What We're Reading

I pass a car wash on my way to work each day that has a sign out front that reads:

"Read to your child every day".

Isn't that nice? For a car wash, especially!

We borrowed a bunch of great books last week! And Will did some more reading to ME this time. We have big and small reading days, but always at least 3-5 books on weekdays and often more on weekends. Only occasionally will Sophie sit down randomly during the day when Will wants us to read all together. But when she and I are cuddled together in the rocker before bed, she quietly and patiently sits for 5+ books. She's learned the names of many of her favorites or at least a descriptive part of the book that helps her identify it to tell me what she wants. We typically have 2-3 library books that remain in her room for the week as well so she gets a variety but also a lot of familiar favorites.

Here was our reading list that spanned two weeks prior to last Saturday. :)

Two to Cuddle by Eileen Spinelli
A mother and young child as they go about their day: "Two to wake up, greet the sun... Two to laugh. Two to sing. Two to share the backyard swing... Two in jammies, sleepy-eyed. Two to cuddle side by side... Two to yawn in starry light. Mommy... me... sweet dreams, good night". We love Eileen Spinelli. This was the book I spotted at the Main Library when we visited on Sophie's birthday. It's so cute.

Olivia books!

These were the ones Will practiced reading to me. He did a great job! They have pictures above some words in the text and that really helped give him some confidence to keep going. He made it almost all the way through Olivia Takes a Trip on his own one night. I only help him out when the word has a tricky word family or unusual sound. When he reads to me, it does take a looong time. So he barely has the patience for one book. And then he's ready for me to finish reading to him. :)

Another Olivia book that wasn't as much of an early reader book so I read this one to him. We're all kind of digging Olivia around here lately.

This song has been sung about 800 times in our house over the past few weeks. It's on a children's music CD that we own but didn't become a favorite until we borrowed this book:

Five Green and Speckled Frogs by Priscilla Burris.

Sophie requested this multiple times every day and knew all the words when I let her fill in the blanks as I was reading/singing.

Click, Clack, Quackity Quack by Doreen Cronin

Not nearly as good as I had hoped. We own and LOVE Click, Clack, Moo and I have a special surprise for Will coming up next weekend that has to do with that book. But this book is just a (sorta' boring) farm animal ABC book: Goats grooming, Hens helping, Inchworms inching, Jumpity jumping... I get easily bored of ABC books like this. They're not fun to read.

Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin

Doreen also wrote Diary of a Worm, which was cute. And you know how I love reading the alleged journals of random animals. ;) And yet... I confess that I didn't actually read this with Will. Craig did. He said it was okay.

All the Things I Love About You by LeUyen Pham

This was another one that Sophie heard every night, although it was written about the adoration a mother has for her son. "The way your hair looks in the morning... How you look in pajamas... And when I think I can't possibly love you any more, the next moment I do." That last line is my favorite. It's so sweet.

My Farm Friends by Wendell Minor

Both kids enjoyed this book a lot. It simply contains a bunch of interesting facts about favorite farm animals. I.e. "Turkeys can be very friendly, sometimes sitting in your lap. They even purr when they're content, just like a kitty cat!"

Daisy and the Egg by Jane Simmons

The illustrations in this book remind me of our rainy day pictures. Daisy anxiously awaits the arrival of her new baby sister or brother. But when the duckling doesn't arrive as expected, Mama Duck and Aunt Buttercup are about to give up on it, saying "some eggs just don't hatch". Daisy won't give up, though, and stays with mama's egg - rolling it in feathers and sitting on it to keep it warm until, finally, baby Pip arrives.

I Did It, I'm Sorry by Caralyn Buehner

This was one I found in the Scholastic order form first. It's a really interesting book, giving scenarios of times when a decision is necessary to do right or wrong. There are illustrations beside each scenario to help explain what's going on and then it's followed with a multiple choice question of what the character should do. Three answers are silly and incorrect. And the one correct answer has a corresponding letter (a,b,c or d) that is hidden in the illustration. So there are multiple elements of interest with each story and it's a great way to introduce kids to the unfortunate common testing practices that are multiple choice questions.

Shoe Baby by Joyce Dunbar

A baby's imaginative adventures in a shoe. Our favorite part is how, on every page, the baby says "How do you do?"

Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners by Laurie Keller

I am such a sucker for cute, pun titles. I love this one! Mr. Rabbit has new neighbors - the otters! - and is worried they won't get along. His friend Mr. Owl advises: "Do unto otters as you would have otters do unto you!... It simply means treat otters the same way you'd like otters to treat you." Mr. Rabbit thinks about the characteristics he'd like his new neighbors to have: friendly, polite, know when to say thank you and excuse me, be honest, be considerate, etc. There are funny side bar comments on every page that play into puns as well. A definite must read!

Sloppy Joe by Dave Keane

Another cute title. Sloppy Joe is always frustrating his family because he's always messy! He strives to be "Neat Joe" instead. Will thought this was really funny because "we eat sloppy joes"!

Baby Shoes by Daska Slater

Mama buys baby a new pair of white shoes and, throughout the story, baby makes them very colorful! Sophie requested this daily and I loved hearing her fill in the blanks when we read: "Baby says 'Uh-oh'. Mama says 'Oh no!' But those shoes just go, go, go!" :)

Born to Read by Judy Sierra

Mother reads to Sam... Sam learns to read... road signs, notes, grocery lists, etc... Reads everywhere!

Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra

"Sip your tea and never slurp. Say 'excuse me' if you burp. Smile and have a lot of fun, but don't go biting anyone." B.B. (Big Bad) Wolf gets invited to tea at the library where he sees many of his former prey: red riding hood, ginger bread man, little bo peep, three pigs, etc. He does his best to behave appropriately and change the stigma he's previously earned. Haha! :)