TBR pile

Just got a stack of interlibrary loan requests from the library.  Wouldn't you know they all showed up at once?  Hope to be able to get through the following in short order:

All Clear by Connie Willis (speedily read the first book in the series--Blackout as BPL-loaned Kindle book--and LOVED it.  I am a sucker for time travel and Britain, combined (Doctor Who, anyone?).  Also, WWII doesn't hurt--must have spent some previous, likely short-lived life in Blitz-ridden London).

Fracture by Megan Miranda.  Probably read about this one at Galleysmith, which I get in my inbox almost every day.

Midnight in Austenland, by Shannon Hale.  (I loved Austenland.  Have read everything by Shannon Hale I've been able to put my hands on since finding that book.)

The Snow Child, by Iowyn Ivey, partly because I love the author's first name, but also because it sounds fabulous.

The Day Before, by Lisa Schroeder (probably another Galleysmith find).

Also, downstairs, so not in my read-before-bed stack, but in my read-when-alert stack:

The Entitlement Trap, by Richard and Linda Eyre

The Hidden Gifts of the Introverted Child, by Marti Olsen Laney

and, my ongoing non-fiction favorite of the past decade:

Quiet--the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

What are you reading these days?

Kid-friendly movies

A couple of movies that have caught my attention of late:



The Borrowers was one of my favorite books when I was ten.  Blew through the entire series in quick, obsessive succession, to the annoyance of my best friend at the time who couldn't pry me out of its pages (much like a similar episode, different BFF, seven years later with Tolkien). The movie is in U.S. theaters beginning February 17th.

And currently available as a free download on iTunes is the Academy-Award-nominated animated short film, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, written by William Joyce (the book is available starting in July and is available for pre-order from Amazon).  I'm a fan.  Thanks to Tabatha for bringing the movie to my attention.

More "Family Trees"

I mentioned a little while ago that I'd post more pictures from our museum visit to see these wonderful trees that are decorated in the theme of children's books.  I already can't wait for next year's crop!

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (sorry, no flash permitted in the museum)

Hitty--Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

Orange Peel's Pocket by Rose Lewis with illustrations by Grace Zong

Little Women (I'm wondering if there is an Alcott tree each year.  It would seem a sin not to have one in this town.)

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram (a family favorite of ours)

An activity to go along with the above tree

"I love you as much as Christmas morning." Quite the statement, I thought.

How Full Is Your Bucket for Kids (new to me, but sweet and not *too* in your face with the message for us, at least the first time through it.)

This was probably my favorite tree: A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead with illustratations by Erin Stead

I'm a sucker for a cute owl.  The penguin doesn't hurt, either.

Another family favorite: If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by the fabulous Felicia Bond

So cute!

Alice through the Looking Glass

According to one of the docents, this one figurine took the woman who created the "Alice" tree forty hours to complete!

Happy Holidays, all!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Theodor Seuss Geisel was born on this day in 1904.  JJ and I unknowingly celebrated the birthday of one of our favorite children's authors last evening, when we watched the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra's Notes Alive! production of My Many Colored Days.  While I found the animation (from 1999) dated, we both enjoyed the text as read by Holly Hunter and the music, which was composed by Richard Einhorn.  You can hear two of the movements from the piece here and here, but I highly recommend finding the dvd at a library and enjoying all the "days" in their various moods.

What is your favorite book by Dr. Seuss?

Book Sharing Monday - picture books featuring Korea

We're slowly making our way around the Eastern Hemisphere, and I've especially enjoyed supplementing Core 5 with picture books for the six-year-old.  Here are the books we've found for this week's study of Korea:

The Green Frogs--a Korean Folktale, retold by Yumi Heo

The Firekeeper's Son, written by Linda Sue Park with illustrations by Julie Downing

Bee-bim Bop! written by Linda Sue Park with illustrations by Ho Baek Lee

Behind the Mask, by Yangsook Choi

The Name Jar, by Yangsook Choi

The Have a Good Day Cafe, by Frances Park and Ginger Park with illustrations by Katherine Potter

Count Your Way through Korea, by Jim Haskins with illustrations by Dennis Hockerman

In addition, the older two have read or are reading these books by Linda Sue Park:

 

A Single Shard
The Kite Fighters
SeeSaw Girl
When My Name Was Keoko


Jazz gives A Single Shard high marks, and is starting When My Name Was Keoko tomorrow.  JaneG. admits that The Kite Fighters was a good story, even if it was about two boys.  She's reading SeeSaw Girl now.

Book Sharing Monday is hosted by Canadian Home Learning.  Stop by and find some new books to enjoy and share what caught your eye this week!

Book blurb: Crunch

Crunch by Leslie Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love books in which kids find the inner strength to accomplish monumental tasks, and this one really knocks it out of the park.  The author's writing style and the closeness of the relationship between the siblings in the story reminded me quite a bit of Madeleine L'Engle, even though Crunch is firmly rooted in the Real World.  I passed this book right off to my eldest, and I'm looking forward to reading other books by this author.


View all my reviews