Judy Moody by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds The rule in our house is you have to read the book BEFORE you see the movie.  It has been my experience that the book is always better than the movie.  The only exception would be Charlotte’s Web (the old one with Debbie Reynolds and Paul Lynde) – it was exactly the same as the book! So, Since Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is coming out June 10th, I thought it would be a good idea to tell you about Judy Moody BEFORE the movie comes out. I started reading Judy Moody to my daughter about 3 years…

Skippy Jon Jones and the Big Bones by Judy Schachner (http://www.skippyjonjones.com/) My mom got this book for my kids a few years ago.  What a riot!  I love Skippy Jon Jones, the Siamese cat that want to be a Chihuahua.  What an imagination!  Stealing bones from the dog next door to dreaming about dinaosaurs and the land of fossils.  This book is an excellent read aloud, the kids get really into it and the giggles that come – priceless. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND reading it aloud to yourself a few times before reading it to your kids.  You will need the practice for the chimichangas, fossilitos and the T. Mexito! Que disfrute leyendo!

Katie Kazoo Switcheroo – Going Batty by Nancy Krulik, illustrated by John & Wendy My daughter read this book last year.  I read it before her and was fine with the subject matter (school/learning oriented, as well as factual).  Katie is plagued by wishes.  “And that night, Katie wished she could be anyone but herself.  There must have been a shooting star flying overhead when Katie made her wish, because the very next day the magic wind came. . . . But the worst part came ofter the wind stopped blowing.  That’s when the magic wind turned Katie into someone else.  One. . . two . . . switcheroo!” And so…

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey I think everyone in the world knows who Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack are.  If you dont know who they are, I’m not really sure which planet you grew up on!  But, whatever the reason, you must go out and purchase this books immediately (or got to the library). Boston has always been my favorite city – oh how I longed to live there after college.  I didn’t make it my home until much later.  My husband and I were newlyweds there,  and our daughter was born there.  How excited I was when it was finally warm enough to…

Ms. Daisy is Crazy by Dan Gutman, Pictures by Jim Paillot My daughter found this book at the bookstore last year. It was the perfect level for her and all she did was giggle while reading it.  Fortunately, its part of a Series (My Weird School – http://www.dangutman.com/pages/books.html). She still loves reading them, and still giggles :). What’s better than having a teacher that you have to tell what to do?  Each of these books show adults in a humorous situation while at the same time giving children the respect and voice they crave.  My daughter loves these books, I imagine my son will, too, in a year or two.  The…

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes Have you ever been so excited for something and then when it actually happens, its so disappointing? Poor Chrysanthemum is so excited for the first day of school.  But, when she gets there she discovers  – thanks to the other girls in the class – that her name is all wrong.  “It’s so long,” said Jo.  “It scarcely fits on your name tag,” said Rita, pointing.  “I’m named after my grandmother, ” said Victoria.  “You’re named after a flower!”  What a way to be greeted on your first day of school.  Her parents tell her how wonderful she is and how beautiful her name is – all…

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall   It’s been several months since we first met the Penderwick Family.  When we first started reading  The Penderwicks on Gardam Street a few weeks ago, we realized how much we had missed them. The story picks up after the Penderwicks return from their sumer vacation at Arundel Cottage.  They settle back into real life very easily, much like we settled into this book so easily. School, soccer, the routines of everyday life with four children. Their Aunt Claire comes for a visit and so begins the dilemna.  Aunt Claire informs all the Penderwicks that their late mother left a note for their father to tell him that…

Schoolyard Rhymes Selected by Judy Sierra, Illustrated by Melissa Sweet Remember jumping rope or doing different pat-a-cake games with those silly rhymes like “Miss Mary Mack Mack Mack”? I wish I could go hang out at the playground at school during recess to hear and see if the kids do any of these fun rhymes anymore.  Perhaps when we move to a neighborhood (ahhhh – to dream) our kids will have many afternoons and evenings with other kids to play all those silly games that we used to.  The rhymes Judy Sierra selected are very good; some familiar, some not; some  long, some short.  Melissa Sweet has done a beautiful…

Library Mouse by Daniel Kirk. And what a wonderful library mouse he was.  Daniel Kirk has done a wonderful job extolling the wonders of the library, books, and young authors.  We have a wonderful library where we live, but after reading Library Mouse it made me want to visit every children’s library in the country to see what they do to encourage reading, writing and the love of books. Sam loves to read and write.  He writes a book and one night puts it in the bookshelves of the library.  It is found by the librarian.  She wants to meet the mysterious author, but Sam is too shy.  So, he…

  What can I say about The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall?  All good things! It was recommended to us by the wonderful bookstore in Alexandria, VA, that I love sooo much, Hooray for Books (how I wish I there were more like it http://www.hooray4books.com/) The Penderwicks is a family of four sisters and their father, Martin, a botany professor.  Rosalind, the oldest at 12, is quite the mother type and is quite mature, but is also going through typical 12 year old stuff – the beginnings of the “boy phase”.  Skye, 11 years old, the one who looks most like their mother (who died of cancer after the youngest daughter was…