Reading Incentives

First of all, I have an important announcement. After nearly 11 1/2 years of living in England, our family has moved back to the USA! We've been here two months now and are living with my mother until we have a place of our own. I've written very few blog posts in the past year simply because I haven't had the time. We've had a lot of changes, with my dad dying last year and everything we had to do to make this huge move back across the ocean. We are still homeschooling; our kids are in 3rd, 7th, and 10th. This is the first year I've neglected to write posts on their curriculum, but I will try to do that soon. Mostly, I've just kept track of the books they've read.

So, on the topic of books... I was wanting to join the Pizza Hut Book-It program, but I'm too late to enroll for this year. So, my husband decided that for each ten books that the kids read (on their own, not school-assigned books), he will buy them a Dairy Queen blizzard.

UPDATE:  The kids now have a choice between a blizzard or $5 for every 10 books read.  Of course, they're going to choose the money!

UPDATE 2:  I have continued this running log of books the kids have read for money from last school year.  They are currently half way through 4th, 8th, and 11th grades!

This is where I'll keep my running log of what books each child reads to get rewarded:

I
1. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)
2. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (Suzanne Collins)
3. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (Suzanne Collins)
4. Gregor and the Marks of Secret (Suzanne Collins)
5. Gregor and the Code of Claw (Suzanne Collins)
6. Snakehead (Anthony Horowitz)
7. Scorpia Rising (Anthony Horowitz)
8. Ark Angel (Anthony Horowitz)
9. Crocodile Tears (Anthony Horowitz)
10 Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (Gregg Lewis and Deborah Shaw Lewis)

Blizzard won!

11. Gold of the Gods (Bear Grylls)
12. Flight of the Eagles (Gilbert L. Morris)
13. Way of the Wolf (Bear Grylls)
14. Sands of the Scorpion (Bear Grylls)
15. The Gates of Neptune (Gilbert L. Morris)
16. Tracks of the Tiger (Bear Grylls)
17. Claws of the Crocodile (Bear Grylls)
18. Strike of the Shark (Bear Grylls)
19. Rage of the Rhino (Bear Grylls)
20. Lair of the Leopard (Bear Grylls)---10th grade

$5 won!

21. The Tombs of Anak (Frank Peretti)
22. Escape from the Island of Aquarius (Frank Peretti)
23. The Deadly Curse of Toco-Rey (Frank Peretti)
24. The Door in the Dragon's Throat (Frank Peretti)
25. The Secret of the Desert Stone (Frank Peretti)
26. Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea (Frank Peretti)
27. Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)
28. Point Blanc (Anthony Horowitz)
29. Skeleton Key (Anthony Horowitz)
30. The Legend of Annie Murphy (Frank Peretti)

$5 won!

31. Eagle Strike (Anthony Horowitz)---11th grade
32. The Sword of Camelot (Gilbert Morris)
33. Winged Raiders of the Desert (Gilbert Morris)
34. The Final Kingdom (Gilbert Morris)
35. Never Say Die (Anthony Horowitz)
36. The Phantom Tollbooth (Norton Juster)
37. Code of Silence (Tim Shoemaker)
38. Back Before Dark (Tim Shoemaker)
39. Below the Surface (Tim Shoemaker)
40. Voyage of the Dolphin (Gilbert Morris)

$5 won!

41. Infidel (Ted Dekker)
42. The Terrible Beast of Zor (Gilbert Morris)
43. By Divine Right (Patrick W. Carr)
44. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
45. Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)
46. Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)
47. A Cast of Stones (Patrick W. Carr)
48. Chaos (Ted Dekker)
49. Empress of the Underworld (Gilbert Morris)
50. Divergent (Veronica Roth)

$5 won!

51. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
52. Scorpia (Anthony Horowitz)
53. Russian Roulette (Anthony Horowitz)
54. The Mystery of Mar Saba (James H. Hunter)
55. The Diamond Brothers in Two of Diamonds (Anthony Horowitz)
56. Toro! Toro! (Michael Morpurgo)
57. Public Enemy Number Two (Anthony Horowitz)
58. War Horse (Michael Morporgo)
59. Saving Zasha (Randi Barrow)
60. South by Southeast (Anthony Horowitz)

$5 won!

61. Waiting for Anya (Michael Morpurgo)
62. Kensuke's Kingdom (Michael Morpurgo)
63. Chosen (Ted Dekker)
64. Friend or Foe (Michael Morpurgo)
65. Crossover (John C. Dalglish)
66. The Shock of Night (Patrick Carr)
67. The Door (Lorilyn Roberts)
68. The Caves that Time Forgot (Gilbert Morris)
69. Kaspar: Prince of Cats (Michael Morpurgo)
70. The Wreck of the Zanzibar (Michael Morpurgo)

$5 won!

71. Arklight Operation Nightfall (J.M. Myrick)--12th
72. Renegade (Ted Dekker)
73. Lunatic (Ted Dekker)
74. Crescent (Homer Hickam)
75. Elyon (Ted Dekker)


M
1. The Sign of the Twisted Candle (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
2. The Haunted Bridge (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
3. The Secret Boat (Patricia St. John)
4. In Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
5. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Still More Stories from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
8. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)
9. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
10. The Haunted Carousel (Nancy Drewe Mystery by Carolyn Keene)--7th grade

$5 won!

1. Treasures from Grandma's Attic (Arleta Richardson)
2. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Addie Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Connie Porter)*
3. Meet Kit: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Kaya: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
4. Meet Addy: An American Girl (Connie Porter) AND
    Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)*
5. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
6. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Josefina: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)*
7. Meet Samantha: An American Girl (Susan Adler) AND
    Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan Adler)*
8. Happy Birthday, Kit! (Valerie Tripp) AND
    Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)*
9. The Invisible Intruder (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
10. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)

$5 won!

*Two short books count as one for her

1. Mary Todd Lincoln (Katharine E. Wilkie)--8th grade
2. Felicity's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)
    Kirsten's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Janet Shaw)*
3. Outside (Andre Norton)
4. The Hidden Window Mystery (Nancy Drew Mystery by Carolyn Keene)
5. The Merchant's Daughter (Melanie Dickerson)
6. The Silent Songbird (Melanie Dickerson)
7. The Princess Spy (Melanie Dickerson)
8. The Fairest Beauty (Melanie Dickerson)
9. The Captive Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
10. The Golden Braid (Melanie Dickerson)

$5 won!

1. For Love & Honor (Jody Hedlund)
2. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest (Melanie Dickerson)
3. The Beautiful Pretender (Melanie Dickerson)
4. The Orphan's Wish (Melanie Dickerson)
5. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth Speare)
6. The Healer's Apprentice (Melanie Dickerson)--2nd read
7. The Warrior Maiden (Melanie Dickerson)
8. A Daring Sacrifice (Jody Hedlund)
9. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
*Begin 10th grade
10. Dauntless (Dina L. Slieman)

$5 won!

1. A Match Made in Texas (Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Mary Connealy, Carol Cox)

2. Raiders from the Sea (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
3. Mystery of the Silver Coins (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
4. Heart of Courage (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
5. The Raider's Promise (Lois Walfrid Johnson)

6. Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)

----Begin 12th grade

7. Echoes Among the Stones (Jaime Jo Wright)

8. The Goose Girl (Shannon Hale)

9. On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor (Jaime Jo Wright)

10. Dust (Kara Swanson)

$5 won!

1. Shadow (Kara Swanson)

2. The Giver (Lois Lowry)

3. Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)

4. Messenger (Lois Lowry)

5. Princess Paisley (Chautona Havig)

6. The Souls of Lost Lake (Jaime Jo Wright)

7. The Wonderland Trials (Sara Ella)
8. Wishtress (Nadine Brandes)

9. Vivid (Ashley Bustamante)


G
1. Adventures of the Wishing-Chair (Enid Blyton)
2. More Wishing-Chair Stories (Enid Blyton)
3. Samantha Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Susan S. Adler)
4. The Boxcar Children: The Black Widow Spider Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
5. Sarah, Plain and Tall (Patricia MacLachlan)
6. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
7. Haunted House (Peggy Parish)
8. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Singing Ghost (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
9. Felicity Learns a Lesson: A School Story (Valerie Tripp)
10. Skylark (Patricia MacLachlan)

$5 won!

11. The Tower in Ho-Ho Wood and Other Stories (Enid Blyton)
12. The Enchanted Wood (Enid Blyton)
13. The Magic Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
14. Caleb's Story (Patricia MacLachlan)
15. The Firebird (Mairi Mackinnon, retold)
16. The Folk of the Faraway Tree (Enid Blyton)
17. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
18. The Boxcar Children: Mountain Top Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
19. The Caravan Family (Enid Blyton)
20. Hannah's Helping Hands (Jean Van Leeuwen)

$5 won!

21. The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
22. Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
23. Meet Molly: An American Girl (Valerie Tripp)
24. Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (Janet Shaw)

25. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
26. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Purple Pool (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
27. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Stolen Boxcar (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
28. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Behind the Wall (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
29. Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray (Nick Bruel)
30. Happy Birthday Bad Kitty (Nick Bruel)

$5 won!

31. Bad Kitty Drawn to Trouble (Nick Bruel)--3rd grade
32. The Boxcar Children: Mystery in the Sand (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
33. The Boxcar Children: The Camp-Out Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
34. The Boxcar Children: The Castle Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
35. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Missing Cat (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
36. Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)--4th grade
37. The Boxcar Children: The Radio Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
38. The Boxcar Children: Caboose Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
39. The Boxcar Children: The Lighthouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
40. Molly's Surprise: A Christmas Story (Valerie Tripp)

$5 won!  ALSO Pizza Hut pizza won!  (We were able to start this October 2017)

41. Five Go Adventuring Again (Enid Blyton)
42. On the Banks of Plum Creek (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
43. The Boxcar Children: The Mystery of the Crooked House (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
44. Happy Birthday, Molly! A Springtime Story (Valerie Tripp)
45. The Boxcar Children: Mystery Ranch (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
46. I Survived (True Stories): Five Epic Disasters (Lauren Tarshis)
47. The Happy Hollisters on a River Trip (Jerry West)
48. Meet Marie-Grace (Sarah Masters Buckey)
49. Meet Cécile (Denise Lewis Patrick)
50. Kirsten's Surprise (Janet Shaw)

$5 won!

51. Five on a Secret Trail (Enid Blyton)
52. The Saucy Jane Family (Enid Blyton)
53. Up and Down the River (Rebecca Caudill)
54. Five Go to Demon's Rock (Enid Blyton)
[BEGIN GRADE 5]
55. I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (Lauren Tarshis)
56. I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 (Lauren Tarshis)
57. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (Lauren Tarshis)
58. I Survived the Shark Attack of 1916 (Lauren Tarshish)
59. The Famous Five: Five Go Off to Camp (Enid Blyton)
60. The Famous Five: Five Get Into a Fix (Enid Blyton)

$5 won!

61. The Famous Five: Five Fall Into Adventure (Enid Blyton)
62. The Famous Five: Five Go Down to the Sea (Enid Blyton)
63. The Famous Five: Five on a Hike Together (Enid Blyton)
64. The Boxcar Children: The Yellow House Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
65. The Boxcar Children: Schoolhouse Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
66. The Marvelous Land of Oz (L. Frank Baum)
67. The Mystery of the Disappearing Cat (Enid Blyton)
68. Treasures of the Snow (Patricia M. St. John)
[BEGIN GRADE 6]
69. Molly Saves the Day AND Changes for Molly (Valerie Tripp)
70. The Famous Five: Five Go to Mystery Moor (Enid Blyton)

$5 won!

71. Five Go to Billycock Hill (Enid Blyton)
72. The Happy Hollisters (Jerry West)
73. The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach (Jerry West)
74. I Survived the Joplin Tornado, 2011 (Lauren Tarshis)
75. I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937 (Lauren Tarshis)
76. I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 (Lauren Tarshis)
77. Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase (Carolyn Keene)
78. The Magician's Nephew (C.S. Lewis)
79. Key to the Treasure (Peggy Parish)

80. Nancy Drew: The Bungalow Mystery (Carolyn Keene)

$5 won!

BEGIN GRADE 7 (including summer break before)

81. The Tanglewood's Secret (Patricia St. John)

82.  Rainbow Garden (Patricia M St. John)

83.  The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)

84.  Ella Enchanted (Gail Carson Levine)

85.  Nancy Drew: The Sign of the Twisted Candles (Carolyn Keene)

86. Five Have a Mystery to Solve (Enid Blyton)

87. Five Go Off in a Caravan (Enid Blyton)

88. Five on Finniston Farm (Enid Blyton)

89. Five Have a Wonderful Time (Enid Blyton)

Begin 8th grade:

90. The Westing Game (Ellen Raskin)

$5 won!

Begin 9th grade:

91. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

92. The Giver (Lois Lowry)

93. Gathering Blue (Lois Lowry)

94. Messenger (Lois Lowry)

95. Son (Lois Lowry)

96. Dust (Kara Swanson)

97. Shadow (Kara Swanson)

Begin summer before 10th grade:

98. The Wonderland Trials (Sara Ella)

99. Vivid (Ashley Bustamante)

100. Radiant (Ashley Bustamante)

$5 won!

101. Romanov (Nadine Brandes)

Read in 11th grade until the summer before 12th grade:

102. Wishtress (Nadine Brandes)

103. Fawks (Nadine Brandes)

104. The Looking Glass Illusion (Sara Ella)

105. Gregor the Overlander (Suzanne Collins)

106. Chromatic (Ashley Bustamante)

107. Animal Farm (George Orwell)

My husband decided that the kids could opt for $5 for every ten books they read, so that's what we're doing now.  If he did that for me, he'd go broke! However, he has made me the same offer for reading Christian nonfiction books.  I'm not really a lover of nonfiction, though I do love Christian fiction, so reading ten Christian NONFICTION books is a challenge for me. Will I do it for $5?  I like spending money (to buy more books of course), so yes, I will!  My list is below:

D
1.  The Fully Funded Missionary (Rob Parker)
2.  The Case for Christ (Lee Strobel)
3.  Breaking the Stronghold of Food (Michael L. Brown)
4.  The Fire of Delayed Answers (Bob Sorge)
5.  The Secret of Happiness (Billy Graham)
6,  Boundaries (Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend)
7.  Captivating (John & Stasi Eldredge)
8.  Jesus Revolution (Greg Laurie & Ellen Vaughn)
9.  The Blessed Life (Robert Morris)

10. A Woman's High Calling (Elizabeth George)

$5 won!

1.  The Hiding Place (Corrie ten Boom)

2.  Revival Fire (Wesley Duewel)

3.  A Life That Matters (Ron Hutchcraft)
4.  Are We There Yet? (Drew Berryessa)

5.  Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds (Phillip E. Johnson)

Geography Book List (by Country)

Back in 2010, I posted a list of books I used to teach geography units (country studies).  You can view that post HERE if you’re interested.  Since then, I have collected quite a few additional books for those countries, and we’ve studied more countries, too.  Instead of adding to the old post, I decided to make a brand-new one.  So, if you’re planning to study different countries, I hope my list helps.  I’ve added a few countries I have books for even though we haven’t studied those countries.  Also, I have not listed every country we studied, because I didn’t have any books for some of them.  If you have any book suggestions or questions about the books I’ve listed, please feel free to comment.  My list includes both picture books and chapter books, which we used in grades 2-5.  I will add to this list as I find more books.  I have not added any links…that would take me forever!

General (for various countries)

A Child’s First Library of Learning: Famous Places (Time-Life Books, pub.)

Around the World in 80 Tales (S. Pirotta) *folk tales from 80 different countries

Children Just Like Me (B. & A. Kindersley) *profiles of children from around the world

Draw Write Now books (M. Hablitzel and K. Stitzer)*particularly books 3-8

Family Picture Atlas (J. Farndon)

Galloping the Globe (L. Pettit and D. Mullins)  *lesson plans, ideas, and reproducibles

Geography from A to Z: A Picture Glossary (J. Knowlton)  *physical geography terms

Hello Kitty Hello World! (H. Glaser, illus.)—good for younger children

My First Picture Atlas (C. King, illus.)

The (Not for Parents) Travel Book (M. Dubois, K. Hilden, J. Price) *1 page per country overviews, with great pictures and cool facts for kids

The Usborne Book of Peoples of the World (G. Doherty and A. Claybourne)  *explores customs of people in other countries; includes web links

The Usborne Internet-Linked Children’s World Cookbook (A. Wilkes and F. Watt)

Africa

Africa--General

Ashanti to Zulu:  African Traditions (M. Musgrove)

Jambo Means Hello: Swahili Alphabet Book (M. Feelings)—East Africa

Meerkat Mail (Emily Gravett)

The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories (H. Courlander and G. Herzog)—West Africa

Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears (V. Aardema)—West Africa

Egypt

Gift of the Nile: An Ancient Egyptian Legend (J. M. Mike)

Hieroglyphs from A to Z: A Rhyming Book with Ancient Egyptian Stencils for Kids (P.D. Manuelian)

Look What Came From Egypt (M. Harvey)

Pyramids & Mummies (S. Simon)

Pyramids!:  50 Hands-on Activities to Experience Ancient Egypt (A. Hart & P. Mantell)

The Egyptian Cinderella (S. Climo)

The Building of the Great Pyramid (C. Hynson)

The Nile River (A. Fowler)

Tut’s Mummy:  Lost…and Found (J. Donnelly)

Zekmet the Stone Carver: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (M. Stolz)

Ghana

Anansi the Spider:  A Tale from the Ashanti (G. McDermott)

Pretty Salma (N. Daly)

Kenya

Handa’s Surprise (E. Browne)

Nigeria

Zomo the Rabbit: A Trickster Tale from West Africa (G. McDermott)

South Africa

Jamela's Dress (N. Daly)

Zimbabwe

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale (J. Steptoe)

Antarctica

Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems (J. Sierra)

Antarctic Journal: Four Months at the Bottom of the World (J.O. Dewey)

Destination: Antarctica (R. Swan)

Escape from the Ice: Shackleton and the Endurance (C. & P. Roop)

Playing with Penguins and Other Adventures in Antarctica (A. McGovern)

The Emperor’s Egg (M. Jenkins)

The Race to the South Pole (J. Pipe)

Asia

China

A Visit to China (M. Packard)

Daisy Comes Home (J. Brett)

Li Lun: Lad of Courage (C. Treffinger)

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China (E. Young)

Look What Came From China (M. Harvey)

Ma Lien and the Magic Brush (H. Kimishima)

Mei Li (T. Handforth)

Ms. Frizzle’s Adventures: Imperial China (J. Cole)

The Empty Pot (Demi)

The Pet Dragon: A Story about Adventure, Friendship, and Chinese Characters (C. Niemann)

The Seven Chinese Brothers (M. Mahy)

The Story About Ping (M. Flack & K. Wiese)

Tikki Tikki Tembo (A. Mosel)

India

Jamil's Clever Cat: A Folk Tale from Bengal (Fiona French)

Look What Came From India (M. Harvey)

Once a Mouse… (M. Brown)

One Grain of Rice (Demi)

Sanji and the Baker (R. Tzannes)

Splash! (Flora McDonnell)

The King’s Choice (K. Shivkumar)

The Sheep of the Lal Bagh (D. Mark)

Iraq

Step Into the World of Ancient Babylon (Grandreams, pub.)

Israel

Colors of Israel (L.M. Grossman)

Israel ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Israel (H. Schroeder)

The Bronze Bow (E.G. Speare)

The Eight Nights of Hanukkah (J. Nayer) *Not in Israel, but Jewish tradition

The Matzah That Papa Brought Home (F. Manushkin) *Not in Israel, but Jewish tradition

Zvuvi’s Israel (T. Lehman-Wilzig)

Japan

Colors of Japan (H. Littlefield)

Grandfather’s Journey (A. Say) *Also California (immigration story)

Look What Came From Japan (M. Harvey)

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (E. Coerr)

The Funny Little Woman (A. Mosel)

The Smallest Samurai (F. French)

The Wise Old Woman (Y. Uchida)

Three Samurai Cats: A Story from Japan (E.A. Kimmel)

Saudi Arabia

A is for Arabia (J. Johnson)

Vietnam

The Golden Slipper: A Vietnamese Legend (Darrell Lum)

Australia

Australia & Oceania (B. Chessen & P. Chanko)

Australia

Bats (C. MacLulich)

Lizards (C. MacLulich)

Look What Came From Australia (K. Davis)

Marsupial Sue (J. Lithgow)

Outback Adventure: Australian Holiday (K. McLeod)

Snakes (C. MacLulich)

The Australian Mother Goose (C. Thiele)

The Magic Colours (C. Egan)

New Zealand

Country Explorers: New Zealand (L. Larson)

Europe

Austria

Escape to Liechtenstein (E. Dunlop)

The Night Crossing (K. Ackerman)

Denmark

Hedgie’s Surprise (Jan Brett)

The Fat Cat: A Danish Folktale (J. Kent)

The Hat (Jan Brett)

The Ugly Duckling (H.C. Andersen/J. Pinkney)

Number the Stars (Lois Lowry)

The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark (C.A. Deedy)

Finland

Iina-Marja’s Day: From Dawn to Dusk in Lapland (J. Alatalo)

France

A Visit to France (K. Hall)

Anatole and the Cat (E. Titus)

Anatole and the Toyshop (E. Titus)

Anatole Over Paris (E. Titus)

Getting to Know France and French (N. Wright)

Joan of Arc (A. Bull)

Linnea in Monet’s Garden (C. Bjõrk)

Look What Came From France (M. Harvey)

Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind (M. Davidson)

Madeline (L. Bemelmans)

Madeline Says Merci:  The Always-Be-Polite Book (J.M. Marciano)

Madeline’s Christmas (L. Bemelmans)

Madeline’s Rescue (L. Bemelmans)

Mirette on the High Wire (E.A. McCully)

Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail (L. Anholt) *Also Spain

The Family Under the Bridge (N.S. Carlson)

Visit to France (J. Smith)

Germany

Berlioz the Bear (Jan Brett)

Count Your Way Through Germany (J. Haskins)

Destination Detectives: Germany (S. Schanz & G. Donaldson)

Emil and the Detectives (E. Kästner)

Grandmother Oma (I. Kleberger)

Look What Came From Germany (K. Davis)

The Town-Musicians of Bremen: A Grimm’s Fairy Tale (C. Grillis, illus.)

Greece

An Island for a Pelican (E. Fenton)

Look What Came From Greece (K. Davis)

Iceland

Leif the Lucky (I. & E. d’Aulaire)

Nights of the Pufflings (B. McMillan)

The Ice Horse (Renne)

Ireland

Jamie O'Rourke and the Big Potato (Tomie DePaola)

Mandie and the Fiery Rescue (L.G. Leppard)

Saint Patrick and the Peddler (M. Hodges)

Italy

A Gondola for Fun (H. Weiss)

Along Came Galileo (J. Bendick)

Count Your Way Through Italy (J. Haskins)

Guide to Italy (B. Williams)

Look What Came From Italy (M. Harvey)

Red Sails to Capri (A. Weil)

Strega Nona (T. dePaola)

Netherlands

Boxes for Katje (C. Fleming)

Hana in the Time of the Tulips (D. Noyes)

Hans Brinker (B. Coville)

Katie and the Starry Night (J. Mayhew)

Katje the Windmill Cat (G. Woelfle)

The Boy Who Held Back the Sea (T. Locker)

The Hole in the Dike (N. Green)

The Story of Anne Frank (B.R. Lewis)

The Wheel on the School (M. DeJong)

Norway

The Wild Christmas Reindeer (J. Brett)

The Invisible Friend (L.W. Johnson)

Poland

The Cats in Krasinski Square (K. Hesse)

The Silver Sword (I. Serraillier)

The Trumpeter of Krakow (E.P. Kelly)

Russia

Baboushka: A Traditional Russian Folk Tale (A. Scholey)

Baboushka and the Three Kings (R. Robbins)

Babushka Baba Yaga (P. Polacco)

Babushka’s Doll (P. Polacco)

Cat Tales: Adventure in Russia (S. Graber-Alvarez)

Colors of Russia (S. Zemlicka)

Here Comes the Cat! (V. Vagin & F. Asch)

Ivan and the Informer (M. Grant)

Look What Came From Russia (M. Harvey)

Peter and the Wolf (D. Eastman)

Rechenka’s Eggs (P. Polacco)

Russia ABCs: A Book About the People and Places of Russia (A. Berge)

Salt: A Russian Folktale (J. Langton)

The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship: A Russian Tale (A. Ransome)

The Littlest Matryoshka (C.D. Bliss)

Spain

A Visit to Spain (J. Gaff)

Dali and the Path of Dreams (A. Obiols)

Katie and the Spanish Princess (J. Mayhew)

Picasso and the Girl with the Ponytail (L. Anholt)

Shadow of a Bull (M. Wojciechowska)

The Story of Ferdinand (M. Leaf)

Toro! Toro! (M. Morpurgo)

Young Princesses Around the World:  Isabel Saves the Prince (J. Holub)

Sweden

Eric and the Little Canal Boat (L. Bason)

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Big Red Hen (M. Lindman)

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Little Dog (M. Lindman)

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Their New Friend (M. Lindman)

Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and the Buttered Bread (M. Lindman)

Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and the Red Shoes (M. Lindman)

The Red Horse (E. Moeschlin) *Very rare, out-of-print

Switzerland

Barry: The Bravest Saint Bernard (L. Hall)

Gingerbread Baby (Jan Brett)

Heidi (J. Spyri)

Swiss Holiday (E. Yates)

The Apple and the Arrow (M. & C. Buff)

Treasures of the Snow (P. St. John)

Turkey

The Hungry Coat (Demi)

United Kingdom

A Bear Called Paddington (M. Bond)

A Scottish Pop-Up Book (Lomond Books, pub.)

Adam of the Road (E.J. Gray)

Emma’s Lamb (K. Lewis)

Floss (K. Lewis)

Greyfriars Bobby (J. Abernathy)

Look What Came From England (K. Davis)

Knights, Kings and Conquerors: 20 Stories from British History (G. McCaughrean)

Paddington at the Tower (M. Bond)

Paddington Bear (M. Bond)

Pigeon Post (A. Ransome)

Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest (A. McGovern)

Robin Hood:  The Tale of the Great Outlaw Hero (A. Bull)

Shepherd Boy (K. Lewis)

Swallows and Amazons (A. Ransome)

The Chesterfield Gold (R. Pilkington)

The Door in the Wall (M. de Angeli)

The Railway Children (E. Nesbit)

Usborne Beginners: Elizabeth I (S. Turnbull)

William Shakespeare & the Globe (Aliki)

North America (Including Central America and the Caribbean--I’ll cover US states in a separate post)

Canada

Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)

Journey Through Canada (R. Tames)

Ookpik the Arctic Owl (B.S. Hazen)

The Incredible Journey (S. Burnford)

Haiti

Night Owl and the Rooster: A Haitian Legend (C. Reasoner)

Tap-Tap (K.L. Williams)

Jamaica

Fruits: A Caribbean Counting Poem (Valerie Bloom)

Mexico

A Visit to Mexico (M. Packard)

Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story (T. dePaola)

Hill of Fire (T.P. Lewis)

Look What Came From Mexico (M. Harvey)

The Legend of the Poinsettia (T. dePaola)

The Little Red Ant and the Great Big Crumb: A Mexican Fable (S. Climo)

United States

Look What Came From the United States (K. Davis)

The Usborne First Book of America (L. Somerville)

South America

Argentina

Chúcaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa (F. Kalnay)

Guide to Argentina (M. Morrison)

Chile

Mia’s Story (M. Foreman)

Peru

Carolina’s Gift: A Story of Peru (K. Diaz)

The Littlest Llama (J. Buxton)

I’m lacking a bit in books about South America!  Any suggestions?

I'm linking this post to "The Children's Bookshelf" at What Do We Do All Day? I'm linking this post ALSO to "History and Geography" at All Things Beautiful.

2011 Reading Goal--Done!

Here in England, we have about an hour and a half until 2012, and I just completed my reading goal for 2011. When I was younger, I was a big reader, but in later years I found that I was spending so much time on the internet that I wasn't reading much at all. Because I want to be a reading example to my kids, I decided to take on a few reading challenges I saw on a blog about a year ago. The first goal was to read 100 books, and the second was to read 25 award-winning children's books. I decided that the 25 award books could be part of my 100, and the books could include children's book awards in both America and England. All 100 of my books had to be chapter books (I could read well over 100 if they were picture books). I so enjoyed completing this goal, that I'm going to do it again in 2012! Only this time, I'm going to make my challenge a bit different, though it will still be 100 books. Isaac is definitely a reader, too, which is good; otherwise, I would probably find him playing Mario games on the Wii a lot more than he should.

If you are at all interested in seeing what I read, click HERE (I keep a running list on my other blog). Keep in mind, however, that just because I read a book does not necessarily mean I liked it or approve of it. Most of them I loved, though!

I'm sure a lot of you have had goals you wanted to complete in a year. I had a photography goal--at least one photo a day and post them weekly on my other blog. However, even though I do take a LOT of photographs, that one got left behind. One thing I regret is not having a Bible reading goal. Maybe that's another good one for 2012. How about the 100-book reading challenge? Is anyone up for joining me?

Moriah's 2nd Grade Reading Log

I just realized today that I've kept up reading logs for Isaac last year and this, and yet I've neglected to do the same with Moriah. I trust Isaac to read on his own, but Moriah needs to read aloud to me since she's still learning. She reads aloud daily from her reading book, but I haven't had her read any extra books up until now. Anyway, this post will be a reading log for Moriah--a place to record all the books she reads this year. I will add to the list throughout the year, as she reads each new book. My only rules for Moriah is that she may not read books that are obviously for toddlers (like simple board books or books which have only a few large-print words on each page). Although she's in 2nd grade and definitely able to read at that level, she's not very confident and needs practice. I'm happy to allow her to include 1st-grade level books in this list; however, I hope to be able to encourage her to read longer and higher-level books as the year progresses. One more note: The books on this list were chosen by Moriah. They are not books required for school.

Moriah's 2nd Grade Reading Log (2011-2012):

1. The Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss)
2. I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! (Dr. Seuss)
3. The Foot Book (Dr. Seuss), hmmm maybe this one was too easy...
4. Green Eggs and Ham (Dr. Seuss)
5. Dr. Seuss's ABC (Dr. Seuss)
6. Fox in Socks (Dr. Seuss)
7. Robert the Rose Horse (Joan Heilbroner)
8. A Turkey for Thanksgiving (Eve Bunting)
9. Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? (Dr. Seuss)
10. Frog and Toad All Year (Arnold Lobel)
11. Little Runner of the Longhouse (Betty Baker)
12. The Thirsty Moose (David Orme)
13 Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat (Cynthia Ryland)
14. The Best Nest (P.D. Eastman)

Summer Reading
15. White Bird (Clyde Robert Bulla)
16. Cosmo's Story (Sarah Hawkins)
17. Six Dinner Sid: A Highland Adventure (Inga Moore)
18. Mind the Gap (Roger McGough)
19. Dogger (Shirley Hughes)
20. The Miracle of the First Poinsettia (Joanne Oppenheim)
21. Moi and Marie Antoinette (Lynn Cullen)

Isaac's Reading Log--5th Grade

Last year, for our records, I kept a log here of every book Isaac read. I counted chapter books and a few longer, higher-grade level picture books. During 4th grade, Isaac read 71 books. During our 7-week summer break, he read 10 more, for a total of 81 books in one year. I'm so proud of him! If you're interested in what Isaac read in 4th grade, you can view his 4th Grade Reading List by clicking on that link.

I'm starting a new post for Isaac's 5th grade reading log. Throughout the year, I will add to the list as he completes each book he reads. We've only finished 3 days of school, and he's already finished 3 books; however, 2 of those were started during summer break. This list will include books Isaac is required to read for school, as well as books he reads on his own.

5th Grade Reading Log: 2011-12

1. The Mystery of the Vanished Prince (Enid Blyton)
2. Five Have Plenty of Fun (Enid Blyton)
3. Magic Tree House: Adventure on the Amazon (Mary Pope Osborne)
4. The Mystery of Tally-Ho Cottage (Enid Blyton)
5. The Boxcar Children: The Ghost Ship Mystery (Gertrude Chandler Warner)
6. The Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk (Donald J. Sobol)
7. Brighty of the Grand Canyon (Marguerite Henry)
8. Farmer Boy (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
9. The Borrowers (Mary Norton)
10. The Silver Chair (C.S. Lewis)
11. The Last Battle (C.S. Lewis)
12. Stormy, Misty's Foal (Marguerite Henry)
13. Escape to Liechtenstein (Ed Dunlop)
14. Mik-Shrok (Gloria Repp)
15. Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars (Ellen MacGregor)
16. Red Sails to Capri (Ann Weil)
17. Amos Fortune, Free Man (Elizabeth Yates)
18. The Mountain of Adventure (Enid Blyton)
19. Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)
20. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (Robert C. O'Brien)
21. The Two Towers (J.R.R. Tolkien)
22. Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien)
23. Why the Whales Came (Michael Morpurgo)
24. Born to Run (Michael Morpurgo)
25. The Invisible Friend (Lois Walfrid Johnson)
26. Stormbreaker (Anthony Horowitz)
27. The Adventures of King Midas (Lynne Reid Banks)
28. The Life of Leonardo da Vinci (Susie Hodge)
29. Mr. Popper's Penguins (Richard and Florence Atwater)
30. Knights, Kings and Conquerors (Geraldine McCaughrean)
31. The Wreck of the Zanzibar (Michael Morpurgo)
32. The Trumpet of the Swan (E.B. White)
33. Christian Liberty Nature Reader, Book 4 (Michael McHugh)
34. The Trumpeter of Krakow (Eric P. Kelly)
35. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)
36. Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome)

Summer Reading (beginning May 18, 2012):
37. Twice Freed (Patricia St. John)
38. The Boxcar Children (Gertrude Chandler Warner
39. The Legend of Annie Murphy (Frank Peretti)
40. The Secret of the Desert Stone (Frank Peretti)
41. Bad Kitty vs Uncle Murray (Nick Bruel)
42. The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 3 (Hergé)
43. The Twits (Roald Dahl)
44. The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 7 (Hergé)
45. The Indian in the Cupboard (Lynne Reid Banks)
46. Under Threat: Great White Shark (Richard Spilsbury)
47. Saving Zasha (Randi Barrow)
48. Garfield Pigs Out (Jim Davis)
49 Five Go Off to Camp (Enid Blyton)

5 a Day Books: Week 9

We read these 5 books last week:

1.  Rodgers & Hammerstein’s My Favorite Things (illustrated by Renée Graef)—The Sound of Music has always been one of my favorite movies, so when I found this book in a Scholastic book order (several years ago), I had to buy it.  The illustrations are beautifully done, and they fit the words perfectly.  I mostly sang it to Gabriela, and she was very attentive and smiled at all the pictures, so I know she loved it as much as me!  The last day we read it, I showed Gabriela the part of the movie where Maria and the children sing this song.  She ended up watching most of the movie with me!

2.  Zin! Zin! Zin a Violin (by Lloyd Moss)—This is a Caldecott Honor Book (awarded for illustrations); however, the illustrations are not what I like about this book (they’re brightly colored, but not my style).  What I like is the musical teaching it gives and also the rhymes—the whole book is a poem.  Ten different orchestra instruments are presented.  Beginning with one (a trombone) and adding one more instrument each turn of the page until you have ten, the author tells what each number of instruments is called.  For example, two instruments make a duo, while eight instruments form an octet.  Gabriela didn’t really understand all that, but she did enjoy counting the instruments each time we turned the page.  Oh, and she also liked the cats in the pictures…of course.

3.  I Won’t Share! (by Hans Wilhelm)—Isaac picked this book out for Gabriela, and it was her favorite this week.  It’s a very simple story about a dog who doesn’t want to share his toy at first, but then he realizes it’s more fun to share.  By the end of the week, Gabriela had it memorized and was able to tell ME the story!

4.  Hop on Pop (by Dr. Seuss)—I have so many Dr. Seuss books, and they’re all perfect for the 5 a Day Book challenge.  I like that this book is full of simple rhymes, and the pictures are always funny.  Gabriela enjoyed finishing each line for me.  Today, she pointed to the picture on the cover and said, “They’re not supposed to hop on pop!”

5.  Fox on a Box (by Phil Roxbee Cox)—This week I threw in another Usborne book (they’re just so awesome).  Just like the Dr. Seuss books, these Usborne phonics readers are perfect for 5 a Day.  This book also has the small yellow duck to find on every page, which Gabriela never gets tired of doing.  With fold-out pages, cute illustrations, and lots of rhyming, I can’t say enough about Usborne’s books for smaller children.

I'm linking this post to "5 a Day Books" at The Imagination Tree.

5 a Day Books: Weeks 7 and 8

The past few weeks have been VERY busy, and I didn’t end up posting week 7’s books, so I’m posting the last 2 weeks’ books together in this post.

Week 7 Books:  For our week 7 books, I went with a 4th of July/patriotic theme.  I chose the books I had at hand, and they weren’t necessarily the best choices to read to a 3-year-old, but I think she was okay with them…not excited, but okay.  Here’s what we read:

1.  America the Beautiful (Scholastic, pub.)

2.  My Country ‘Tis of Thee (Scholastic, pub.)

3.  The Pledge of Allegiance (Scholastic, pub.)

4.  Parade (Donald Crews)

5.  Captain Cat (Syd Hoff)

The first 2 books are simply the lyrics to patriotic songs.  The first day, I actually sang the books to Gabriela.  I tried just to read them the other days, but she insisted on me singing them.  I also know how to sing The Pledge of Allegiance.  The problem with using these books for the 5 a Day challenge is that they contain long words which Gabriela doesn’t understand.  Although I don’t think it’s too early to introduce her to the songs and the pledge, since they’re part of our American heritage, she didn’t get into them as much.  She did enjoy the singing and the beautiful photos.

Parade is more in line with the 5 a Day idea.  It’s very simple for a young child.  Donald Crews also wrote Freight Train, which I used a few weeks ago, and Sail Away, which I did for week 8 (as you’ll see below).

As I was looking through possible books to read, Gabriela saw Captain Cat and wanted me to read it to her.  I mentioned a few weeks ago, with Drummer Hoff, that Gabriela wasn’t really into a military sort of book.  Even though Captain Cat takes place in the army, she really enjoyed it simply because it had a cat!

 Week 8 Books:  When I went to my book shelves to choose the 5 for this week, I didn’t necessarily have a theme in mind, but that’s what I ended up with.  The books this week were related to transportation.  Gabriela LOVED them!  I can’t even tell you which was her favorite—she was thrilled with all of them.

1.  Go, Dog, Go! (P.D. Eastman)—We love this book!  Written in a Dr. Seuss style, this book has lots of repeated and rhyming words.  You can use this book for counting, colors, opposites, prepositions, sizes, and more.  Gabriela can “read” several parts all by herself. 

2.  Sail Away (Donald Crews)—This is the third Donald Crews book we’ve read since starting the 5 a Day challenge.  Gabriela really liked reading the “putt, putt, putt” parts.

3.  Terrific Trains (Tony Mitton and Ant Parker)—This rhyming book has so much rhythm that you could almost rap it!  It tells all about trains, which Gabriela likes.

4.  Peek-a-Boo! Boats ()—This is a pop-up book about different kinds of boats.  In each pop-up, you can peek through windows to see inside the boat.  Each page tells about the boat and gives you things to hunt for inside the boat.  I bought this book here in England.

5.  The Train to Glasgow (Wilma Horsbrugh)—This rhyming story is a cumulative poem, written in the style of The House That Jack Built and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.  Gabriela especially liked the fact that the train looks like Thomas…only without a face.

I’m linking this post to “5 a Day Books” at The Imagination Tree.

5 a Day Books: Week 6

Our 5 a Day books for this week are:

1.  Little Cloud (by Eric Carle)—A simple story about a little cloud and all the shapes it changes into.  Gabriela really liked this one.

2.  Red Light, Green Light (by Margaret Wise Brown)—I love this book because it has a lot of repetition, wonderful illustrations, and because Gabriela now knows that red means stop and green means go.  The pictures, though not overly colorful, are still really lovely (in my opinion).  Gabriela loved looking at the pictures and finding the horse, dog, cat, and mouse.  She liked pointing out the traffic light in each picture, and she “read” a lot of the story herself after the first few days.

3.  Put Me in the Zoo (by Robert Lopshire)—I grew up with this book, and it was one of my favorites as a child.  Gabriela loved it, too.  Every time we read it, she had to point out that the main character looked sad or mad in a few of the pictures.  She noticed a lot of details in the pictures and was able to connect them to what I was reading.  The book reads much like a Dr. Seuss book, so there is a lot of rhyme and repetition.  In fact, it was part of a series of books called “Beginner Books,” which was co-founded by Dr. Seuss.  The Cat in the Hat himself is hidden on a page in this book, which Gabriela always likes to find.  Gabriela found this book very easy to read along with me.

4.  If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (by Laura Numeroff)—This was probably Gabriela’s favorite this week.  I didn’t notice until one of my older kids pointed it out, but the little mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is cleverly placed in a few of the pictures.  Of course it’s a very cute story, just like all of Numeroff’s books!

 

5.  Drummer Hoff (by  Barbara Emberley)—I chose this book because of its repetition and rhyme.  I really like the pictures, too.  In fact, it won the 1968 Caldecott Medal for its illustrations.  However, I think this was Gabriela’s least favorite.  Maybe it’s because the military theme is not her thing.  The last few days I read it, as soon as I picked it up, she’d say, “I don’t like this one!”  That said, once I would begin reading it, she seemed to enjoy it.  She liked finishing some of the lines for me.  For instance, I’d read “Major Scott brought…”  She’d finish, “the shot!”  She also always remembered that Sergeant Chowder brought the powder.  Each section ends with, “but Drummer Hoff fired it off!” which she liked to say for me.  The last page shows the abandoned cannon with flowers all around it and birds building a nest in it.  She always likes to point out the spider on it, too.  So, although a boy might enjoy this book more, Gabriela still did really well with finishing lines and noticing things in the pictures.

I’m linking this post to “5 a Day Books” at The Imagination Tree.

5 a Day Books: Week 5

Here’s Gabriela’s 5 a Day book list for this past week:

1.  Jamberry (by Bruce Degen)—I love this book!  The illustrations are so colorful and show great imagination, and the rhyming is terrific, too.  This book is perfect if you’re doing a unit on fruit or berries.  Out of the 5 books I chose this week, this is the only one I brought from America.

2.  Hairy Maclary’s Bone (by Lynley Dodd)—Although I’ve seen Hairy Maclary books at the local library, I never had checked one out.  A friend recently recommended them, and I just happened to find one at a charity shop a few weeks ago.  Written by an author from New Zealand, they’re very popular here in England, and I can see why.  The illustrations and rhymes are very appealing to children.  The stories are simple, and there is a lot of repetition.  Apparently there is a whole series of Hairy Maclary books, so I will be on the lookout for more!

3.  Guess How Much I Love You (by Sam McBratney)—This is a simple, yet lovely little story—great for bedtime!

4.  Dear Zoo (by Rod Campbell) —I have the board book version of this story, but it’s very worn, so I was happy to find the larger paperback version (in perfect condition) at a charity shop recently.  This book is enormously popular in the UK.  It has flaps to lift to see the various animals, and it has a lot of repetition.  It’s a very cute book for small children.

5.  Tip Tip Dig Dig (Emma Garcia)—Gabriela was given this book at one of her development check appointments (whatever they’re called).  It’s very simple, with lots of repetition.  It features different construction-related vehicles, each a different color, and they work together to build an adventure playground.

Gabriela loved all of these books and really interacted with the storytelling.

I’m linking this post to “5 a Day Books” at The Imagination Tree.  Go there to see what others are reading to their small children and also to read more about the 5 a Day Challenge!

5 a Day Books, Week 4

I’m back after a long break!  My parents visited England for the first time since we’ve lived here (which is 6 years), and they stayed nearly 3 weeks.  Instead of regular school, the kids have spent some quality time with the grandparents, and we’ve travelled all over the country.  Now that we’re back to a normal schedule, I’ll try to catch up on my blog.

We began reading these 5 books before my parents came, but I spent an extra week on them since we had a long break.

1.  Where’s Curly? (by Heather Amery)—I love Usborne books, especially the Farmyard Tales.  If you’ve never had any Usborne books, I highly recommend them!  One thing that really makes the Farmyard Tales series special is that each page has a little yellow duck for kids to find.  Where’s Curly? is a flap book, making it even more fun for children.  Also, the illustrations are quite adorable. 

2.  Cookie’s Week (by Cindy Ward)—This simple but cute story goes through the days of the week, with Cookie (the cat) getting into some sort of trouble each day.  Gabriela really got into this one—she knew Cookie was being naughty!

3.  There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (by Simms Taback)—There are so many different versions of this story, but I like this one because of the cut-outs on each page, showing what animals are now inside the old lady, and also because of the detailed and funny illustrations and the extra bits of information.  This book won a Caldecott Honor for its illustrations.

4.  Over in the Meadow: A Counting Rhyme (by Louise Voce)—I chose this book for the rhyming.  It’s also good for counting practice!

5.  Hickory, Dickory, Dock (by Robin Muller)—I first saw this version of the well-known nursery rhyme when I was substituting for a preschool aide several years ago.  The teacher had a read-along tape to go along with the book—the voices and music were really cool.  I was able to buy the book from a Scholastic book order, but I wish I could find the tape (or CD).  Anyway, the rhymes are wonderful, and the illustrations are amazing.  I really love this book!  Gabriela did, too.  : )

I’m linking this post to “5 a Day Books” at The Imagination Tree.  Several of the “5 a Day” participants have chosen Eric Carle books this past week, due to his birthday, which happens to be the same as mine!  (I didn’t know that before.)  Anyway, happy reading!

5 a Day Books: Week 3

Here are our book choices for week 3.  We’re having so much fun with this!

1.  Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr—I wish I had the Brown Bear, Brown Bear… book, but in all my huge collection of children’s books, I’m missing that one.  I buy most of my books used, and it just hasn’t turned up.  When I saw Panda Bear, Panda Bear at a library book sale, I snatched it up quickly!  It features endangered animals, and I always enjoy Eric Carle illustrations.  After a few days, Gabriela was taking turns reading with me.  For example, if I read, “I see a macaroni penguin strutting by me,” then I turned the page, and she quoted, “Macaroni penguin, macaroni penguin, what do you see?”

 

2.  Catch Me, Catch Me!—This Thomas the Tank Engine story was another one of Isaac’s favorites when he was Gabriela’s age.  I chose it partly because Gabriela also loves Thomas, and also because it’s a rhyming book with lots of repetition.  She really enjoyed “reading” this book with me.

3.  Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss—I don’t know if you’ve ever read this book aloud, but it makes me tired.  I almost decided against this one because just the thought of having to read it aloud for 5 days in a row (plus extra times she begged me to read it again) did not appeal to me.  However, it is a great 5 a Day book, and I knew Gabriela would like it.  After the first few days of reading it, I realized that I didn’t mind reading it so many times once Gabriela got actively involved with it.  Her delight in the story made it more fun to read aloud.

4.  Buzz Said the Bee by Wendy Cheyette Lewison—This is a simple and humorous book with a lot of rhyming words and repetitive phrases.  Gabriela loved this one.  The illustrations are really cute.

5.  Who Sank the Boat? by Pamela Allen—This cute story has rhyming and repetition, and asks the question, “Do you know who sank the boat?” every few pages.  Gabriela loved this book, but after I read it to her the first time, she then knew the answer to the question.  Therefore, she chose to interrupt me throughout all the subsequent readings to inform me who sank the boat.  A few times, she almost sounded annoyed because I insisted on reading each line, and she already KNEW the answer!  However, she still begged for the book each day.

I'm linking this post to "5 a Day Books" at The Imagination Tree.

5-a-Day Books: Week 2

Gabriela is loving this 5 a Day Book thing!  She actually goes around the house quoting from these books.  Today (which is now week 3 with new books), she was quoting from Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car, which I read last week.  It was so cute!  Here’s what we read last week:

1.  Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg—This is a popular rhyming book here in England.  What makes it fun, aside from the rhyming, is the “I Spy” feature and also the fact that it includes traditional storybook characters such as Cinderella, Tom Thumb, Jack and Jill,  the Three Bears, and more. 

2.  Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli—We have 3 copies of this book, so each of our children has his/her own.  This was not intentional—all 3 books were gifts at different times.  Anyway, this was one of Isaac’s top favorites when he was a tot—I read it to him a LOT.  Gabriela enjoyed it this week, and she also read along with me.  She could quote most of the story by the end of the week.  It’s a sweet bedtime story, and Gabriela happens to be a lot like Biscuit when it comes to bedtime!   

3.  The Three Little Kittens illustrated by —This well-known nursery rhyme has lots of repetition and is perfect for the 5 a Day Books.  I like the pictures in this version.   

4.  Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car by John Burningham—This is another popular British book.  This one is about a boy and a girl and several farm animals who all want to take a ride with Mr. Gumpy.  When it starts raining and they get stuck in mud, they all give reasons why they can’t get out and push.  In the end, they all have to help get the car unstuck, and then the sun comes out.  Typical English weather… 

5.  If You Go Walking in Tiger Wood by Alan Durant—I got this book here in England.  I like the cut-outs in the pages showing hiding animals.  It’s also a nice rhyming book and very interactive—very fun to read with tots. 

I’m linking this post to 5 a Day Books at The Imagination Tree.  Doing this challenge has been so rewarding.  Won’t you join us?  Click HERE for details.