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Merlin's Apprentice - Tanya Landman

Illustrated by Thomas Taylor

Published by Walker Books in 2006

On her birthday Katrina Picket is shocked to discover her life is in danger!

Thankfully Merlin comes to her aide but can she learn the secrets of her craft in time to protect herself and battle the most evil sorceress of all time?

Another humorous tale from Tanya Landman, who brings these fantastic characters of mythical history to life again in the sequel to Waking Merlin.

A Novel for fluent readers / approximately 8-12 years

Star Rating ***

Kindergarten Kids: Riddles, Rebuses, Wiggles, Giggles, and More! by Stephanie Calmenson and Melissa Sweet

My oldest daughter starts kindergarten next month and she is very apprehensive. When I saw this book, I had to pick it up in hopes of getting her excitement level up enough to counteract her nerves. She absolutely loves this book. It's full of rhymes and she loves finishing them when she can. Her favorite pages are the Halloween pages. Now that she has memorized the rhymes, she likes to give silly answers instead of the correct ones. She cracks me up.

Emma also likes to spell out the word kindergarten using the cover. I can't say that she's completely over her fears about going to a new school, but I think she's developing a pride in joining the ranks of the other big kids.

I would highly suggest this book for parents with children heading to kindergarten (not a big leap based upon the title). I also think that kindergarten teachers might find this useful. It ends with a wonderful poem about being proud of being in kindergarten. I can just see a class of children marching to it and loving who they are.

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To buy this book, click here.

I loved the first book, City of Ember, and use it often as a booktalk for 5th and 6th graders.  I was somewhat disappointed in the sequel, People of Sparks.  I never quite got "hooked" and stopped reading only a few chapters in.  I completely ignored the third book, The Prophet of Yonwood. 

But sometimes a good review will prompt me to pick up a book I formerly neglected.  Jen Robinson's latest review has done just that.  I think I'll give People of Sparks another try.

Dovey is a vivacious character, filled with life and personality. Her murder trial is marked just as much by her anger at the lies of a witness as it is by her anxiety that she will be found guilty. She knows she didn't do it, now she just has to find a way to prove it. Also well done is her relationship with her deaf brother Amos. Even though he's slightly older, she's felt that she needs to take care of him and protect him from villagers who don't understand him. That changes over the course of the story, as she realizes that Amos is more than capable of helping himself.

The language of the book is intended to reflect the speaking patterns of a young girl in the mountains of the 1930's. As such the grammar is idiosyncratic, and Dovey sometimes uses unique expressions. Some children will enjoy the immersion into another time and place, while others will be annoyed at the "incorrect" language. For those who fall somewhere in between, the rhythm of the language is quickly picked up and becomes simply another part of the character.

On 7/22/2008:

Adult Books

The Dangerous Days of Daniel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Little, Brown)

Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva (Putnam)

Damage Control by J.A. Jance (Morrow)

Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins (Tyndale)

Children's Books

What's Your Red Rubber Ball?! by Kevin Carroll (Disney-ESPN)

7/26/2008

Children's Books

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Battle Begins by Rob Valois (Penguin/Grosset & Dunlap) * Published 7/26

Star Wars: Clone Wars Visual Guide (DK) * Published 7/26

The compilation is based on information from www.publishersweekly.com, www.bn.com and www.bordersstores.com.

The book is rather educational with little facts that his sponge like brain absorbed with relative ease.

If he's learning something while being well behaved I guess that's a bonus! :)

I'd say that I prefer the Beano, but it seems that my tastes differ from my son as he really likes the book!

I guess I'll have to persuade the ball and chain to get the next Storybox issue when it's out (she can still keep getting the Beano for me!).

The Robe of Skulls - Vivian French

Illustrated by Ross Collins

Published by Walker Books in 2007

What some people will do to get a fabulous frock is is quite astonishing!

In this fast-paced fantasy story, a sorceress, some unlikely heroes and a cold-hearted dame are caught up in a plot that doesn't go to plan. Their capers are carefully watched by some chatty bats and Ancient Crones.

An entertaining tale from the outset, this action-packed novel is quirky, original and certainly hard to put down.

A Novel for fluent readers / approximately 8-12 years

Star Rating ****

In the 1960s, the young boy from Atlanta had grown up to be a Baptist preacher like his father. He led a movement to end the injustices of racial segregation and prejudice. That story, too, is told in the book. When Martin organized a protest march in Alabama, his followers were confronted by police with dogs and clubs. Martin issued a national call for all God's children to come to Alabama and join the march.

The Jewish boy from Poland, who had emigrated to America and become an influential rabbi, was among those who answered the call. On March 21, 1965, in Selma, Alabama, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King, Jr. prayed together. And then they marched together.

In January of 1968, Martin Luther King spoke at Abraham Heschel's 61^st birthday party. In April of 1968, Abraham Heschel spoke at Martin Luther King's funeral.

This is a simple, yet powerful book with a message that parents should be encouraged to teach their children. Published in May of 2008, forty years after the death of Martin Luther King.

I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. In early April of 1968, I turned thirteen years old. In late April, Martin Luther King was assassinated. It was, to say the least, a terrible year. In Atlanta, my family had been proud of Dr. King, and we mourned his death. We were proud that Atlanta had a reputation as "the city too busy to hate." The ideals of the Declaration and Constitution have taken a long time to be fully realized. Teaching our children about the ideals and the struggle is an important part of their education.

The book is a hardback, 40 pages, full color throughout. The text is written on a 3^rd-4^th grade reading level, but the book will work very well read out loud to younger children as well. As Good as Anybody is available directly from Greenleaf Press for $16.99.

• Rob Shearer
  Director, Schaeffer Study Center
  Publisher, Greenleaf Press

Jambo!  Introduce your kids to Swahili with We All Went on Safari:  A Counting Journey Through Tanzania (Barefoot Books, 2003).  This little treasure of a picture book is written by Laurie Krebs and illustrated by Julia Cairns.  If you have a 3 to 8 year old, this book belongs on your bookshelf.  

I must admit, I'm a bit of a picture book snob.  Unlike some of the poorly written and horrendously rhyming children's books I am compelled to read over and over and over again,  We All Went on Safari is fun to read out loud--even over and over again.  I have a blast pronouncing the African names weaved throughout Kreb's rich language and rhythm--names like Mwambe and Arusha.  Oh, and my kids like it, too!

We All Went on Safari is a nice springboard for learning Swahili.  Here are the numbers you and your kids will encounter on safari:

moja - one
mbili - two
tatu - three
nne - four
tano - five
sita - six
saba - seven
nane - eight
tisa - nine
kumi - ten 

Krebs' picture book also includes a nice reference page about some of the Swahili names of animals from Tanzania.  My little guys have mastered simba (lion), twiga (giraffe), and tembo (elephant.)  Go here on the Mwamba Simba website for more animal vocabulary in Swahili.  I don't know what it is, but Swahili is just so much fun to say!  Go ahead, try some more:  mamba (crocodile), nyoka (snake), and popo (bat.)  After you read We All Went on Safari, play animal and number vocabulary games, color and label animal pictures, and listen to Swahili songs online.

Kwaheri! (Goodbye!)

"We all went on safari, Past an old acacia tree.

Nearby giraffes were grazing, So Tumpe counted three."

(verse by Laurie Krebs, We All Went on Safari)

Photo Credit: by John Storr http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Acacia_At_Dusk.jpg (public domain)

 Crash!
by Mayra Calvani
artist, Anna Pylypchuk
24 pp/Children's
Guardian Angel Publishing
ISBN 10: 1933090545
ISBN 13: 978-1933090542
Guardian Angel Publishing

VISIT* Author, Mayra Calvani's Website

*50% of author Mayra Calvani's royalties will be donated to "Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary" *

Most parents are all too familiar with the wailing sobs and endless begging that children can muster when they have their heart set on a pet. And many remember shamelessly doing the same thing when they were young. Mayra Calvani has captured the bond between children and animals with an easy to read narrative that touches the heart and tickles the funny bone. Ann Pylypchuk's illustrations compliment the dialogue and bring the characters, as well as, the emotion of each page to life.

The story is about a young boy named Marcelo, who receives a golden retriever puppy for his fifth birthday. He takes excellent care of the puppy; feeding, bathing, brushing and walking him, but he can't decide on a name for his furry four-legged friend. Mom and Dad offer a few suggestions, however, Marcelo doesn't like any of them. So he waited and watched, enjoying time with his puppy and then it happened...he would call the puppy....

Oh, you have to read the story - I wouldn't dare ruin it for you!

This is a wonderful children's book that would be a welcomed addition to the bedside table, preschool library or the sitter's bag of goodies. Also, if your child wants a pet this is a good book to share with your pet-parent-to-be. Crash! is a soft cover children's book that's fun to read, with adorable pictures that hold your attention and move the story a long. And with 50% of the writer's royalties being donated to the non-profit organization, Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue & Sanctuary, you get a good book and help a good cause!

Happy Reading!
    -RJ

*Note:
The soft, family-friendly illustrations were created by 16 year old, Ann Pylypchuk, a Ukrainian native.

From author, Mayra Calvani

The Magic Violin
(illustrated by K.C. Snider)
ISBN 10: 1933090499
ISBN 13: 978-1933090498
28pp/ Children's Fiction
Guardian Angel Publishing

 

 

My second goal is to identify and keep a list of historical fiction titles that are appealing to a wide range of readers- both voracious and reluctant. Good historical fiction shouldn't feel like non-fiction 'cleverly' disguised as fiction. The character development, the plot lines, the setting, should be just as vibrant and engaging as any work of pure fiction.

Just plucking titles off my shelves this morning- here's a quicklist of historical fiction that doesn't quite feel like "historical fiction":

Our House by Pam Conrad..... Each chapter features a story from a different decade- starting in the 1940's and ending in the 1990's about a child growing up in Levittown, Long Island.  The 10th anniversary edition features beautiful illustrations by Brian Selznick.  The first person narratives, the evocative setting (especially for native Long Islanders), and Selznick's almost kinetic illustrations have allowed this book to age well. 

First Test: Book 1 of the Protector of the Small Quartet by Tamora Pierce..... Tamora Pierce was one of those authors I knew about, could recommend to certain readers, but had never actually read myself.  I know- bad, bad librarian!  A new paperback copy of First Test came across my desk and I thought the cover art was so lovely and intriguing that I had to read it.  (I'm still not sure what that fabric is. Gauze?  Tulle? )  Although the story takes place in the fantastic land of Tortall, Pierce nevertheless manages to weave in some historical references to medieval life.  Granted, I probably wouldn't recommend this one as a school assignment- there just isn't enough fact to balance the fantasy- but for kids uber-resistant to historical fiction, this series may eventually lead them to Crispin or The Midwife's Apprentice.  Speaking of.......

The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman..... In medieval England, a young homeless girl is given shelter by a short-tempered midwife.  Cushman's plucky, independent, and utterly determined (stubborn) female leads, quirky supporting characters, and tightly packed action allows her to weave in tremendous amounts of historical fact without sacrificing plot development or readability. 

Chronicles of Ancient Darkness Book One: Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver..... This book was so not what I was expecting.  I had picked it up thinking it was going to be a werewolf story.  It's not.  It is, however, pretty awesome.  It is set in the Stone Age (I think that may be a first for children's historical fiction.  No?) and follows the adventures of a young boy and an orphaned wolf cub on their journey to save their clan.  Oh, and there's a bear possessed by an evil spirit.  Need I say more?

The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman..... What can't Karen Cushman do?  Francine Green is a 13-year-old girl living in Hollywood in 1949.  She wishes she were a glamourous movie star, but she can't quite seem to find her voice when it matters.  Her world gets shaken up when she meets the new girl in school, Sophie Bowman- who embodies everything Francine is not and everything she wants to be. 

The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton..... An oldie but a goodie.  Part mystery, part history, part spooky old house story.  I would say because of the length and vocabulary, it would work best with a voracious, as opposed to reluctant, reader. 

A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama by Laura Amy Schlitz..... An orphan girl child, a couple of con-women psychics, and an eerie, intimate glimpse into the Spiritualism beliefs of the early 20th century.  This one is fast-paced and absorbing, and features some of the best villians you'll love to hate since the aunts in James and the Giant Peach.  This never feels like "historical fiction" and Schlitz brings New England in 1909 to life. 

Trouble Don't Last by Shelley Pearsall..... The tale of two slaves- a young boy and a very old man- making their escape from the deep South to Canada on the Underground Railroad.  Quick moving and suspenseful- and packed (packed!) with historical detail.

Queen of the Class (Ann Estelle Stories) by Mary Engelbreit

In Queen of the Class, Ann Estelle anxiously awaits to find out who her teacher, Mrs. McGilligan has chosen to play each of the parts in the class play.  Of course, she sees herself as being cast as the queen.  There can be no other way, until it isn't her name called as queen.  Instead, she has been chosen to act as the play's stage manager.  Her teacher feels that Ann Estelle's true talents lie there.  By working through her disappointment, Ann Estelle learns that doing her best at whatever task makes her feel like a queen.

This is a beautiful picture book.  How can it not be when it is illustrated by Mary Engelbreit?  I read this separately to my daughters and they were both captivated by the story and the pictures.  My 3-year-old usually can't go a single page without asking a question, but she was (mostly) patiently listening throughout.

The lessons in this book are excellent.  Ann Estelle is mortified and pouty when she learns that Josephine will act as the queen, but she takes on her role as stage manager with creativity and heart.  She learned something about herself by accepting what her teacher saw from the very beginning.  It's okay to feel disappointed when things don't go your way.  It's what you do with those feelings that is important.  Because Ann Estelle put her heart into her role, her shining moment was all the more brilliant because it was without  a jeweled crown or red velvet cape.

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To buy this book, click here.

The first was an all afternoon story time event hosted by The Honolulu Navy Exchange and the Read It Loud Foundation with Clifford the Big Red Dog featured as a special guest. A big colorful carpet was laid out on the second floor of the department store's toy section, welcoming children to sit and wait for the stories to begin. There were balloons and book displays and several plushie versions of Chip & Cookie, characters created by famed cookie-maker Wally Amos to encourage parents to read to their children and promote literacy in development.

Following the sale of his "Famous Amos" brand, Wally Amos moved to Oahu for some R&R-- except he's been anything but idle! He's back to baking and has opened a store that sells delectable mini-cookies by the pound. He even reads aloud to children regularly at his store/bakery in Kailua (see here for a schedule of his Saturday story sessions).

Also attending the event was Tammy Yee, the author and popular illustrator of several local picture books, to sign autographs and talk to fans and children about creating picture books. She is one of my favorite artists from the islands and has garnered much acclaim on the mainland and internationally as well. Check out her webpage in our link section! Reviews and feedback on some of her books are forthcoming.

The second event was being held all the way at Aina Haina public library, and I didn't quite make it there in time. Lynde Lakes is a published author and member (former president) of the Romance Writer's Association Hawaii Chapter --see their webpage in HBB's link list and favorite sites! Lynde held a one hour presentation on the challenges of getting published using her book Billboard Cop as an example. I am very sad to have missed such a useful presentation. :(

Almost every bookstore acts as a Cabinet of Curiousities in its own right…but the indies beat the big-box names almost every time One of our favorites in New York? McNally Robinson, a 7,000 square foot offshoot of the Canadian chain, opened in 2004 by Sarah McNally. We’ve counted twenty-seven reasons to come here, but, for brevity’s sake, we’ll mention four: first and foremost, it’s a family business. And we love family. (...Most of the time.) Second, the staff actually knows about the books in the store. (None of this:  “Dickens? Um, I think she’s under contemporary fiction?”) Third, cashiers are entertaining...and sometimes even play pranks, as ours did. “How much do you think your total is?” inquired the cashier. I played along, guessing, “34.56.” The cashier looked relieved, “Nope 35.92!” Had I guessed correctly he would have bought my books for me (something he did for fun), and as his reaction showed too many people had been right on when it came to guessing the total of their books. Fourth, because of the books themselves—titles like Penguin’s Great Journeys Series. Not only are the tomes artfully arranged, with window displays updated daily, but, best of all, they deliver!

I love books, little suitcases, and playing with paper. Here's a case that I decorated for a friend. We have a lot in common: we both love children, children's books, and are both named Mary!

It started with a vintage but boring, blue cosmetic case and a copy of "The Poky Little Puppy," a book that Mary likes. This was the result.

I used one pair of plain scissors, one scalloped paper edger, and a lot of glue.

When I could, I matched the words above to the picture below.

I think the scalloped pattern edger worked well on the pictures.

This was a bit trickier to apply but worked better than it first seemed.

All the words were edged with a blue colored pencil.

I added a luggage tag that was blank on one side so she could add her contact information.

Of course, I had to give credit to everyone.

No mirror left inside the case, so I added a sign.

I used a really thick glue to attach the paper but it still wanted to buckle a bit. I kept smoothing it down, though, and it worked okay. When I was done, I gave the whole case a couple of clear coats.

This was the second cosmetic case that I've altered and I really like them. I several large hard-shell suitcases that I want to work on also. They make great places to store decorations too.

Levitt's book, by the way, is one of only a handful, relatively speaking, that I personally own, and reading it made me think I should have studied economics in depth somewhere along my educational path, because apart from the money aspect I think it's absolutely fascinating stuff. (That's not quite as antithetical as saying you're good with Christian theology other than the dying-on-the-cross-for-my-sins part, right?)

Veering safely off religion and back to books: This morning I went on something of a Book Rampage and declared life would not begin again until every last book with a picture in it, even a tiny one at the chapter headings, was put away, stored somewhere OTHER than a bed or a chair or a table or a counter or any floor or anywhere at all in a bathroom.

I actually took photos of the tidyrrific results of the rampage but realized that no fewer than 6 allowable repositories for books = 6 photos of books in baskets and bookcases = total snore for you. However, I am grateful for photographic evidence that this state once existed, just so I can look at the pictures late at night and get all hot and bothered.

So here's my question, because I'm coming slowly to terms with the reality that there will never be fewer than several hundred kids books in our house, and the number is likely, given BigSis's utter fixation at a fairly tender age on the written word, to rise before it ever falls. And I don't, not really, want to make them inaccessible in any way. But having them everywhere, EVERYWHERE, is making me just a teeny. tiny. bit. INSANE. Does anyone have a solution to this? I find myself torn between wanting order and wanting untrammeled literary freedom, damn the chaos.

Moms, dads, anyone? How do you corral the books? And let me say here that putting one book back before you get another out is a lovely, not to mention entirely sensible, notion, and I'm working toward that. But we're pretty far, perhaps galactically so, from getting there because there is daily a LOT of looking and reading going on around here, much of it unmonitored.

So send some wisdom on over. And while we're at it, how do you do the shelving/storage aspect? One location? Multiple locations? Do you weed arbitrarily? Shuffle?

My fondest wish is that one day my daughters will start writing reviews to post there.  It may never happen, but a mom can dream...

In other news, I'm currently plotting the return of my online book club, Literate Housewives' Book Club.  Soon I should be getting a few advanced copies of a book that both sounds good and is in my current favorite genre, historical fiction.  I am also going to redesign that site so that it matches my current blogs.  When those arrive, I'll make an official announcement.  I'm hoping that a few of my readers will be enticed to join my book club when lured by a free copy of a book. :)

That's all the news that's fit to post in my world today.  I wish you all a restful Sunday evening and a wonderful new week.

The Rabbit and the Snowman written and illustrated Sally O. Lee

When Sally O. Lee sent me an email offering me a chance to review this picture book, I was really excited. Before then I had never considered reading and reviewing children's books and I could have kicked myself. With two young children who read a lot of books, this is a perfect thing for me to write about. When this book arrived in the mail, I opened the package immediately. Allison is never far from my side and she wanted me to read it right away.

The Rabbit and the Snowman tells the story of Snowman, who was created in a field by a group of children. When the children leave, Snowman is lonely and wonders what he might have done to make the children run away. He gets really happy when Rabbit hops up, they become the best of friends. When spring comes, however, Rabbit sadly can no longer find his friend. Both Rabbit and Snowman both learn to appreciate their friends for who they are. They learn that even though they can only be friends for a season, it doesn't change their friendship.

My daughter and I thoroughly enjoy this book. The illustrations are beautifully whimsical and the story provides a lot of opportunities to discuss loneliness, other's feelings, and the changing seasons. From an adult's perspective, I really enjoyed the text font. It blends in well with the way the pictures are shaded. Being that it's currently 95 degrees and humid, it's nice to see and imagine winter scenes. You can definitely enjoy this book year round.

When I was reading this book, I thought that it might come in handy when my oldest daughter starts kindergarten next month. She's attended the same day care since she was 6 weeks old, but her grade school is much closer to our house. None of the children she has created relationships with will be going with her there. I know that there will be many friends she'll miss and I'm certain she'll make many more quite easily. The relationship with Snowman and Rabbit will be a great backdrop to discuss being sad when you don't see your friends very often.

I whole heartedly recommend this picture book for preschoolers. I'm sure that even younger children will enjoy the illustrations. You might find yourself enjoying them as well.

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To buy this book, click here.

I am starting this without any real idea of what will become of it. I'll be reviewing everything from picture books to young adult reading. I have some pie in the sky dreams of my daughters writing their own reviews as they get older. I hope that you enjoy what you find here, especially as the content grows.

Title

Gooney Bird Greene -that's Greene with a silent 'e' at the end- arrived at Watertower Elementary and in Mrs. Pidgeon's second grade class in October... the class would never be the same. She shows up wearing pajamas and cowboy boots, her red hair in pigtails, a lunch box and dictionary in her hands. She asks for a desk in the middle of the room because she likes to be in the middle of all the action. As the class begins studying how to write a story, the whole class decides they want to hear Gooney Bird's story.

Gooney Bird adjusted the pink ballet tutu she was wearing over a pair of green stretch pants. Her T-shirt was decorated with polka dots. Her red hair was pulled into two pigtails and held there with blue scrunchies... She felt her earlobes, which were small and pink and empty.

"I should have worn the dangling diamond earrings that I got from the prince," she told the class. "Maybe I'll wear them next week."

"Diamond earrings? Prince?" Mrs. Pidgeon asked.

"Well, actually, the prince didn't give me the earrings. I got them at the palace," Gooney Bird explained.

"Why were you at the palace?"

"Well, first I was in jail, and then -" Gooney Bird interrupted herself. "It's a long story."

Gooney Bird entrances the whole class, including their teacher, with her stories about how she came from China on a flying carpet, or how her beloved cat, Catman, was consumed by a cow, or why she was late to school because she was directing an orchestra. With every story, Gooney Bird reminds her audience that she only tells absolutely true stories.  And she does.

What brought me to Gooney Bird Greene is the fact Maggie and I have read the entire Junie B. series, and we've been looking for a replacement series. Gooney Bird does work great for that, and she's quite creative, as well. Both characters are funny, extroverts who are often the center of attention. Both characters are rather unique individuals, and express themselves very well. The differences, though, are that Parks has developed Junie B's character a lot more, as she has written over 30 Junie B books to Lowry's three Gooney Bird books.

Maggie's review is: Gooney Bird Greene is a good, funny and cute book. Her favorite things about it is Gooney Bird is funny and she likes it when Gooney Bird bosses the teacher around. The thing she didn't like about it is when Gooney Bird lost her cat... that was sad... but it was funny that Catman's tail got cut off by the lawn mower.

Back to me, now... to clarify the "bossing the teacher", Gooney Bird isn't mean and hateful with it, she says things like "look up China on the map", or when the class erupts in questions saying, "Mrs. Pidgeon, do you want to deal with this?". Even Mrs. Pidgeon gets so caught up in the stories that she interrupts, then apologizes. It's this kind of polite role-reversal that is often what makes a favorite children's book. Not only is there the "bossing" the teacher, but also directing the adults of the orchestra, and helping a neighbor find his dog. Gooney Bird takes the role of rescuer for the grown-ups.

Honestly, I can't really find any negatives about this book, other than there are only three books, which means it's not long before we're hunting a new series very soon. We've read a couple Lucy Rose books, but she's just not quite the same. We've just started Amber Brown Goes Fourth, and it's promising, but I don't know how many there are. I've also got an Anastasia Krupnik book, and a couple Molly Moons. SO, if you have any suggestions for Maggie's dilemma, let us know!

******

(Scene: swimming lessons, where my daughters and I arrive a few minutes early and watch the older kids going off the diving board.)

Me: See how they plug their noses and close their eyes? That keeps the water out.

Big A: When Lucy fell off the Dawn Treader, she knew what to do: she kicked off her shoes and kept her eyes open.

******

Big A to my husband on the phone: I went off the diving board today! Twice! And I was first in line!

My husband: Go Reepicheep! Way to run towards the roar!

******

(Scene: praying for the worship pastor after I explain blocked arteries. Little a climbs up on the arm of the couch and starts examining the bookcase.)

Me: What are you doing?

Little a: I'm looking for the human body book!

******

Me: Look! A squirrel on the bird feeder!

Big A and Little a: Timmy Tiptoes!

(One of many identifications of furry creatures around the yard as Beatrix Potter or Thornton Burgess characters.)

******

(Scene: both girls are cleaning up toys and a book discussion ignites...)

Little a: You know, at VBS last night Miss Cathy read a story about a girl who wouldn't take a bath! And she got so dirty radishes started to grow on her!

Big A: (chuckles) Really?? What did she do??

******

(Scene: naptime, when I tiptoe in to see if Little a is awake yet. She is, and guiltily thrusts something under the pillow.)

Me: What are you doing?

Little a: I was scared of the thunder so I put the Bible under my pillow. And I was looking at the picture of David and Goliath.

Am looking into getting some dolls for Ciara. She just received her second Barbie, and I still don't really care for her playing with them. I wonder about how they may subconsciously affect a child's body image, and not to mention they look like garbage after two seconds of playing. I found these Only Hearts dolls, and although they still may be a little more commercial than my liking, I do not think that she would play with a nice Waldorf doll, honestly.

ETA: Ciara took this picture of me last night! I think it turned out pretty well.

---

Currently:

We've been watching: Signing Times on DVD. Ciara's been signing along to some things, and really likes it. So does Oliver.

I am reading: The Ultimate Book of Homeschooling Ideas: 500+ Fun and Creative Learning Activities for Kids Ages 3-12 - Lots of good ideas in here. I put a tab to copy the page on about 50 pages.

Ciara's been reading: Potato Joe, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and Town House/Country Mouse.

And Oliver has been playing with his new cars :) He has hand-foot-and-mouth disease, so we haven't been able to go out much this week. Hopefully more fun next week!