Wednesday, August 25, 2010

You never know what you're going to stumble upon at your local library.  I was so proud a few weeks ago to bring my daughter to our local library so that she could sign up for her library card!!  My son will be eligible next spring when he turns 5.  But my daughter was MORE than ready so off we went!  She signed her name and received her card complete with plastic sleeve and all.

We go to the library weekly, returning read books and replacing them with stacks of new ones!  A couple of weeks ago (I've since renewed this book and have put it on my daughter's birthday list) I found 'The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes To School".  With my daughter headed to Kindergarten she's all about books about going to school.  But beyond that, this story, by author Laurie Halse Anderson, is sweet, tender and funny.  The artwork done by Ard Hoyt is spectacular. 

Physical Specs: 

The hardcover version of this book measures 9.75 x 11.75.  It has 16 bright and colorful pages (front and back).  Both of my children giggle and adore the pictures and all of the intricate details...especially of Zoe's hair!



Story:

Mom and Dad Fleefenbacher think their daughter Zoe's hair is wild and beautiful.  And for her Kindergarten teacher, Zoe's vivacious tresses were a comfort.  But Zoe's about to start first grade, and her new teacher doesn't fool around...

"School has rules," she says. 
"No wild hair in my class!"

So what are Zoe and her free-spirited hair going to do now?

Author and Publishing Company:

Author:  Laurie Halse Anderson 

Publishing Company:
simonsayskids.com


Happy Reading!!!

Meredith



Tuesday, August 17, 2010



Good Morning!!!  I am thrilled to be writing my very first book review!!!  (Please remember this is my personal opinion...I am not being paid in any way to write this.  This family blog is a place for enjoyment, to encourage the love of  reading and fabulous family entertainment...so please...simply love, good vibes and positive attitudes =)  

I am honored to introduce you to one of our newest family favorites:

This book takes you on a journey of what we ALL wonder about when there is a new baby coming - what will the baby look like?  Except, this clever story takes you on the adventure through the eyes of the animals both in the house and out!!  Follow along with each animals curiosity until we TRULY find out at the end what the baby looks like!!  A fun surprise at the end makes me and my children giggle each time we read it!

Physical Specs:

This board book is simply scrumptious!!!  The sizing at 5.5 x 5x5 square is PERFECT for little hands.  The 2 right hand corners are rounded so it's very comfortable to hold.  

Including the front and back covers there are 14 pages total (front and back) making this book just perfect and not too heavy, chunky or cumbersome for your littlest ones.  
The artwork is adorable!!!  Pictures are crisp and the images are easily identifiable for most early learners.  The colors are extremely vibrant and eye catching.  Color identification will be easy for your babies and toddlers as your read together and point out each gorgeous color.  

Story:

We all wonder...what will the new baby look like?  Whether or not you have a new baby coming into YOUR family or simply have friends that are about to have a new little one (as we have had most recently), this story is delightfully fun for young children.  My children are 4.5 and almost 6 respectively.  My son, who is my youngest, LOVES "reading" the book himself and making up the story as he goes along.  This book in all of it's wonderful simplicity makes his self reading and story telling easy!!  Both of my children love animals and my son will pour over the pages of this book telling me a different story for each animal (each time he reads it!)  Since he knows the story, as we've read it many times, he tells the story as the book does...from the perspective of the animals!!!  Each animal wonders if the baby will somehow look like them!  Whether it's from the dog's perspective and wondering if the baby will have orange hair to the bluebird's perspective wondering if the baby will have fancy blue wings and every animal in between!

My daughter who is fast approaching 6 has started with her early reading.  I have often wondered why I have kept all of my board books and sometimes pick up new ones!!  She is why!!!  This book is a fantastic early reader book for her.  It is basic enough for her to recognize words that she definitely knows, yet has words such as "wonder", "corner", "shaggy", "window",  and "gathered" that are challenges for her as she strives to learn and recognize larger words.  The font is clean and crisp, good sized and bright enough that it is easy for her to use her pointer finger and follow each letter or syllable as she sounds them out.  My daughter LOVES babies making this an instant favorite as she simply delights in the story itself!! 

The peek-a-boo surprise at the end makes both of my children giggle every single time they read it or have it read to them. 

Author and Publishing Company:

Author:  Eric Piazza

Publishing Company:



At Muddy Dog Publishing, our primary focus is on writing books that appeal to families, especially those with young children. Our goal is to write books that not only entertain, but also teach children. "I Wonder If The Baby Will Look Like Me?" accomplishes both of these by introducing characters that the child is familiar with, and then teaching colors and character traits of those animals.

Become a fan on Facebook!!!

Happy Reading!!!

Meredith

Friday, August 13, 2010

Welcome To Our Nook

When my husband and I had our first child we both agreed that reading books from the start was something that we both wanted to give as a gift to our baby.  That agreement carried over to our second child and both have been read to since the very beginning of their lives.  Something I'm proud to brag about and can already see how it's influenced our children's LOVE of reading. 

Books have ALWAYS been important in our lives.  My husband's favorite childhood book is The Little Fur Family.  Mine is a little known book called Mandy

My Great Aunt was the head librarian at The Boston Public Library for years.  She would ALWAYS bring me books to read.  Classics like Heidi, The Five Little Peppers And How They Grew, Little Women, The Indian in The Cupboard, and The Trumpet of the Swan.

I have been inspired to set up this blog for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, to share my families (both in our house and our extended family's) intense love of reading.  To share fabulous literature that we find with all of our friends and readers that may come along to visit us here.  To encourage others to be as passionate about reading and reading to their children as we are.  

Just as a note:  These are our personal views.  I am in no way claiming to be a professional educator in anyway, my opinions are just that.  If you don't like what I recommend or say...that's cool.  Just know that this is a place for positive energy, vibes and love.

With that, I'd like to take you on a tour of what we call our Book Nook.  It's a space I set up for my children in their playroom last winter.  It's taken different forms but I think, for now, it's going to stay as it is until our children get a bit older.

Our Comfy Chair - it seats my 2 munchkins and I...all snuggly and warm.

Warm light from great reading lamp plus the year round white Christmas Lights make it a cozy place to be!
Soft pillows and blankets make it so inviting
Come and snuggle!!
My children love the bright colors! (pillows picked up at HomeGoods!!!)
They also work well for silly pillow fights ;)

The favorite Book Nook Toy
Our "Stacks" - we like to use library lingo =)



We are blessed to have such generous family and friends who give AMAZING books for birthday and holiday gifts as well as my super fabulous Cousin Jodi who passes down ALL of her boys books that they've out grown!!  I was also an Usborne Rep for a while so I was able to receive MANY unbelievable books during that time.

I hope you have enjoyed my tour of Our Book Nook.

My next post will introduce you to one of my newest favorite children's book!!!

Stay Tuned!!