Family Friday: Purrfect Pet Read-Alouds

Does your family love pets? Mine does. Some of our favorite read-aloud books focus on some familiar (and not so familiar) furry friends.

The House of a Million Pets by Ann Hodgman. If you've ever pictured yourself as the crazy pet person with a boatload of animals, you must read this book. Hodgman writes about her numerous pets, from her dachsunds (which includes one of the funniest scenes I've ever read) to her prairie dogs to her bulbul, Quaker (read the book to find out what that is).

I, Jack by Patricia Finny. Hi! I am Jack! I am a golden retriever! I like you! Do you like me? Oh, I like you HUGE AMOUNTS! Do you want to read about me? Do you? I hope you DO!

Owls in the Family by Farley Mowat. Although you may disapprove of Mowat's youthful means of acquiring (and raising) his pet owls, there are scenes in this book that may make you pee your pants, you will laugh so hard. Well, at least that's how I felt. But I didn't actually pee my pants. In case you were wondering. Not that I'd tell you if I actually did.

Picture Book Wednesday

Today's picture book is Monkey with a Tool Belt by Chris Monroe. When cute little monkey Chico Bon Bon is captured by a nefarious circus organ grinder (to replace his previous monkey who ran away), he must use his wits, and his handy tool belt, to escape. Loads of detailed drawings and diagrams, many of them absurdly hilarious, depict Chico's activities and ultimate triumph over the organ grinder. I really want to write a reggae song with this title, but I haven't gotten any further than (imagine a reggae beat) "Monkey with a TOOL belt." So really, not such a great song so far. Ah, well.
If you like Chico, you'll also want to read his next adventure, Monkey with a Tool Belt and the Noisy Problem.

What I'm Reading This Week...

The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
This is the 11th installment in Smith's popular series about Precious Ramotswe, who heads the "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" in Botswana. I adore this series. Although Mma Ramotswe is a detective and each book always incorporates at least one mystery into the plot, these character-driven books are less about crime and more about human nature and about the fascinating country of Botswana. If you haven't tried them yet, begin with the first, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Also, check out the fabulous HBO series based on the books starring Jill Scott, who makes a fabulous "traditionally built" Mma Ramotswe.

Family Friday: Read-Together Books

Looking for books to read WITH your child? Reading aloud to your child is a must. Having him or her read to you is also great. But it's also entertaining (and educational) to read together, each reading some of a book aloud. Here are three great ideas for that kind of reading fun:

1. You Read to Me, I'll Read to You by Mary Ann Hoberman. There are at least 3 books in this series--our favorite is the Fairy Tales one. Basically, the stories are told in verse in two voices, one voice on each side of the page and each in a different color. Most lines are read separately and some are read in unison. So pick your character, then take turns reading your parts!

2. Any decent chapter book with lots of dialogue--one series that works well is the "Magic Treehouse" series by Mary Pope Osborne. There are two main characters in each book--Jack and Annie--so each of us takes a character and one of us reads the non-speaking bits as well. You can even stand up and act out your parts as your read--like a mini play! Less experienced readers might enjoy the same type of activity using "easy reader" books. For this age, the "Elephant and Piggie" series by Mo Willems or "Frog and Toad" series by the late great Arnold Lobel would also be good choices.

3. For older readers, poetry collections written in two are more voices are another excellent choice for this type of reading. Paul Fleischman has written two wonderful books for more advanced readers (3rd/4th and up) , one about insects (Joyful Noise) and one about birds (I Am Phoenix). There's also Farmer's Garden: Rhymes for Two Voices by David L. Harrison and Arden Johnson-Petrov.

Hope this inspires you to settle in with your young readers for a joint reading session! If you try any of these titles, or find others that work well for this purpose, let me know!

Picture Book Wednesday: Scrabboonit

If you've never read any picture books by William Steig, you are missing out. Steig uses loads of lovely big, juicy vocabulary words in his stories, and I have found that rather than be intimidated by them, kids seem to enjoy learning them in the context of a well-told story. An example of such a word, albeit a nonsense one, is "scrabboonit" which appears in the book The Amazing Bone, a wonderful tale about a young pig, Pearl, who discovers and befriends a talking bone. Unfortunately, a fox captures both Pearl and bone with the intent of turning Pearl into a sumptuous supper. The bone, however, discovers the power of the magical words it picked up from a former owner (a witch) and manages to free Pearl. And if you haven't read Steig's Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, you must. One of the elements that gives Steig's picture books such power is his clear understanding of what's important to children: home, magic, love, and the triumph of good over evil.

This Week I'm Reading...

Sea Room: An Island Life in the Hebrides by Adam Nicolson
The tagline on my paperback's cover is " the story of one man, three islands and half a million puffins." While that tidily sums up Nicolson's account of his relationship with the Shiants islands in the Hebrides, it doesn't quite capture the fascinating details of his story.

The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner
Three women--a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew--come together after 9/11 to try and write a children's book about the shared elements of their faiths. Their project soon becomes more about their personal explorations of their own and each others' faiths.

By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This is our current bedtime read-aloud book for Elizabeth. I never get tired of this series. I know many have been critical of its depictions of Native Americans but I believe it is possible to enjoy the books while also addressing and discussing their shortcomings.

Scrabboonit Begins

Hi! This is a blog about books. I wanted a place to keep track of what I'm reading and to make recommendations to others about good reads in both adult's and children's literature. As a bonus, I'll also throw in some posts about book-based movies and TV! I'd also enjoy hearing what YOU are reading. Happy reading!