George and Martha - Complete Stories of Two Best Friends
written and illustrated by James Marshall
At the library this week I spied this book collection of stories about a hippo couple I remember fondly from my childhood. The endearing friendship of George and Martha teaches simple life lessons in whimsical ways. "The Tooth" is the fave... the front right to be exact. The "beautiful golden tooth" story is requested nightly right now... but it is "The Photograph" that incited rollicking laughter. I may just have to purchase this one to save for my children's children.
Friday, July 10, 2009
In My Summer Bookbag...
Ladder of Years
by Anne Tyler
Pharmakon... Or the Story of a Happy Family
by Dirk Wittenborn
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
BTW... If it seems I am reading slowly, I am not. I do not wish to post negative reviews on my blog. I read many a book that may entertain... or not. But, unless I am thoughtfully engaged, or duly impressed, I do not note the book here. This blog is reserved for books I, and my boys, find worth the invested time. For every three or four books, I interact with one in a way I do not with the others. That interaction is what compels me to post here...
Also, the last months of my life have been crazy and hectic... with a major surgery for me and two deaths in my immediate family. Posting was the last thing on my mind. My goal is to begin anew. Every day brings the thoughtfulness of text into my house. I hope to spark that adventure in you.
by Anne Tyler
Pharmakon... Or the Story of a Happy Family
by Dirk Wittenborn
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
BTW... If it seems I am reading slowly, I am not. I do not wish to post negative reviews on my blog. I read many a book that may entertain... or not. But, unless I am thoughtfully engaged, or duly impressed, I do not note the book here. This blog is reserved for books I, and my boys, find worth the invested time. For every three or four books, I interact with one in a way I do not with the others. That interaction is what compels me to post here...
Also, the last months of my life have been crazy and hectic... with a major surgery for me and two deaths in my immediate family. Posting was the last thing on my mind. My goal is to begin anew. Every day brings the thoughtfulness of text into my house. I hope to spark that adventure in you.
Best Book I've Read in a While
The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer is an examination of what we know and what we think we know... and the complex interrelationship between self-preservation and real, unconditional love. If I say anything further, I could spoil the delicate lessons therein. For those who eschew "outside-the-Christian-box" real-life earthly issues and have a strong compulsion toward judgement... this book is not for you. For those with minds willing to examine issues of the human heart freely, I challenge you to crack the cover. I dog-ear pages of my books that contain lyrical lines of beauty or truth. This book is fully-folded.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Fires in the Bathroom
"It's a safe bet that in random high schools all over the United States, some kid has just set the bathroom wastebasket on fire. And deep down, all of us know why."
It is the "why" that prompted the non-profit organization, What Kids Can Do, Inc., to seek writer and researcher (author) Kathleen Cushman to gather teenagers' advice for an audience of teachers and adults who make decisions regarding education. Collectively, they were looking for a way to help relieve the "anonymity and captivity" that even the best high schools can convey.
Has anyone ever asked you questions like this before?
was the question posed by researcher Kathleen Cushman as she concluded her work with the forty youth from New York, Providence, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Sadly, all twenty shook their heads "no." To me, that is too appalling for words. For the prime responsiblity of all teachers should be first and foremost to care for their students - to forge a kind of bond that inspires learning.
Fires in the Bathroom is the best - and most promising - book I have purchased in a while for professional development. As research shows, sixty percent of teachers leave the profession in the first three to five years never to return. However, with adequate support, safety, and the ability to build community, teachers can thrive. Fires is just the book to illustrate the need to turn the tables upside down in the modern classroom. The advice in the book aims to enhance a teacher's ability to pay close attention to what students say, "whether they speak through words or actions."
If you are a teacher, or a parent, this book is a must-read. And, now that I think about it... church youth leaders across the nation must read it too.
It is the "why" that prompted the non-profit organization, What Kids Can Do, Inc., to seek writer and researcher (author) Kathleen Cushman to gather teenagers' advice for an audience of teachers and adults who make decisions regarding education. Collectively, they were looking for a way to help relieve the "anonymity and captivity" that even the best high schools can convey.
Has anyone ever asked you questions like this before?
was the question posed by researcher Kathleen Cushman as she concluded her work with the forty youth from New York, Providence, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Sadly, all twenty shook their heads "no." To me, that is too appalling for words. For the prime responsiblity of all teachers should be first and foremost to care for their students - to forge a kind of bond that inspires learning.
Fires in the Bathroom is the best - and most promising - book I have purchased in a while for professional development. As research shows, sixty percent of teachers leave the profession in the first three to five years never to return. However, with adequate support, safety, and the ability to build community, teachers can thrive. Fires is just the book to illustrate the need to turn the tables upside down in the modern classroom. The advice in the book aims to enhance a teacher's ability to pay close attention to what students say, "whether they speak through words or actions."
If you are a teacher, or a parent, this book is a must-read. And, now that I think about it... church youth leaders across the nation must read it too.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Baker's Weekly Read-Raves and Food-Faves
Jamberries
Mom-berry, Baker-berry, cookin' in the kitchen-ary. Stir berries, whip berries, mixin' up the Jamberries. Cookin' in the kitchen is one of Baker's favorite activities, and I try to tie the cooking to books as Baker so adores his food (toddlers need to develop a fond emotional bond with books). Today we brought out the blender and splattered only one wall. Unfortunately, as we are city-dwellers, we didn't get to pick our berries from bushes as did Jamberry author Bruce Degen as a child.
Jamberries
One cup rice milk
One cup frozen strawberries
Half cup frozen blueberries
One banana
Two scoops of frozen Vanilla Rice Cream
More rice milk as needed for desired consistency
Whip it up. Celebrate everything good. And, of course, read more books!
Baker's Picks-of-the-Week
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - A humorous look at pre-schooler fear. Lots of llama melodrama when little llama goes to bed then calls his mama, but mama llama gets distracted by a phone call. A+++++
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard - I am not a morning gal so I relate to little Grumpy Bird who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. An army of friends appear to support their maligned friend who eventually can't resist reciprocating the joys of companionship. New book. A+++++
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer - We laughed out loud at this VERY FUNNY toddler book about a "sick" dog who can't bark and his much-chagrined mother. Instead George moos, oinks, meows, and says "hello." The vet has the obvious answer. Hilarious. A+++++
Go To Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing - Little Lucy's crayon creation keeps her up late. Too late. A reversal of a parent's bedtime battle where a child experiences the adult bedtime role and must get Monster to sleep. Loved the crayon-created illustrations. New book. Another A+++++
Jazzmatazz! by Stephanie Calmenson - A toe-tappin' and knee slappin' kind of book. A piano-playing mouse sneaks into the house, and with musical pets, a dancing baby, and eye-poppin' pictures has a jazzmatazz time. Enjoy this new picture book too!
cha-cha-chimps by Julia Durango - Another book with serious rhythym and rhyme. Ten kid-chimps sneak out late to celebrate in their "boogie-woogie pants" doing the cha-cha-cha. Their dance party comes to an abrupt end when ma-ma-ma finds them dancing (and teaching counting) in the moonlight. Another great choice.
Mom-berry, Baker-berry, cookin' in the kitchen-ary. Stir berries, whip berries, mixin' up the Jamberries. Cookin' in the kitchen is one of Baker's favorite activities, and I try to tie the cooking to books as Baker so adores his food (toddlers need to develop a fond emotional bond with books). Today we brought out the blender and splattered only one wall. Unfortunately, as we are city-dwellers, we didn't get to pick our berries from bushes as did Jamberry author Bruce Degen as a child.
Jamberries
One cup rice milk
One cup frozen strawberries
Half cup frozen blueberries
One banana
Two scoops of frozen Vanilla Rice Cream
More rice milk as needed for desired consistency
Whip it up. Celebrate everything good. And, of course, read more books!
Baker's Picks-of-the-Week
Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney - A humorous look at pre-schooler fear. Lots of llama melodrama when little llama goes to bed then calls his mama, but mama llama gets distracted by a phone call. A+++++
Grumpy Bird by Jeremy Tankard - I am not a morning gal so I relate to little Grumpy Bird who wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. An army of friends appear to support their maligned friend who eventually can't resist reciprocating the joys of companionship. New book. A+++++
Bark, George by Jules Feiffer - We laughed out loud at this VERY FUNNY toddler book about a "sick" dog who can't bark and his much-chagrined mother. Instead George moos, oinks, meows, and says "hello." The vet has the obvious answer. Hilarious. A+++++
Go To Bed, Monster! by Natasha Wing - Little Lucy's crayon creation keeps her up late. Too late. A reversal of a parent's bedtime battle where a child experiences the adult bedtime role and must get Monster to sleep. Loved the crayon-created illustrations. New book. Another A+++++
Jazzmatazz! by Stephanie Calmenson - A toe-tappin' and knee slappin' kind of book. A piano-playing mouse sneaks into the house, and with musical pets, a dancing baby, and eye-poppin' pictures has a jazzmatazz time. Enjoy this new picture book too!
cha-cha-chimps by Julia Durango - Another book with serious rhythym and rhyme. Ten kid-chimps sneak out late to celebrate in their "boogie-woogie pants" doing the cha-cha-cha. Their dance party comes to an abrupt end when ma-ma-ma finds them dancing (and teaching counting) in the moonlight. Another great choice.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
"Best Of" Poetry Books
Of the many poetry books now off my nightstand, only these two emerged as favorites. Interestingly, both contain the same refreshing William Carlos Williams poem. Go get 'em and find it!
This Is Just to Say - Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman rocked from the introduction, which must not be skipped as you start into the book. "Because of this book... a bad thing that was going to happen didn't. And a mystery was solved." These words had me wondering and wanting more from the get-go introduction by Anthony K., Editor, a member of a fictional sixth-grade class that writes "sorry" poems and sends them. Recipients write back poems of their own. Some say "I forgive you." Others do not. The touching human connections shown by the failures and forgiveness reminded me once again of the power of acceptance... and how much relationships matter. I bet this book inspires classroom writing projects across the nation. Author Joyce Sidman, an honored children's poet and author, has outstanding teaching resources available for parents, teachers, and librarians on her website. If you want to share great books that teach life lessons to kids in a fun way they "get," don't miss this book. Do not.
Classically beautiful in verse and image, A Family of Poems - My Favorite Poetry For Children is a collection with introductions and comments by Caroline Kennedy of "more than one hundred poems, from five continents, illuminated with sumptuous watercolors by Jon J. Muth..." and organized "into sections that reflect a child's world -- About Me; That's So Silly!; Animals; The Seasons; The Seashore; Adventure; Bedtime..." From poet's heart to child's heart, these poems inspire, instruct, delight, soothe, and ignite the human spirit. Poetry has the power to unite and the power to bring peace -- and sharing this book page by stunning page with your child is sure to make a lifetime impact. A must-have for every parent's bookshelf."If our parents read to us as children, we remember the closeness of the moments together, the sound and power of voice and expression, the sense of wonder that a poem inspires." - Caroline Kennedy
This Is Just to Say - Poems of Apology and Forgiveness by Joyce Sidman rocked from the introduction, which must not be skipped as you start into the book. "Because of this book... a bad thing that was going to happen didn't. And a mystery was solved." These words had me wondering and wanting more from the get-go introduction by Anthony K., Editor, a member of a fictional sixth-grade class that writes "sorry" poems and sends them. Recipients write back poems of their own. Some say "I forgive you." Others do not. The touching human connections shown by the failures and forgiveness reminded me once again of the power of acceptance... and how much relationships matter. I bet this book inspires classroom writing projects across the nation. Author Joyce Sidman, an honored children's poet and author, has outstanding teaching resources available for parents, teachers, and librarians on her website. If you want to share great books that teach life lessons to kids in a fun way they "get," don't miss this book. Do not.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Baker's Weekly Read-Raves and Food-Faves
Baker stashed two books in his diaper bag to take to grandma's -- his current by-far-favorite reads: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and Sam's Cookie by Barbro Lindgren. Both books promote reader-toddler interaction and appeal directly to the wide range of terrific and terrible toddler emotions. WILL check out more Sam books next week. Another book meriting "read George again" is Bark, George with text and outstanding pictures by Jules Feiffer -- just read it three times through with both boys, giggling the whole time. A definite purchase for our collection.
As do many two's, Baker loves Elmo. So, when he saw C is for Cooking: Recipes From the Street by Susan McQuillan, R.D. at the bookstore this week, he had to have it for his own. Being the weak-in-the-knees mom that I am when my toddler asks nicely, "Peees?" we went home with the book ($16.95). Written by a registered dietician, the recipes are healthy, varied, and many, many making this cookbook the only one you need for a few fantastic years of cooking (and bonding) with your toddler/preschooler. The proud and triumphant look on Baker's face when we sat down to eat Zoe's Bowtie Salad with Tuna & Veggies: Priceless.
At our house, food time is family time. Cooking together with your toddler: 1) promotes eye-hand coordination, and fine motor, math, science, and literacy skills 2) helps children learn to plan ahead and clean up 3) piques a child's curiousity and willingness to try new, healthful foods and 4) is just the kind of plain ol' fun that brings parents and children together. Baker's next pick: Rosita's Tortilla Soup with "abocabo."
As do many two's, Baker loves Elmo. So, when he saw C is for Cooking: Recipes From the Street by Susan McQuillan, R.D. at the bookstore this week, he had to have it for his own. Being the weak-in-the-knees mom that I am when my toddler asks nicely, "Peees?" we went home with the book ($16.95). Written by a registered dietician, the recipes are healthy, varied, and many, many making this cookbook the only one you need for a few fantastic years of cooking (and bonding) with your toddler/preschooler. The proud and triumphant look on Baker's face when we sat down to eat Zoe's Bowtie Salad with Tuna & Veggies: Priceless.
At our house, food time is family time. Cooking together with your toddler: 1) promotes eye-hand coordination, and fine motor, math, science, and literacy skills 2) helps children learn to plan ahead and clean up 3) piques a child's curiousity and willingness to try new, healthful foods and 4) is just the kind of plain ol' fun that brings parents and children together. Baker's next pick: Rosita's Tortilla Soup with "abocabo."
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