Read Alouds

It's been a while since I shared what we've been reading together.  Tomorrow begins A Book a Day for Christmas!  Woo-hoo!

In early July I went to a lovely used book sale.  I spent about 1 1/2 hours in the children's section, and didn't even finish.  I filled two grocery bags with books...for just $10.  Oh, it was lovely!  I took out a few books to share with the kids and set some chapter books on our bookshelf.  Then I misplaced the rest of the loot in plain sight in our basement.  Thankfully I have since found the books, and have been sharing them with the children.  These titles are all from the sale.

Little Bear is a great book...and series.  We've borrowed it from the library before, but now I'm thankful to have it for our own collection.  We also have two other books in this series.  Little Bear books are the perfect level for my daughter who is just starting to read.  She not only enjoys looking at the pictures to see what the story is about, but also enjoys reading the story.  I was just thrilled the other morning when I overheard her clearly reading aloud on the couch while I was clearing the breakfast dishes.  Of course, when I asked her if she was reading, she said no...and told me we needed more Little Bear books.

Do you recognize the name Don Freeman?  I snatched Dandelion excitedly when I saw his name.  He is the creator of the Corduroy series which we really enjoy.  Dandelion is a lion who is invited to a party.  He gets a fancy hair-do and new clothes before the party.  When he knocks on the door, Jennifer Giraffe doesn't recognize him and closes the door on him.  It ends up raining, and his hair returns to normal as do his clothes since he removes his jacket.  He goes to the party again and is welcomed...and reminded it's best to be himself.

I instantly recognized Morris the Moose Goes to School from my childhood.  I recall very few books, but was excited to pick up this title as an easy reader for M.  It's a silly book about a moose who goes to school to learn more.

Diggers and Dumptrucks is of course one of E's new favorites.  (The funny thing is we have a different book by the same title that is also well-loved.)  This book gives just enough information about different types of construction vehichles to engage a variety of ages.  I also like that there are photos and drawings in the book.

I'm linking up to Read Aloud Thursday today at Hope Is the Word!  Thanks to Amy for hosting!

Betsy Was a Junior and Betsy and Joe

 I've written about Maud Hart Lovelace before, including the Betsy-Tacy series.  The series is based on MHL's life in Mankato, Minnesota and her growing up years.  Oh, I highly recommend it!  (If your library doesn't have the books, don't forget to request them; they are now re-released and quite affordable...two books/1 volume for about $10 on Amazon.)  This summer when our family went to camp, I took along the single book that includes the third and fourth books of lovable Betsy's high school years, Betsy Was a Junior and Betsy and Joe.  I couldn't put it down.  I just love reading about the town of Deep Valley along with Betsy and her friends in the early 1900's.  (Want to hear something really funny?  My friend who also attended camp brought along a MHL book, but she brought along Betsy's Wedding!  We had a bit of a laugh over this as we were relaxing and reading MHL outside our cabins at the same time.)

In Betsy Was a Junior, Betsy's sister goes away to college.  When she comes home, she tells of the sororities who are rushing her.  It's not long before Betsy gets the idea to begin a sorority of her friends.  She thinks that sisterhood can't have any downfalls.  As I was reading and loving the book, I was also very frustrated that Betsy didn't listen to her inner thoughts more.  (And I'm definitely not a sorority girl, which didn't help my opinion, though I could understand Betsy's reasons for appreciating the sisterhood.)  She really wanted to get to know a classmate better, but all of her time was spent with the sorority sisters.  In the end, Betsy and the girls learn their lesson, but not the easy way!

I had fully intended to put the book down when Betsy Was a Junior was completed, but these books are so refreshing and fun, I just had to continue the story.

Betsy and Joe surprised me.  As a MHL fan, I of course know (SPOILER if you don't know) that Betsy and Joe marry.  I was expecting Betsy's senior year of high school in Betsy and Joe to be filled with their romance.  Well, I was wrong!  Betsy "dates" both Tony and Joe.  I love that though Betsy was interested in boys, she was not interested in kissing.  Oh what lessons we can learn from Betsy!

"She thought it was silly to be letting first this boy and

 then that one kiss you, when it didn't mean a thing."

So though she spent a lot of time with Joe and Tony, it wasn't what many call dating today.  It was refreshing...even if it was with two fellows.  Seriously.  (Though her dating two guys was frustrating...) 

Oh, I would love to have The Betsy-Tacy Companion.  Even used (on Amazon) it is $45!  It would help me to know that really, "Betsy" didn't even meet "Joe" until well after high school in real life.  So all of my frustrations didn't have to be due to these books being based on real life.

Now if you have never read Maud Hart Lovelace before, please do!!  (As much as I enjoyed these, Emily of Deep Valley, linked to review, is still my favorite.)  These books are fabulous.  In a few days my daughter will turn 5 and she will get the very first book in the series, Betsy-Tacy.  I can't wait to share it with her!  And the books will grow up with her with more developed plot, character, and even language as the characters get older!

Now, I just need to figure out when my daughter will get to read the rest of the books...

I will be sharing these thoughts over at the Maud Hart Lovelace Reading Challenge at Library Hospital!!

Read more of my thoughts on Deep Valley , then go out and get yourself a copy!

Betsy-Tacy

Heaven to Betsy
Carney's House Party/Winona's Pony Cart 

 Emily of Deep Valley ~ My all time favorite!!

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
brings Asian storytelling to life.  Minli is a girl who lives with her poor parents in the Village of the Fruitless Mountain.  Her parents both work hard, and Minli works beside them in the fields.  Her father, Ba, tells timeless stories.  Maybe some are true; maybe they are just works of fiction.  Her mother, Ma, is discontented with life and is rather miserable.  Minli learns from a talking goldfish how to find the Old Man of the Moon, the one who has all the answers in her father's stories.

Along the way, Minli befriends many, especially a dragon who cannot fly.  He helps her find her way to the Old Man of the Moon.  In the end, she has a very difficult decision to make when she has to choose between a friend and herself.

What I liked:
This is a delightfully told book.  Grace Lin weaves the story of Minli together beautifully to remind all of us that contentment never comes in the form of money or possessions, but in thankfulness.  I really enjoyed the Asian setting, and especially the stories that Ba, and others, tell throughout the main story.  It is a well-written book with depth and meaning.  There are also occasional illustrations that add to the story itself.
What I didn't like:
Well, being that the setting is in Asia, it should be no surprise that a feeling of gods (and a goddess) permeate the book.  Initially it was rather subtle, but as the reader gets to know the Old Man of the Moon, and all that Minli must do to ask him a question, it becomes more obvious.  It is a fabulous reminder that my God is always present, always listening, and always reachable, unlike the Old Man of the Moon.

Overall, the story of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is well-written, and really, a great story.  That is why it won a Newberry Honor.  Grace Lin explains in "Behind the Story" that some of the characters are based on myths, including the Old Man of the Moon is based on Yue-lao, the Chinese God of Marriage.  With that said, it does seem to be written as a fantasy...you know, talking creatures, dragons, and magical things happening.  As a Christian, I wouldn't be opposed to my children (many years from now) reading book geared for ages 9-12, because it is a good story and certainly would be a great springboard for discussions of many sorts, including comparing gods to God.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you, Little, Brown, for providing this book for review purposes.  

Read Aloud: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

The chapter book Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was a recent gift to add to our collection.  My daughter, age 4 1/2, saw it, and immediately was curious about it and wanted to read it.  The name alone is enticing for a child, let alone the cute cover illustration (though mine is a different edition).  Both of my kids were loving it from the beginning!

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle lives in an upside down house and is rather lonely, despite her pets.  Then one day she makes a friend- a little girl.  Soon the girl has told others about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and children from all over town come to see her.  She bakes with them and the boys dig holes in her yard looking for buried treasure.

As dear as all of that sounds, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is really quite the clever woman, and soon earns a reputation for knowing children very well.  Moms call her for advice for their children.  She comes up with all sorts of cures.  There is the "Slow Biter Tiny Bite Taker Cure" and possibly what is needed in our home the most is the "Fighter Quarrelers Cure," among many others.  The children's problems in the book are fairly extreme, though really, most families can relate in some way or another.  The cures are just as extreme...and I suspect most moms wish problems could be cured so easily-and creatively.

My daughter really enjoyed this...probably as much as a 4 1/2 year old can.  My son would also ask for the book, though we didn't always read it aloud with him.  In addition to the chapter intro illustration, there is one full-page illustration in each of the chapters.  This is a book that I am thankful for and expect that we will enjoy it again in a few years when the kids can better appreciate the plentiful humor.  My book jacket cover says it is for ages 6-10, and I would agree, though Amazon says ages 9-12 for the reading level.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (and others in the series) will be on our gifts-to-give-to-others list as my children's cousins and friends get older!  This is a book that has been around for years...and will certainly be loved for a long time!

We're always on the lookout for more chapter book ideas for a 4 year old.  Please let me know of any suggestions!

I'm linking up with Read Aloud Thursday!

Smells Like Dog, by Suzanne Selfors

Smells Like Dog is adventure, mystery, and even treasure hunting!  Homer is a rather ordinary boy-though deemed weird by his classmates, neighbors, and even his family due to his day-dreaming and treasure-hunting obsession.

All is normal on Homer Pudding's family goat farm until the day they learn of the death of Homer's uncle.  Homer inherits Uncle Drake's most treasured possession-a droopy dog that has no sense of smell with a unique coin hidden on Dog's collar.

Homer and his sister, Gwendolyn, head off to The City on an adventure to follow their dreams to the Museum of Natural History.  They run away from home after a devastating disaster in town that Homer was partially responsible for.  They meet good guys and bad guys, but also learn that not everyone is as they appear to be, and some people will stop at nothing, even death, to get what they want.

What I like:
I love the adventure and true suspense in Smells Like Dog.  Though written for middle graders, the mysteries remained true to the end for me.  This is a clean book without language, though one character saying a few lines of "What the devil?"  The characters' names are rather amusing.  Law Offices of Toe and Jam, Madame la Directeur, and Mr. Twaddle are a fw of them.

What I didn't like:
I didn't care for the role of Homer's parents, though it did play into the story for Gwendolyn and Homer running away.  His father seems to not just be indifferent, but to squelch the interests of his children.  He is concerned that since Homer is a overweight and only speaks of treasure hunting that his son will never fit in.  Mr. Pudding is also so focused on goat farming that he thinks of little else unless he is criticizing his children.  Homer's mother, on the other hand, overcompensates for his father's.  She goes overboard with the coddling, and doesn't really consider the consequences of that either.  I was extremely frustrated with the family dynamics while reading, though I suppose they are rather realistic of too many situations.  The good news is by the end of the story, Homer learns of something about his father that gains new respect-and sheds new light on his father's situation and love of farming.

Overall, I did enjoy Smells Like Dog, and would recommend it!  There is even a follow up called Smells Like Treasure.  I think it's a great choice for middle school readers-and older!

I have to add (after a couple of comments) that if your middle school child is looking for some adventures to read about, I have a few more recommendations!  Check out The Strictest School in the World (linked to my "review"), The Mysterious Benedict Society (the three books for $13.09 total!  WOW!), and The Penderwicks!  Each of these are a series (yes, read them in order!), and worth the time in my opinion!  We own all of the Strictest School and MBS books, and some day we may own The Penderwicks, too.  Yes, they are that good.

Biographies for Children

We have a few Joy Cowley books (linked to review) that we have really enjoyed, and continue to enjoy.  They are fun, colorful, and great for early readers.  Published by Hameray Publishing Group, these books are early readers that have been used and enjoyed by teachers and students for many years.  When Hameray let me know that they have a new biography series out, I was eager to read some of these high interest books!




Hameray sent me three biographies including Anne Frank, Sacagewea, and Barack Obama.  They are, generally speaking, for grades 3-8.  However, Hameray has very specific applications of reading levels, with several per grade (and various labels as well).  Anne Frank is guided level R (proficient reader, grade 4), Sacagewea is guided level N (fluent reader, grade 3), and Barack Obama is guided level P (fluent reader, grade 3).  All of Hameray's books, including the biography series can be used with small (or large) groups.  These books are meant to be high interest for all readers.  Many schools like to use Hameray books for reading, and they have a fabulous reputation.  I was happy to read and review these three biographies.

Having read the 1,400 page book on Sacagewea over the summer of 1999 (maybe into the fall, I'm not sure), I do know a bit about Sacagewea and the Lewis and Clark expedition.  (Oh, how sad was I when I loaned this book to one of my students...who did not return to the school the following school year.  I just hope she read it and passed it on!  That was a good book, though long!)  Though there are other children's biographies available (that I have not read), I thought Sacagewea was a well-written book for an elementary aged child, especially for grades 3 and 4, and even some second graders, and older children would still have interest in it, too.  Though I disagreed with the pronunciation the book gave for Sacagewea's name (I believe most sources use the /j/ sound), the book itself gave great information-and much more than you would find in a third grade history book.

Most people are familiar with Anne Frank-The Diary of a Young Girl, and fourth grade is probably about as early as some parents might want to introduce some of the details of the brutality of World War II to their children.  Homeschoolers may consider this book for a younger age and guided closely by a parent.    Hameray's Anne Frank would be a good way to get an overview of Anne's life and how it was cut short.

Our current President (and past President Ronald Reagan) also has a biography by Hameray.  Known for his powerful and persuasive speeches, it is no surprise that the book Barack Obama includes several quotes.  As with the other books that I have highlighted here, this gives a brief summary of his life.  It tells of his upbringing and education.  It shares why Obama got involved in politics and eventually became president of the United States.  I didn't think this was an unbiased biography, and though that wouldn't be surprising if it were for an adult, this is a book that will be used in classrooms.   As with all the books, vocabulary words are included, with a glossary in the back.  One of the words to describe Obama is "open-minded."  Some may agree, but most conservative people would disagree with that statement.  My much larger disagreement is in the way the vocabulary word "liberal" is defined.  Based on author Adria F. Klein (and Hameray's?) definition in the glossary, liberal means "beliefs that are more open-minded and willing to include all sides."  WHAT?  Gee, can you imagine a child going home from school and asking his parents if they are liberal and being shocked when they say no because that means they are not "willing to listen to other view-points"?  If that is the definition for liberal, how can a fair definition be given for a conservative politician or voter?

I would be very disappointed if my child's school used a book such as this to educate children about the President.  Let me clarify.  I think educating our children about our current President, no matter the political party is just fine, and even beneficial.  However, in a classroom setting, words such as conservative and liberal should be properly defined, and the books a teacher uses to teach should not be politically slanted-to any view.  You may think that this review is a bit unbiased in itself, but when a publishing company asks for a review, it will be an honest one here at Live, Learn Love.  Politics can be taught without such strong bias in any school, and should be!  (As a former teacher, I know how important it is to be neutral in these situations.  I also know that a teacher should be careful of how they present their views-and the books we share with our classes have the capacity to be very influential.  Many children believe if they read it, it must be absolute fact, especially when presented as fact such as in a biography.)

Overall, I would definitely recommend the Sacagewea and Anne Frank biographies by Hameray and would even like to read others in the series.  However, I cannot recommend the Barack Obama book for the reasons stated above.  I hope some changes are made to Barack Obama to make it less biased to uphold the reputation of Hameray.

These biographies were provided for review purposes by Hameray.

A Must Read: Strictest School in the World

I had The Strictest School in the World books on my "want to own" list for quite some time, and when Mr. Whitehouse offered each autographed, hardback book for just $5 plus shipping ($21 total for the three books-autographed!) I jumped at the chance.  You may not know this, but I really don't buy many fiction books.  I typically use the library for them...and review books that I like to pass along, too, of course.  I was excited to buy these books for ME, though I can't wait until my kids are older so that I can share them with my own children.  (If you are curious about the review the convinced me to want these books, read it here.)

Check out the title!  The Strictest School in the World-Being the Tale of Clever Girl, a Rubber Boy and a Collection of Flying Machines Mostly Broken or the Mad Misadventures of Emmaline and Rubberbones.  

The title really explains it all, but if you let the title get you, you will miss out on an incredible book!  Emmaline is a very clever girl who creates flying machines though she is terrified of dying in one.  So enters her new friend, Rubberbones, who just can't be hurt!  He is willing to fly her machines.  Unfortunately, she is soon sent to truly the strictest school in the world-which keeps the students there with fear of the "birds" that are really not birds at all, but something much more terrifying!

I actually read this book a while ago (as you might know if you like to keep track of all the books I read over at Net's Book Nook).  I wanted to savor the series and not read it all at once, though really, I want to devour this adventurous children's book-that is lovely for adults, too.  So I have not completed the series yet.   However, I instead of waiting to share these books with you until I finish the series, I wanted to tell you now for a couple of excellent reasons.  I HIGHLY recommend these books (okay, I've only read the first).  If our library has it, yours likely will, too!!

1. I don't know how many more books Howard Whitehouse has to offer with his incredibly kind deal.  You can email him at professorbellbuckle (at) yahoo (dot) com to discuss it in detail even if you are only slightly interested.  (How can you go wrong?)

2. You can actually win these books!  Remember the great giveaway I mentioned?  Well, I blogged about it before I knew all the goodies Reading to Know was offering!  Well, Howard Whitehouse is offering a set of his signed books!  Check it out here.  (And then don't forget to check out her other giveaways, too.  There are 10 total.)

Read Alouds

We have been reading plenty, but I can only think of a couple of books that the kids have really been loving this week.

E, age 2, requests The Hungry Giant's Baby often.  This is written by Joy Cowley and is adorable.  A group of humans babysit the Hungry Giant's baby, Bubba while he goes away for a bit.  It's cute to see how they brainstorm how to keep the baby happy.  First they try milk.  Bubba sleeps for a bit, then she is unhappy.  They take Bubba for a ride in the back of a truck, but she's so big, the wheels fall off.  And on and on it goes!  My little guy likes to cry, "Wah!  Wah!" and coo, "Goo!  Goo!" for the baby at the appropriate times.

M, age 4 has enjoyed Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Exinct.   Edwina is loved by all in her town except a smarty-pants boy, Reginald.  He knows dinosaurs are extinct, but no one will listen to him until Edwina, in her kindness does.  It's another hit by Mo Willems.

We actually read a couple chapter books by Arnold Lobel that I didn't love.  One was Uncle Elephant.  For my four year old, I didn't care for the book using the word "darn."  I just don't think it is needed.  Grasshopper on the Road used some negative words in name calling that I didn't care for.  These were words such as "stupid."  Mild, but once again, unnecessary.

We did listen to Little Town on the Prairie in the car, and I have to say, it may be my favorite Little House book!  I just loved it!  (I also really enjoyed Laura's ignorance at age 15, as she wondered why Almanzo Wilder would want to walk her home from the literary meeting when her mother and father were there to see her home.  She was truly clueless that he could be interested in her!)  This book was a bit sad since Mary goes away to a college for the blind, but Laura's commitment to earn money to help is commendable!  I am so not ready for this series to end!!  Only two more books!

To see what others are reading, check out these link ups!

Read Alouds

Our four year old's favorite read aloud from the library this week has been A Bug, a Bear, and a Boy Go to School.  It's a cute book about the adventures of...you guessed it...a bug, a bear, and a boy.  Only one of the chapters involves school, but M thoroughly enjoyed this level 1 chapter book.  One of the special things about the book for us is that we read this short chapter book in just one sitting.  The words are fairly simple, and M could read many of them herself or anticipate what would be said.  We read this book a couple of times, and I am happy to see that author David McPhail has many books, and at least one other book about Bug, Bear, and the boy.  I'll be looking for more of McPhail's work!  I should also point out that my 2 year old sat for this entire chapter book for one of the readings, too!  That was a first!

We've really been enjoying Mo Willems.  I think it was Reading to Know who first introduced me to Mo Willems.  I thought she might be exaggerating; I didn't think these simple books could be quite so awesome.  Mo Willems and his books are incredible!  The illustrations are simple, but include great expression through body language.  The text is also simple, but hilarious!  Both of my kids laugh out loud every time we read each book, and each book is read many times!   During this library visit we chose two books from the Elephant and Piggie series.  (We've read others before.)
Can I Play Too? is awesome.  Elephant and Piggie are playing a game of when along comes a new friend Snake.  They want to include Snake, but snake has no arms, and they are playing a game of catch!  Humor is abundant in this book, and finally, finally they figure out how to play together!  My son learned a new word from this book.  BONK!  


Today I Will Fly is also a keeper.  Piggie wants to fly, but Elephant knows that pigs can't fly.  Piggie gets some help, and eventually convinces Elephant that he can fly, too.

One more thing about the Elephant and Piggie books.  I love that Elephant wears glasses!  As a child, I began wearing glasses in first grade.  Not many six year old book, television, or movie characters have glasses.  Be prepared to have your kids laugh out loud when you read Mo Willems!  You'll be cracking smiles too!

The last book I'll mention is by Cynthia Rylant.  You may recognize her name as the author of Henry and Mudge books.  She also wrote the Poppleton books, but we haven't read them yet!  She has tons of books, and I look forward to exploring them more.  This week we read Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish.  It's a sweet book about an older gentleman and his cat.  They get a fish, and this leads to many problems because of Tabby, the cat!  This was a true chapter book, and very enjoyable!


We'll be sharing these with a couple of great link ups!  Check them out!