Sunday, August 7, 2016

Last Week's Library Haul Vol. 2

Because we are not located super close to any one library branch, we decided to check out a different library this past week.  Atticus was thrilled because there was a train table in the children's section, and honestly I was too because it meant there was less of a chance of him creating a catastrophic book mess.  The children's librarian at this location was also excellent and interacted with the kids as they explored. 

Little Ish and Lily decided to sign up for the library's summer readingprogram and have been having fun this week marking off reading time as well as completing adventures.  The neat thing is that the adventures are not all reading related so some of them serve as fun reading breaks (e.g. Do 15 jumping jacks!)

Little Ish checked out:
SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod
This book is similar to most alphabet books in format, but it ranks as a favorite alphabet book in my mind.  The kids all found this book hilarious and Little Ish read it to Lily and Atticus several times this week.  Lily also requested that I read it to her at least once per day.  

Mice at Bat by Kelly Oechsli
This early reader is a fun story, but admittedly Little Ish was not a big fan of the book.  He did say that there were a few funny parts though.

Pickles to Pittsburgh by Judi Barrett Illustrated by Ronald Barrett
Little Ish loved this sequel to Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs .   When asked which he preferred, he said the sequel is "definitely better".  I cannot say that I agree, but it is still a fun book.

Justice League Adventures: Friends and Foes
This is the first graphic novel Little Ish has ever read. He spent several hours over two days and read the entire thing himself.  He was completely sucked in.  He then spent several occasions throughout the week rereading different parts of the book.  I have a feeling there will be more graphic novels in his future.

Liliana checked out:
Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho Illustrated by Holly Meade
I helped Lily track down this book as she really liked the author's other book Peek! A Thai Hide-and-Seek. Lily and I both enjoyed this book just as much, but Atticus really loved this volume--so much so that I may gift him a copy of his own on Christmas or his birthday.

Nora's Chicks by Patricia MacLachlan  Illustrated by Kathryn Brown
Lily seemed interested when I suggested this book to check out, but then she never let me read it to her.  Atticus, however, had me read it to him a couple of times and really liked it.  The story is about friendship and making friends; it also contends with the feeling of loneliness in a very child friendly way.  I wouldn't be surprised if we check this out again sometime.

Mariposa and the Fairy Princess: True Fairy Friends adapted by Mary Man-Kong
One of the downsides to letting kids pick their library books is when they decide on absolute twaddle.  Lily was attracted to this book because it was sparkly, it had Barbies, and it was pink.  The story was mediocre and it was long-winded. I was only too happy to return this book.

Atticus checked out:
Let's Count Goats by  Mem Fox Illustrated by Jan Thomas
Atticus has been really into counting lately and is clearly trying to wrap his head around one to one correspondence so a counting book was definitely in order this week.  As far as counting books go, this one is pretty fun.  Atticus enjoyed counting the goats and the rhythm of the text makes it very easy to read aloud.

Rain Talk by Mary Serfozo Illustrated by Keiko Narahashi
This book is so cozy.  Atticus and I enjoyed reading this one together and making all the different rain sounds.  It is a shame that this book is no longer in print.

Monster Trucks by Mark Todd
Little Ish found this book and insisted that Atticus would love it.  He was right.  Atticus had me sit down to many marathon reading sessions of this book.  He loved all the different trucks.

The family checked out:
Casey at the Bat by Ernest L. Thayer Illustrated by Christopher Bing
The illustrations in this edition of Casey at the Bat are excellent, but the kids weren't such fans of the poem.  The reason?  It has a very depressing ending.

The Three Musketeers and Robin Hood as told by Jim Weiss
Our whole family loves Jim Weiss's audio CDs.  He is a fantastic storyteller.  The kids enjoyed this CD quite a bit when we listened to it in the car, but it didn't draw them in as much as some of his other storytelling CDs.  If you are planning to take a road trip anytime soon, Jim Weiss CDs are a great way to pass the long hours on the road.

I checked out:
Curly Girl by Lorraine Massey and Michele Bender
I checked this book out in order to hopefully figure out how to manage my ever curlier/wavier hair (thank you pregnancy hormones!).  It turns out I probably would have faired better with the newer edition which unfortunately my library does not have.  I did get a few good ideas, but it sounds like the more current book is worth a read.

Ravensbruck: Life and Death in Hitler's Concentration Camp for Women by Sarah Helm
There is so much to say about this book, and I have yet to even finish it.  It is a heart wrenching book, but it is also incredibly interesting and unlike any account of the Holocaust that I have ever read.  I feel like when I finish it that I will have to write a separate review as there is so much to say about it.

The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems by Billy Collins
I checked this out to sort of counter balance the gravity of Ravensbruck and so far it is doing an excellent job at that.  I really enjoy Billy Collins's poetry thus far and have been enjoying picking this book up every so often throughout the week.

Cinderella directed by Kenneth Branagh
I have a soft spot for Cinderella movies.  I actually saw this one in theaters when it came out and really enjoyed it.  When I spotted it at the library, I decided it would be fun to watch it again.  If you haven't seen this version it makes for a good family movie night film.

What have you checked out of the library lately?  Any good children's audiobook recommendations?

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