Inspiring Bookworms

Treasure by Suzanne Bloom (Ages This book is an absolute treasure!  I received many giggles and laughs all the way through. Two very unlikely friends - a goose and a polar bear hunt for treasure, only in the end to have found the perfect treasure - each other. I caution you though.  If your children have not started the, " Are we there yet? " groan from car rides.  They will.  However, here's a fun response that will be sure to toss those boredom blues out the window when you say... " Let's look! " I'm looking forward to getting her other book, A Splendid Friend, Indeed .  I'm sure this one will be a treasure too!

Tractors (By Air, Sea, and Land) by Paul Strickland (Ages4-8) "Tractors" is a colorful illustration of different types of farm tractors, then and now.  Children who love different kinds of vehicles will also enjoy this short book.  It's not a story, almost a what's what or how to book. This is what tractors looked like fifty years ago.  They were smaller and less powerful.  These tractors did not have cabs or protective coverings. This old tractor has a wagon that can carry lots of different things, like sheep or other animals. At the end it give you an opportunity to ask your little readers what they learned.  The questions are already there for you.  For those not familiar with farm equipment, tractors specifically, this is a fun way to get to know them.

It's that time again when 5 Minutes for Books hosts the monthly carnival - Whats on Your Nightstand ? Click on over and see what everyone else is reading, or better yet, link up yourself and share with the rest of us what you are reading. No blog is necessary. You can always join in by leaving comments on what you are reading. I've been reading a lot of books with the kids for the 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge hosted by J. Kaye's Book Blog , so I have not had much time for reading of my own. Because of that, I've tried to scale down the number of books that I am reading. I truly love our library system! So, among the children's books they love me to read, I am also juggling time for a few of my own. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum I was at my annual sales conference in July and one of our speakers referenced this book. Just from her highlights, I wanted to read more. Share everything. Play fair. Don...

"Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Yesterday is history Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift; that is why we call it the present." ~Unknown Until now, this blog has served primarily as my place to keep track of books that I and the kids have read, in addition to reviews for Thomas Nelson . One of my mini goals in life is to inspire my children to have a passion and love for reading and learning. That will not change moving forward, however, I'm adding an additional subject matter. It fits right in actually. For sometime, I've been researching the ins/outs/ howtos of homeschooling. By definition, to homeschool , homeschooler or homeschooling simply states to educate one's children at home instead of sending them to school . As a family, we've been educating our children since birth. ABC's, 123's, pottie training, please & thank yous, self care, etc... Why does it seem for far fetched to continu...

BTT asks: Do you keep all your unread books together, like books in a waiting room? Or are they scattered throughout your shelves, mingling like party-goers waiting for the host to come along? *sigh* Hmm... Books that I want to read, have started reading, need to read or said I'd read, did I miss any? Again, I *sigh* as I think of all the books that I SO WANT TO READ and there is just not enough time in life to read them all. It's depressing if I think about it, so I try not to. My books are every where. I even have some in storage, I know, abuse. I can't help it. I move a lot. Otherwise, you can find them next to my bed, on the table in the dining room, in my purse, on my dresser, on hold at the library for me to pick up or my over-flowing bookshelf. Not to mention all of the children's books I read aloud to my kids. Those are floating everywhere too, just in case they want to pick one up. No rhyme, no reason, they are just every where. Even books that I hav...

Visiting the Art Museum by Laurene Brown and Marc Brown is a wonderful book to get you and your children ready to visit an art museum. It's illustrations and photos of real life art make it a fantastic starting point. Journey from Australia to Samoa to America to the Ivory Cost to Mexico. See sculptures and paintings and learn something yourself along the way. A nude Frisbee player? Really ? Pharaohs all wore false beards. Interesting . Follow a young family of five as three children and their parents navigate through the ups and downs of visiting a museum. Can you imagine? Comforting your six or seven year old afraid of a ceremonial costume while your tween is making comments about that nude Frisbee player. Oh, and don't forget the toddler sneaking out of their stroller while you gaze at a portrait too long.

Although I don't remember it very often and it is something I need to work on, but I love it when I realize how lucky I can get sometimes. A couple of weeks ago I snagged a classic at the library for my little ones. I couldn't resist. It is a classic. Or at least I think it is. Here is the lucky part. The kiddos started school last week and on Friday my son brings home his first homework assignment. He's in Pre -K. Please work with your children on the following sight words. This will help them have a head start in kindergarten. Thank you so much for your cooperation! go at here down and These same words are all throughout this short and sweet board book. Go and See . It's perfect! I hope to find more of these gems.

I do it! I do it! LET meeeeee doooooo it!!!!! Jumping up and down on the verge of tears. Wait honey, let me help you. Trying to finish helping her little sister... doing whatever. Brush teeth. Comb hair. Pour milk, juice, etc... No! I do it, myself! Ever get that? If you have little ones fighting for their independence, you get me. If not, well, then maybe you do, maybe you don't. If you do, you and your little freedom fighters will love this cute Little Critter story, All by Myself by Mercer Mayer. Mercer Mayer's Little Critter stories, which address all major issues of growing up, are perennial favorites of parents and children. Yep, I'd have to agree. The littles loved the story and ask for it again and again for story time. If you'd like more fun beyond story time or to incorporate with story time, go to Little Critter's website here .

Ever have one of these days? I love days like this. Exploring and learning where imagination ( with a little prompting ) inspires further curiosity. Ever try to recognize those white puffy clouds into something you know and just, well, can't? I can only imagine how the title of this book came to be. It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles Shaw While reading, I would say, "Sometimes it looked like a" and before I could say whatever it was, my kids would blurt it out laughing and giggling. While I finished, "But it wasn't a ...". It didn't matter. We were laughing the whole way through. Again. And again. And again. And when I hinted that I'd had enough by saying, "Ok, what's next?" They stopped laughing. LOL I've had to extend my library loan to the max and we have to take it back tomorrow. Not LOL. So, we'll be adding this one to our wish list. thankyouverymuch Anyway, even though it's recommended for children 4-8, go...