy and likable. There are photos of Amelia and her family, pictures of Amelia's report card from school, pilot's license, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes from Amelia herself. Informative sidebars are weaved throughout the book and provide even more interesting information about Amelia. There's even a sidebar that introduces the Morse Code.

The back matter includes an extensive bibliography, websites where readers can learn more about Earhart, source notes, picture credits, and an index.

The story itself really takes you back to the past, and the chapters about her disappearance provide an excellent picture of what the entire country was feeling when her plane disappeared.

I think anyone who reads the book will learn more about Amelia Earhart than they previously knew, and kids who are interested in aviation, women's history, non-fiction, or who just want to read an interesting story will enjoy this book. I give this my highest recommendation.

Age range: 9 -12 | Publisher: Schwartz & Wade, February 2011 | ISBN: 978-0375841989 | Source: Review copy from publisher

Visit Picture Book of the Day for more Nonfiction Monday selections! 





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Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Moon Over Manifest has been sitting in my TBR pile for a while, but after it won the Newbery Medal last month, it moved to the top. What a lovely book.

Abilene Tucker is 12 years old in 1936, when she goes to live with strangers in a town she's heard stories about her entire life - Manifest, Kansas. Still reeling from her father's decision to send her to Manifest, she soon becomes enthralled in the story of town and the ghosts from the past - 1918 to be exact - that still seem to haunt it.

Moon Over Manifest is a story within a story. While Abilene is struggling with her father's abandonment, she furiously searches for clues about him. How did he know Pastor Shady with whom he sent her to live? Why doesn't anyone in a town full of stories ever mention his name? Will he ever come back to get her?

A historical fiction novel, the book offers glimpses of two different time periods - the 1918 town that is not only struggling under the control of greedy coal lords but that is also sending its young men away to war. Then in 1936 when Abilene arrives, it's in the grips of the Great Depression. A once bustling town is rundown, and even the vibrant people of 1918 seem to have lost their hearts.

What's particularly well done about the book is the way the story is told through different voices - Abilene's, a box full of letters written in 1918 from Ned Gillen to his friend Jinx , a weekly newspaper column written by the vivacious Hattie Mae, and stories from the diviner Miss Sadie. Each source has a unique voice and plays a crucial part in weaving the story together.

And the cast of characters is wonderfully developed -

• Pastor Shady is part pastor, part saloon owner and seems to live up to his name. 
• Miss Sadie is a Hungarian diviner who is surrounded by mystery. 
• Sister Redempta is a strict schoolteacher in Manifest and is also the town midwife. 
• Hattie Mae is a spunky newspaper columnist with a big heart. 
• Ned Gillen is a young aspiring track star who never really knows his true origins. 
• Jinx is a feisty trouble-maker who ends up in Manifest and may just find a home there. 
• And then there's Abilene the heroine of the story who is also trying to find a place in life and maybe even a place to call home. 

I would say that this book is complex, and younger readers may have some difficulty piecing it all together, but more mature readers will have no problem.  Some teens will definitely identify with Abilene's search to fit in.

There are funny moments, scary moments, and heartwrenching moments that, put together, make for a very enjoyable and beautiful read.

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Monkey With a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem by Chris Monroe

One morning, Chico Bon Bon, the industrious monkey with a most impressive tool belt hears a very loud noise "Arooga! Boom! Clang! Clang!" echoing through his tree house. He sets about to fix it, but just can't figure out what the noise is - the wind, a super noisy family of squirrels, a hunter chopping down his tree? As the day continues, the noise doesn't let up. After conducting a thorough search, he finally finds the culprit in his laundry chute - an elephant named Clark. Once he's found Clark, he sets upon a detailed plan to rescue him - a plan that involves bananas and a homemade contraption. Not only does he get rid of the noise, but he makes a new friend. While we never find out how Clark got into the chute because Chico thinks it would be rude to ask, we do get a book full of giggles and fun.

Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem is Chris Monroe's 2009 follow up to Monkey With a Tool Belt (see my review here), a book where Chico Bon Bon has to save himself from a devious organ grinder who wants to make him a circus monkey. Chris Monroe is so very clever and creates books that entertain both adults and children. With every read, we find something new in the detailed illustrations, and my daughter absolutely loves to yell out "Arooga! Boom! Clang! Clang!" on cue. While there are so many pictures to adore, our favorite is when Chico discovers the super huge elephant squished into the tiny laundry chute. It induces giggles every single time.

If you're not familiar with Chico Bon Bon, I highly recommend the Monkey With a Tool Belt books. They are full of fun and spark many opportunities for laughter, commentary, and interaction.  

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (April 2009) | ISBN-13: 978-0822592471 | Source: Review copy from publisher

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365 Days of Reading: Month 1 in review

As I suspected, returning to the "real world" after the holiday break proved to be a bit challenging on the blogging front, but I am happy to say that we've read to our kids every day, minus a day when the baby went to bed early. With Lady B, it hasn't been a challenge because she loves books and always asks to read them. The baby is starting to show interest but really can't sit for more than 5 minutes without wanting to do something else. That's completely typical for his age, and I've learned from experience that constant exposure to books will help him develop a love for them.

Some old favorites with Lady B continue to be the Knuffle Bunny trilogy. She especially loves to see how much Trixie has grown from book to book. Just last night, we noticed that Trixie is reading an Elephant and Piggie book on the airplane in Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion. After that, we set about reading every Elephant and Piggie book we have in the house. My personal favorite is Watch Me Throw the Ball!, but Lady B is still partial to We Are in a Book! . Another book she discovered yesterday that's been sitting on the shelf for quite a while is Kersplatypus by Susan K. Mitchell and illustrated by Sherry Rogers. I reviewed it here three years ago, and it was nice to pick it back up again and "kid-test" it. In other news, Lady B is truly enjoying "reading" to her baby brother, and he is so captivated by her. She has a few books memorized, so it's fun to watch her read to him. Last night, she surprised her daddy when he missed a word, and she corrected him. She's so much fun.

My personal reading has suffered a bit. I finished American Gods and have been engrossed in Washington: A Life. For the first time in a very long time, I haven't wanted to read anything else, but I'm only getting in personal reading time during my twice-a-week commute to work. Most nights, I crash into bed soon after the kids get to sleep. So, I'm sorry to say I haven't gotten far into the book, but it very well researched, and the narrative is very captivating unlike a lot of biographies.

For the month of February, I'm hoping to get in more personal reading time and of course continue reading to my kids every night.


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Chalk by Bill Thomson

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I absolutely love wordless picture books for so many reasons. They spark imagination, they take the pressure off of kids who are having trouble reading, and they can also help break the language barrier between kids and older family members who read in different languages.

Bill Thomson's Chalk is one of my new favorites. Three kids are walking toward a park on a rainy when they notice a bag of chalk hanging from a "ride-on" T-Rex.

They take the bag of chalk, and one of the girls draws a sun. Suddenly, the sky clears, and the sun shines brightly overhead. Another girl draws butterflies, and soon after, the kids are surrounded by fluttering butterflies. The boy in the group gets a bit adventurous with the chalk drawings, and the kids are soon running in terror from a ferocious T-Rex.

Bill Thomson's acrylic and color-pencil illustrations jump off the page and come to life. You see close-ups of the menacing T-Rex, looks of fear as the kids escape, and looks of pure exhilaration as the kids discover what they can do with the magical chalk.

This is a book that celebrates true imagination, and it's beautifully executed.

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books (March 2010) | Source: Review copy from publisher | ISBN: 978-0761455264

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Reading Challenge: Days 3 & 4

After being off from work for over a week, readjusting to the "real world" has been a challenge, but reading with my kids is important. I've built into our nightly routine since Lady B was a tiny baby, so now it's something we both look forward to at the end of the day. The kidlets have been super exhausted, and the baby went to bed soon after bath time tonight. So no reading for him tonight. We got a couple of books in last night. I want reading to be a fun experience, and I'm careful not to force it if the kids are tired or cranky.

However, unless Lady B is extremely exhausted, she asks me to read a book to her after bathtime and before bedtime each night. I normally let her pick out 3 books she wants to read; she usually begs for at least one more, and we often get half an hour of reading in each night. Tonight, she was pretty tired, so we read for about 15 minutes before she told me she was ready for bed. I'm sort of glad because I'm not a huge fan the book she picked out - The Big Green Book of Beginner Books by Dr. Seuss.

It's a collection of six of Dr. Seuss's beginning reader books:

• Great Day for Up! 
• I Am Not Going to Get Up Today! 
•  I Wish That I Had Duck Feet 
•  Maybe You Should Fly a Jet! Maybe You Should Be a Vet!  
• Wacky Wednesday  
• Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog?

Tonight we read Wacky Wednesday, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, and Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? I'm hot and cold with Dr. Seuss. I absolutely love Green Eggs and Ham and Horton Hears a Who, but Oh the Places You'll Go makes me cringe, and The Cat in the Hat is just creepy.  Don't hate on me, Seuss fans. And I'm also hot and cold with The Big Green Book of Beginner Books. Wacky Wednesday is fun to read with a little one because on each page, you have to find wacky things whether it's a turtle stuck in a tree or a man driving a car from the backseat. However, as the book progresses, you're asked to find more and more wacky things until you have to find 20 things on one page. It may not be so bad if Lady B didn't get stuck on the numbers 15-20. So we go from 15 to 17 to 16 to "11-teen."  Tonight, she had fun on the first few pages, and then she said, "I'm too tired to find more wacky things. Can we read I Wish That I Had Duck Feet now?"

That particular book has a fun rhythm as the main character imagines what it would be like if he had duck feet, a whale spout, antlers, and more. I also love looking at the 1960's style illustrations, especially the boy's father who is always smoking a pipe. What I don't like about the book are the instances when the main character imagines using his new body parts to make the supposed bully Big Bill Brown jealous and to even knock him down at one point. I cringe at the message it sends that you can use your new "talents" to finally get back at a bully. It's then that I have to have a conversation with Lady B about how it's not nice to knock people down, etc. In any case, even though I'm not a huge fan of the book, she loves it, and I'm happy to read her the books she chooses.

Over the past two days, I've been doing my own reading when I've had time. I finished AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, and even though the book was a fast, interesting read, I'm not inspired to hike the trail. Camping for months, bugs, outhouses (or lack therof in many cases), injuries, etc. are not that appealing. Perhaps hiking a section or two would be better for me. :-)

I also read a good portion of American Gods on the train to and from work today, and it's really getting good. I also used the remaining value of the Kindle gift card I got for Christmas to buy Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. I suppose I'm on a bit of a nonfiction kick.

Oh - and I also have one teeny Kindle complaint. I miss flipping through books to find passages. I don't think I'll ever stop reading paper books. I have a long commute to work, and I love not having to lug around books and having the ability to pull out a small device and choose which books I want to read. But I do miss the touch and feel and smell of "real" books.

365 Days of Reading - Days 1 and 2

So far so good on my challenge to read every day with my kids. We've had a lazy and rainy weekend, perfect for sitting inside and reading. I still feel kind of icky about referring to my children by name on the internet, so for now, they're Lady B and Lord X. Yesterday, Lady B and I read lots of books together.
Two of note include Mo Willems' We Are in a Book!, and Mary Pope Osbourne's Magic Tree House #45: A Crazy Day with Cobras.

 We Are in a Book! is the most recent of Mo Willems' Elephant and Piggie books. In the book, Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig realize that they are being watched and soon learn that the watcher is a reader and that they are in a book. They decide to make the reader say something out loud and choose the word "Banana!" As they begin to crack up over making the reader say banana, Lady B started snickering, which made me snicker until we were full on belly laughing. It's a super super book.
(Source of book: Purchased a personal copy)

We're just starting on our chapter book journey. I've read a few out loud to Lady B, and so far, she definitely enjoys listening to them. This is our second Magic Tree House book. This one, A Crazy Day with Cobras, is set to release on January 11, and in it Jack and Annie visit ancient India in search of an emerald that can help break a spell. We've only made it through the first chapter, but I'm a real fan of the Magic Tree House books, and this one is great so far.
(Source of book: Review copy received from publisher)

Now, with Lord X, I have board books scattered in easy-to-reach spots throughout the house. I can hardly get him to sit still for more than five minutes, but while he's playing I'll pull a book out and read the words. He's still in the "book-eating" phase which is why I continue to be a huge proponent of board books. A favorite he loves is The Very Hungry Caterpillar; he especially loves poking his fingers through the holes in the food the caterpillar ate through. He loves the book so much that he will have a caterpillar-themed first birthday party. I'll attempt to make a caterpillar cupcake cake. Anyone have a good cupcake recipe? Lady B has specifically requested chocolate cupcakes.
(Source of book: Purchased a personal copy) 

Now for me - I'm trying to make more of an effort to read for myself this year. Last year, I'd be so tired at the end of the night that I'd fall asleep after having read five pages. I got a Kindle for Christmas and have it loaded with some classics and other books. My reading habits are odd, and I'm normally working on five or six books at a time, reading whatever I'm in the mood for. So, right now, I'm reading two nonfiction books:

AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller - This is the author's narrative of his thru-hike of the Appalachian trail. He decides to quit his mundane office job to hike the entire trail. He goes by the name of AWOL during his hike and records his trials, struggles, and rewarding moments on the trail. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book, and it's a super fast, exciting read. I bought the Kindle edition of this book because I'm a lifelong resident of VA and have been on the Appalachian trail in various places in VA. I'm not certain I'd ever want to hike the entire trail. I'm not a fan of roughing it. However, even though AWOL suffers a few injuries and hikes through bad weather more than a few times, I find his motivation inspirational. He also does a great job of describing the other hikers he meets along the way, and I'm finding myself hoping to read of more encounters with certain hikers.
(Source of book: Purchased the Kindle version) 

Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow

Inspired to learn more about Washington after a fall visit to Mt. Vernon, I downloaded this book to my Kindle. I'm only in the early stages of his life where he has just inherited Mt. Vernon from his brother, but so far, it's been a detailed and engaging read. I often find that biographies are hit or miss, but Chernow's narrative is compelling, and I'll continue to read more.
(Source of book: Purchased the Kindle version) 


I'm also reading two fiction books:

American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman
I'm sort of ashamed to admit that the only work of Gaiman's that I've read is The Graveyard Book. Since reading that book, I've been following his blog and tweets and have wanted to delve more into his books for adults. I thought I'd start with American Gods because it's the one I see most people referring to when they talk of Neil Gaiman. I'm about three chapters in, and am loving it so far. It's dark, strange, and has a lot of supernatural activity - right up my alley.
(Source of book: Purchased the Kindle version) 

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Now that I have my Kindle, I couldn't resist downloading a free copy of this book. I absolutely love the story, and now that I can highlight and make notes without destroying a book, I'm really enjoying digging through and marking my favorite passages. I'm also trying to find words to explain why I love this so much and why it affects me the way it does, so maybe I'll share some of my favorite passages as I come across them.
(Source of book: Downloaded the Kindle version) 


So, that's what we've been reading over the past two days. Tomorrow, it's back to the real world, and it will be more of a challenge to continue reading every day, but I'll make every effort to do it.

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365 Days of Reading

Wow - it's 2011. This year marks 11 years of living and working in the DC area, 13 years of togetherness with the hubs, and eight years of marriage. Also this year my kids will turn one and four, and The Well-Read Child will turn four in November. You know, this year has been challenging, especially after returning to work as a mom of two. But after long days of working, dinner, bath time, and everything else that comes with the job, my favorite part of the day was snuggling with my kids reading books.

My daughter is almost four now, and reading with her has turned into a super fun and rewarding time. I started this blog in 2007 because I wanted to capture memories of reading with her. Along the way, it turned into something more - I found a community of people who were just as passionate as I was about reading with kids and literacy, I started receiving books in the mail, and through reading other reviews and posts, my TBR pile grew tremendously. Somewhere along the way, I seemed to forget my initial purpose for the blog, and I'm finding that I'm forgetting special reading moments with my kids.

New Year's Day always marks a time when I'm setting new goals for myself, and my mid-February, many of them have fallen by the wayside. This year, I'm only making one resolution -  to read with my kids every single day and to also read something for myself. I want this blog to be a record of this. I hope to share what I'm reading, funny stories, questions, and comments. I want it to record 365 days of reading with my kids.

Cybils Shortlists Announced

Happy New Year everyone! Today, the shortlists for each of the 11 categories in the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils) was announced. Check them out here. There are some really great books on here. Kudos to all of the panelists for your hard work!

Holiday Traditions

One of my favorite memories of Christmas was making ornaments with my Aunt Marian. She dabbled in ceramics, and my brother, sister, and I would go to her house, sit around the kitchen table, and paint ceramic ornaments like stockings or toy soldiers. We'd get to choose the colors we wanted and add our initials on the back like true artists. While the paint was baking onto the ornaments in the oven, we'd make Rice Krispies treats. For a while, that was our kickoff to Christmas, and even though it's been more than 20 years and my Aunt Marian has been gone for two, memories of those days are seared in my brain. My mom still has these ornaments on her tree to this day, and I unsuccessfully try to steal them every year.

Now that my daughter is really starting to get into Christmas, I want to begin my own Christmas traditions for my kids. Of course, one of our traditions involves books, and I want to share two of the books that we've read over and over this holiday season. Both are classics that I remember reading when I was a child.

First is The Nutcracker. I've never seen a live performance of The Nutcracker, but I've forever been in love with the story. This version, written by Stephanie Spinner and illustrated by Peter Malone, has been hanging around our house for a couple of years. I thought my daughter would be a bit put off by the lengthy copy on each page, but she remains transfixed as I read it. Peter Malone's watercolor illustrations are stunning and give the book an old-timey, magical feel. But what really makes this book special is the nearly 80-minute long CD of Tchaikovsky’s music. It's performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra and really puts you in the holiday spirit.

Of course, no Christmas story time would be complete without a reading of Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas. Our illustrated depiction of the poem was illustrated by Jan Brett. True to Jan Brett's form, the book is full of color and detail, and a cast of sneaky elves almost steal the show as they stow away on Santa's sleigh on this magical night. What I also love about this is that Santa makes his landing in a wintry New England village and delivers presents to a lovely Victorian home. Like The Nutcracker, it gives off an old-timey feel of warmth and cheer. It does look like this one is out of print, but I found mine on a shelf in a local bookstore not too long ago.  In any case, there are tons of illustrated versions of this poem available. Do you have a favorite?

Do you have holiday traditions or special books you read with your kids during the holidays?


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The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

Having been a fan of Louis Sachar's work since reading and subsequently teaching Holes to my middle schoolers back in my former life as a teacher, I was super excited to see The Cardturner show up in my mailbox a while back. I finally got around to reading it this past weekend, and while it isn't Holes, I thoroughly enjoyed it. (Don't you hate it when reviewers compare author's works to their most highly-acclaimed works?)

The premise - Alton Richards is your typical teenage boy. It's summer break, and since his girlfriend dumped him for his best friend, he has no exciting plans. He's not super excited when his mother volunteers him to drive his ailing blind uncle (who also happens to be rich) to his bridge games and be his cardturner a few times a week. As his uncle's health continues to fail, Alton's parents want to make sure Alton charms the family into his will, but there's another family that has mysterious ties to Uncle Lester and who seems to be competing for the inheritance. Soon, Alton is drawn into a decades-long secret and even learns to love bridge along the way.

So, here's what I really like about the book - the characters. Alton is a great character. He's believable - smart, funny, sarcastic, and inquisitive. From the very beginning, you're drawn into Alton's story and really like him as a person. Uncle Lester is the perfect, curmudgeonly old man who really does have a big heart. And then there's spunky Toni Castaneda - the granddaughter of Alton's sister-in-law who is the center of a very intriguing and sad mystery.

Throughout the book, Sachar inserts bridge lessons. I have to admit that I found them interesting at first, but by the end, I was skipping over them altogether. I'm more of a visual learner, and reading about different hands and plays and tactics was a bit much for me and what I think may turn some off from the book. He does, however, at the end of each "bridge lesson" include a short summary for those who don't want to read the more detailed section. And of course, he pokes a bit of fun at himself by including a whale symbol at the beginning of the each lesson - a nice little nod to the often over-detailed Moby Dick.

But, it's not a book about bridge. Bridge happens to be the element of the book that weaves the story and the characters together, but behind the bridge lessons, there's a beautiful story of love, friendship, family, and the search for truth.


Reading level: Young Adult | Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (May 11, 2010) | ISBN-13: 978-0385736626 | Source: Review copy from publisher


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100 Things About Me as a Reader, Part 1

So, I'm way behind on blog reading and just came across Mary Lee's "100 Things About Me as a Reader" at A Year of Reading. Inspired by her blogging partner Franki's post, Mary Lee lists some interesting tidbits about herself as a reader and also says that a lot of individuals are posting their own lists, and teachers are assigning this to students. Of course, I can't pass this up. Here's the beginning of my list.

1. According to my mom, by the time I was two, I was "reading" books my memory. 
2. Also according to my mom, my first favorite book was The Pokie Little Puppy. I found a copy of this for my daughter when she was one, but it's never caught on. 
3. The first series I fell in love with was the Trixie Belden series. A family friend gave me a full set when I was in the third grade. 
4. The second series I fell in love with was the Flowers in the Attic series and then every other dark V.C. Andrews series I could get my hands on. 
5. My Aunt Marian, along with my mom, helped nurture my love for reading. She frequently bought me books and lent me her own when I was growing up.
6. When I was young, the library was one of my favorite places to be. It still is.
7. I read Gone With the Wind when I was in 5th grade. It continues to be one of my favorites of all time. 
8. I'm not sure that I have a favorite genre. I read whatever I'm in the mood for at that moment, but I do have a soft spot for dystopian fiction. 
9. I became an English major because I loved reading and writing about what I was reading so much. 
10. My two favorite classics are "Les Miserables," and "The Great Gatsby." Just mention the name Jean Valjean, and I get giddy.
11. I often have around six books started at once. Right now, I'm reading four books and listening to one audio book.
12. I get sad when people tell me they're not readers. 
13. I love the touch, feel, and smell of books, but I really want a Kindle. I have the Kindle iPhone app, but it's not the same. 
14. I love Historical Fiction. My favorite periods are the Tudor period, the Civil War, and the Renaissance. 
15. I love reading nonfiction, but it's challenging to find well-written nonfiction. The best nonfiction authors tell their subjects' stories and don't just present facts. 
16. I get frustrated with too much detail. I've never gotten through the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy because of all the detail, and that makes me sad. 
17. I haven't read as many classics as I would have liked to because of the whole detail thing mentioned above. 
18. I feel guilty for not finishing a book even if it's really bad. 
19. Neither my brother or my sister read for pleasure. I'm not sure why.
20. When I've had a really rough day, all I want to do is crawl in bed and read a book. 
21. When it's cold or raining outside, all I want to do is crawl in bed and read a book. 
22. I've always said that if I was stuck on a deserted island, my one wish would be to have a book of Shakespeare's greatest works. Now I think it would be a Kindle loaded with all kinds of books. 

Whew...this is hard, but fun. I think that's enough for now! 

Reading Journal: November 2, 2010

Finding the time to review and blog continues to be challenging, but reading every day with the kids is still a top priority. Both kids are growing so quickly, and I want to capture memories of reading with them, which is the very reason why I started this blog in the first place nearly 3 years ago.

Baby Reader:

You know, for me, while having a second child has been more time consuming, I feel less stressed and worried than I did with the first. I think it's because I know what to expect, and I definitely know what to expect with books.

At nine months old, getting my son to sit still for even five minutes is out of the question, but he loves to look at the pictures and touch them. Last night, my daughter learned the hard way why we need to be careful with the baby around her books when he ripped a page out of her beloved Life-Size Aquarium book. That's why when we're reading together, I like to have plenty of board books around that capture his attention. Some books we read with the baby tonight included the old standby, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and some more tactile books like Feely Bugs. I don't even know how we acquired this book, whether it was a gift or from a book or yard sale, but it's been a hit since my daughter was an infant.

Preschool Reader:
We're at the stage with my daughter where she constantly asks for "one more book." She knows I'm weak and always say yes, but we have had to set limits at night. Because some books take longer than others, I start by letting her pick out three books to read. We normally dedicate at least half an hour for bedtime reading, so if we have time for more, we'll read more. She's also at the stage where she'll want me to read the same book to her over and over again.

Tonight, she and my husband read while I was getting the baby bathed, and then once it was time for her bedtime stories, she chose two old standbys, Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity and Splat the Cat. I can't tell you how many times we've read these stories, and watching her face filled with the excitement of knowing what's going to happen next is priceless. And if I miss a word, she is quick to correct me. I'm always amazed at the different observations she makes. For example, tonight, she found a little mouse door in Splat the Cat's classroom that we've never seen before, and she said that it must be the door to mouse school. And while reading Knuffle Bunny Too, she noticed for the first time that Trixie and Sonja had lunchboxes with their initials on them.

Our third book of the evening was a first for both of us, even though it's been sitting on the shelf for a while: Laura Joy Rennert's Buying, Training, and Caring for Your Dinosaur. It's a witty little book that weighs the positives and negatives of owning different types of dinosaurs and tells you how to care for them and train them once you've found one that suits your family. Marc Brown's illustrations are full of detail and are great conversation starters. When we were finished reading the book, my daughter sighed and said, "I wish I had one of those pet dinosaurs."


Wow...writing this post has actually been very enjoyable, something I haven't felt with blogging for a while. I see more reading journal entries in the future!

The links in this post are affiliate links. With every purchase you make through clicking on these links, you are helping support The Well-Read Child. 

Mailbox Monday - October 25, 2010

Today is Mailbox Monday, and here are the goodies that arrived in my mailbox since last Monday.

Maple Tree Press sent:

How Football Works by Keltie Thomas

For ages 8-12, this book will be released in November and according to the publisher, presents "the facts, drama, and one-of-a-kind anecdotes that make football such a popular sport."

And from Owlkids comes the 10th anniversary edition of Catherine Ripley's Why?: The Best Ever Question and Answer Book about Nature, Science and the World around You  

For ages 3-8, this book provides simple answers and colorful illustrations to lots of questions kids commonly ask such as:

• What makes that toy glow in the dark? 
• Why do my fingers get so wrinkled in the tub? 
• Why does popcorn pop? 

My daughter and I have started going through the book, and at 3 1/2, she is able to grasp the explanation of most questions. Her favorite so far, is "Why are some eggs brown and some eggs white?" There's a surprising fact about a type of South American chicken that lays blue eggs.

My only pet peeve? No sources are listed. Ahhhhhh!!!!!!

From Random House Books for Young Readers is Rebecca Barnhouse's The Coming of the Dragon.

From the publisher, "Rebecca Barnhouse weaves Norse gods, blood feuds, and a terrifying dragon into this spectacular retelling of the end of the Old English poem Beowulf." 

As an English Lit  major, Beowulf was on many a course syllabi, so I have to admit this is intriguing.  The book goes on sale tomorrow.


So that's what was in my mailbox this week. What was in yours? Visit today's Mailbox Monday roundup at She Reads and Reads.


The links in this post are affiliate links. With every purchase you make through clicking on these links, you are helping support The Well-Read Child. 

Mailbox Monday - 10/18/2010

So, I'm participating in Mailbox Monday for the first time ever. Not sure why it took me so long because I love reading other Mailbox Monday posts to see what books other bloggers have received.

What is Mailbox Monday? It's a weekly round-up of books people have received in the mail during the previous week. Started by The Printed Page, it's now hosted by other blogs, alternating monthly. This month, She Reads and Reads is hosting.

This week, I received a lot of Middle Grade and Young Adult books and one picture book.

Early Elementary:

The picture book is Tell the Truth, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra, illustrated by J. Otto Siebold (Knopf, 2010). It's a follow up to their 2007 hit Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf. In this book, B.B. Wolf (a.k.a. Big Bad Wolf) faces skepticism from some favorite storybook characters when he starts telling HIS version of the Three Little Pigs. To make up for blowing the pigs' houses down, he decides to do a good deed. It's super cute.


Upper Elementary:

• Kickers #3: Benched by Rich Wallace, illustrated by Jimmy Holder (Knopf, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 7-10
• Nancy and Plum by Betty MacDonald (Knopf, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 8-12

Middle Grade:

• Museum of Thieves (Book 1 of The Keepers Trilogy) by Lian Tanner (Delacorte Press, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 9-12
• Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (Delacorte Press, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 9-12
• Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea (Delacorte Press, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 9-12
• Ice Claw (Book 2 in the Danger Zone series) by David Gilman (Delacorte Press, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 11+
• A Good Horse by Jane Smiley (Knopf, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 11+

Older Middle Grade/Young Adult:

• Trash by Andy Mulligan (David Fickling Books, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 12+ 
•  Dark Water by Laura McNeal (Knopf, 2010)
  Recommended for ages 12+
• Jumpstart the World  by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Knopf 2010
  Recommended for ages 14+

Now the only challenge is deciding which one to read first!

Books mentioned in this post were received as review copies from the publishers. The links in this post are affiliate links. With every purchase you make through clicking on these links, you are helping support The Well-Read Child.

Just One Bite by Lola Schaefer, illustrated by Geoff Waring

Happy Nonfiction Monday, a day when we celebrate great nonfiction for kids and young adults.

Today, I'm offering a review of a new nonfiction book for smaller kids. In Just One Bite, kids get life-sized examples of what eleven different animals, from a worm to an elephant, eat and how much of it they CAN eat in just one bite. In Geoff Waring's eye-catching illustrations rendered in brush, crayon, and computer, you see a life-sized frog catching a beetle with its tongue, a parrot eating a nut, a Komodo dragon slurping a snake down its gullet.

The big finale is a four-page fold out of a sperm whale eating a giant squid with one big gulp.

The back matter includes brief paragraphs about the eating habits of each of the book's featured animals. I was also super excited to see the author acknowledge the sources consulted for writing the book on the copyright page. It offers a lot of credibility to the book. Thus, I'd definitely recommend it for both home and early-elementary classroom use.

Check out the other Nonfiction Monday selections at MotherReader. 

ISBN-13: 978-0811864732 | Publisher: Chronicle Books (September 1, 2010) | Source: Review copy from publisher


The links in this post are affiliate links. With every purchase you make through clicking on these links, you are helping support The Well-Read Child.