If you want a good laugh, I highly recommend reading The Happy Hocky Family! by Lane Smith and it's sequel, The Happy Hocky Family Moves to the Country! I laughed so hard when I read them that my children practically ripped them out of my hands to read them for themselves. Admittedly, I had to... Continue Reading →
I Stink!
Alphabet and counting books fill the shelves of libraries. Some of them are cute and some are beautiful. Then there is I Stink! I Stink! by Kate and Jim McMullan is the perfect alphabet book for boys, and girls who love gross things. I Stink! follows the journey of a garbage truck through the dark... Continue Reading →
Madeline and the Cats of Rome
I've already written about how much my girls and I love the Madeline books, but I think the newest Madeline book deserves some attention of its own. You're thinking, "Newest Madeline book? I thought the author, Ludwig Bemelmans, died a long time ago." Yes, he did. Yes, there were only a few Madeline books. But... Continue Reading →
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
I admit it. I love kids books that make me laugh. And Mo Willems writes and illustrates some of the funniest books for the preschool crowd. In Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, the reader 'interacts' with the Pigeon, who uses every one of his wiles to convince you to allow him to drive... Continue Reading →
The Penderwicks
Our family's new favorite books are about the Penderwick family, written by Jeanne Birdsall. We love each of the four girls, who don't have a mother, but do have a doting and somewhat distracted father. The first book The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy introduces readers... Continue Reading →
How Do Dinosaurs…?
If you have a toddler - or a preschooler, or even an early elementary student - fascinated with dinosaurs, you'll want to pick up the How Do Dinosaurs....? books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague. Yolen has written each of the books in a similar format, several questions about bad behavior followed by a "No,"... Continue Reading →
Sarah, Plain and Tall
In Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan, Anna tells the story of her family. Her mother died shortly after her little brother, Caleb, was born and Anna can't help feeling sad and somewhat resentful towards him. But her father's surprising announcement quickly diverts her attention. He has placed an ad in the newspaper for... Continue Reading →
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh is a beloved character, but I'm afraid most children these days only know the Disney-fied Pooh Bear. If that's the only Pooh your children know, please, please please! pick up A.A. Milne's original books and read them with your children. Milne first published the original books in 1928, and the fact they are still... Continue Reading →
Angus and the Ducks
Before Curious George, there was Angus. Angus's curiosity got him into lots of trouble, just like Curious George. The main difference between them, besides the fact George was a monkey and Angus was a dog, is that George has so many books, films, and TV shows. Angus has just three books. But those three books... Continue Reading →
Science Activities
I'll admit, I am not a science mom. I wish I were, because my boys are science whizzes and love it. I, however, struggle to understand their junior-high-level science experiments. (Honestly, I've given up.) However, my children have all - even my non-sciency girls - really enjoyed The Usborne Book of Science Activities, all three... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Readers 