Somedays it's just a good cookbook that appeals to me. With plenty of local history and details. No traveling for our family during Covid, regional cookbook is as close as I can get.
Monday, July 27, 2020
State Cookbook Quest: Minnesota
Cooking, Coming of Age Books
So there's this subgenre of the foodie books: Coming into adulthood while learning about food. Younger adults, like 30ish, who are trying to figure life out and find food is the answer.
Well of course it is.
So the books read basically the same:
(Person) is trying to figure out life as an adult because they are (going through a crisis, getting over their childhood, recovering from a difficulty). (Person) goes to (place). Person realize part of the answer to life, the universe and everything is to eat and cook (specific region) cuisine.
This isn't to mock this subgenre, it's just an interesting pattern. With some nice writing and some great recipes, so I'm not complaining. Here are some samples:
1. The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn. If you liked Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Gottlieb, you'll like this one, too. The author has the same type of wit and brutal self-honesty. In this case, Emily is searching for comfort food. One of her chapters has possibly the best character descriptions I've read. It gets the "Show Not Tell" prize for these descriptions. Here's my favorite passage:
"This is the way southerners are. No one simply tells you something directly and leaves it at that. Each conversation is loaded down with other conversations and extraneous information and inconsequential observations and non sequiturs. While discussing a neighbor who has rudely nailed ugly PRIVATE PROPERTY signs on the trees near your house, suddenly someone else will start telling a story about how her husband killed a giant snake in the driveway in the dead of winter "just chopped its ugly head off with the snow shovel."
It's not entirely meaningless, it's circular, a secret code you either learn to decipher or just not worry about too much." (pgs 70 and 71)
Love it.
2. From Scratch by Tembi Locke. Tembi loses her husband, find comfort in his homeland and the food if Sicily. Writing is fine, read it if Sicily calls to you.
3. My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss. Luisa is half German and half American, and goes back to Berlin in her adult life. And cooks and falls in loves. The recipes look lovely.
4. Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah. Mah is Chinese American and lands in France with her husband for his embassy job. He leaves, she stays in France, lonely. So to cope, she visits different regions of France, discovering what type of cuisine that region is known for: Paris and Steak Frites, Provence and Soup au Pistou, Burgandy and Beef Bourguinon, etc. The structure works: one chapter, one new region, one new food. I enjoyed this, especially during our family quarantine for Covid. If I can't go to France then I'll read about it.
5. Growing a Feast by Kurt Timmermeister. Timmermeister doesn't go anywhere; he stays in his farm in Washington state and grows a garden and then cooks a big feast for friends. But the writing is lovely: slow, steady, elegant. He makes making ricotta fascinating. This was another good quarantine read: my mind needed an excuse to slow down, take a deep breath, and think about cheese and tomatoes and baking pasta.
Out of all these books, I'd rank them in this order:
Comfort Food by Nunn and Growing a Feast by Timmermeister (tie)
French Eating by Mah
Then Berlin Kitchen and then From Scratch
6. One last one: the Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn. Flinn teaches not-very-good home cooks to cook. The book is fine, especially good for a maybe-novice-or-new cook. I was lucky to grow up in a house where homemade bread, homemade jam, and home cooked meals were the norm, so I absorbed a lot of these skills growing up.
But my number one take away: I do need a chef's knife.
Well of course it is.
So the books read basically the same:
(Person) is trying to figure out life as an adult because they are (going through a crisis, getting over their childhood, recovering from a difficulty). (Person) goes to (place). Person realize part of the answer to life, the universe and everything is to eat and cook (specific region) cuisine.
This isn't to mock this subgenre, it's just an interesting pattern. With some nice writing and some great recipes, so I'm not complaining. Here are some samples:
1. The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn. If you liked Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Gottlieb, you'll like this one, too. The author has the same type of wit and brutal self-honesty. In this case, Emily is searching for comfort food. One of her chapters has possibly the best character descriptions I've read. It gets the "Show Not Tell" prize for these descriptions. Here's my favorite passage:
"This is the way southerners are. No one simply tells you something directly and leaves it at that. Each conversation is loaded down with other conversations and extraneous information and inconsequential observations and non sequiturs. While discussing a neighbor who has rudely nailed ugly PRIVATE PROPERTY signs on the trees near your house, suddenly someone else will start telling a story about how her husband killed a giant snake in the driveway in the dead of winter "just chopped its ugly head off with the snow shovel."
It's not entirely meaningless, it's circular, a secret code you either learn to decipher or just not worry about too much." (pgs 70 and 71)
Love it.
2. From Scratch by Tembi Locke. Tembi loses her husband, find comfort in his homeland and the food if Sicily. Writing is fine, read it if Sicily calls to you.
3. My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss. Luisa is half German and half American, and goes back to Berlin in her adult life. And cooks and falls in loves. The recipes look lovely.
4. Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah. Mah is Chinese American and lands in France with her husband for his embassy job. He leaves, she stays in France, lonely. So to cope, she visits different regions of France, discovering what type of cuisine that region is known for: Paris and Steak Frites, Provence and Soup au Pistou, Burgandy and Beef Bourguinon, etc. The structure works: one chapter, one new region, one new food. I enjoyed this, especially during our family quarantine for Covid. If I can't go to France then I'll read about it.
5. Growing a Feast by Kurt Timmermeister. Timmermeister doesn't go anywhere; he stays in his farm in Washington state and grows a garden and then cooks a big feast for friends. But the writing is lovely: slow, steady, elegant. He makes making ricotta fascinating. This was another good quarantine read: my mind needed an excuse to slow down, take a deep breath, and think about cheese and tomatoes and baking pasta.
Out of all these books, I'd rank them in this order:
Comfort Food by Nunn and Growing a Feast by Timmermeister (tie)
French Eating by Mah
Then Berlin Kitchen and then From Scratch
6. One last one: the Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn. Flinn teaches not-very-good home cooks to cook. The book is fine, especially good for a maybe-novice-or-new cook. I was lucky to grow up in a house where homemade bread, homemade jam, and home cooked meals were the norm, so I absorbed a lot of these skills growing up.
But my number one take away: I do need a chef's knife.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Adulting: How to Become a Grown Up in 468 Easyish Steps by Kelly Williams Brown
The time, in my early twenties, when I was invited (as a plus one) to a country club holiday dinner dance was the greatest sartorial faux pas of my life. I didn't have any experience with country club anything, let along holiday celebrations. It's a pathetic story, but let's just say I wore the wrong thing. Not inappropriate or scandalous or immodest---none of those are my style anyway, but just the wrong thing, maybe involving a khaki skirt. When I arrived, I realized my mistake, but, of course, it was too late. What I was wearing was "fall business casual", when what I should have been wearing was black and bling. Ironically, the correct thing was hanging in my closet and home, I just didn't know this was the time to bring it out.
Black and bling, Baby, that's what you wear to a country club holiday dinner dance. Since that time, decades, ago, my husband and I have been invited to events much like the holiday country club dinner dance, and now I know what to wear. It was simply a matter of someone telling me, or in my case, not wanting to make the same mistake twice.
That's what I'm talking about with this book: it's simply a matter of learning to adult.
There's been a lot of hype about millennials not being able to adult today, or not being able to adult at all. I actually admire the millennials of today, and I wonder, in the blur of social media, if they just need some good old-fashioned advice sometimes, like I certainly did. That's what Kelly Williams Brown does in her book: Adulting, How To Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easyish Steps, which is a guidebook to grown-up skills. Here are some of her chapters: Get Your Mind Right (you are not a special snowflake), Domesticity, Cooking, Get a Job, Money, Maintenance, Love, Friends and Neighbors, etc, full of practical advice like:
Buy toilet paper in bulk.
Get a stepstool.
Make your bed every morning.
Find a tub cleaner that works for you.
Get some baking supplies.
Make a decent steak.
Send a thank you note.
Do not engage with crazy.
Do not skip oil changes.
Wash your hands.
Treat good-personhood as a basic dating qualifier.
(About toxic relatives) If they won't have a conversation with you, disengage.
No one, ever, will set your boundaries for you. So learn to set them yourself.
and the gems of wisdom go on and on . . .
Even though I read this in my 40's these were good reminders. Because of Brown, I bought a clothes steamer.
What I love the most is that there are things here that took me a long time to learn. Here are my two favorites:
Step 306: Be supportive of depressed or heartbroken friends. "It's rarely as fun to be friends with someone when they are clinically depressed as when they are their normal selves. But everyone, everyone, everyone goes though a hard time every now and again. Do not bolt when this happens. Do not interpret their silence of their sadness as a rejection of you. It doesn't matter that it's a pain . . . it's just what you have to do."
Step 412: A miscarriage should be treated as a death. "A miscarriage is one of the deep pains that people carry around with them. It's not as public or obvious as a death, but you should treat it the same way: Your friend is in anguish, and they have lost something very significant . . . "
What I don't like about this book is that there's a lot of swearing, and content about relationships I respectfully disagree with. I wouldn't want my teens to read it, I think it's more for young adults. You can skip around and find what you like, there's a lot of good stuff regardless.
Black and bling, Baby, that's what you wear to a country club holiday dinner dance. Since that time, decades, ago, my husband and I have been invited to events much like the holiday country club dinner dance, and now I know what to wear. It was simply a matter of someone telling me, or in my case, not wanting to make the same mistake twice.
That's what I'm talking about with this book: it's simply a matter of learning to adult.
There's been a lot of hype about millennials not being able to adult today, or not being able to adult at all. I actually admire the millennials of today, and I wonder, in the blur of social media, if they just need some good old-fashioned advice sometimes, like I certainly did. That's what Kelly Williams Brown does in her book: Adulting, How To Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easyish Steps, which is a guidebook to grown-up skills. Here are some of her chapters: Get Your Mind Right (you are not a special snowflake), Domesticity, Cooking, Get a Job, Money, Maintenance, Love, Friends and Neighbors, etc, full of practical advice like:
Buy toilet paper in bulk.
Get a stepstool.
Make your bed every morning.
Find a tub cleaner that works for you.
Get some baking supplies.
Make a decent steak.
Send a thank you note.
Do not engage with crazy.
Do not skip oil changes.
Wash your hands.
Treat good-personhood as a basic dating qualifier.
(About toxic relatives) If they won't have a conversation with you, disengage.
No one, ever, will set your boundaries for you. So learn to set them yourself.
and the gems of wisdom go on and on . . .
Even though I read this in my 40's these were good reminders. Because of Brown, I bought a clothes steamer.
What I love the most is that there are things here that took me a long time to learn. Here are my two favorites:
Step 306: Be supportive of depressed or heartbroken friends. "It's rarely as fun to be friends with someone when they are clinically depressed as when they are their normal selves. But everyone, everyone, everyone goes though a hard time every now and again. Do not bolt when this happens. Do not interpret their silence of their sadness as a rejection of you. It doesn't matter that it's a pain . . . it's just what you have to do."
Step 412: A miscarriage should be treated as a death. "A miscarriage is one of the deep pains that people carry around with them. It's not as public or obvious as a death, but you should treat it the same way: Your friend is in anguish, and they have lost something very significant . . . "
What I don't like about this book is that there's a lot of swearing, and content about relationships I respectfully disagree with. I wouldn't want my teens to read it, I think it's more for young adults. You can skip around and find what you like, there's a lot of good stuff regardless.
German Parenting
Remember that Sting song "Englishman in New York"? Where the singer is British, experiencing New York culture and quirks?
I feel like that when I read American-mom-goes-to-another-country-and-learns-that-parenting-is-cultural-too, the insider/outsider perspective. This is the case with Acthung Baby:An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children by Sara Zaske about German parenting.
Sara is a methodical writer, and I learned about more than parenting as she delves into issues that systems that affect parents everywhere: in this case, how to navigate the country's health care system, playground system, and education system.
At first what's foreign becomes familiar and then even starts to make more sense than the way it's done in the States. And like all parenting books of this genre on my list, I read it when I was parenting young kids, and then again with older kids, and it was good for me to think about my parenting style and what could be improved.
If you are on a parenting-in-another-country binge, this is a good one to have on your list. If you'd like more, read on.
I feel like that when I read American-mom-goes-to-another-country-and-learns-that-parenting-is-cultural-too, the insider/outsider perspective. This is the case with Acthung Baby:An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children by Sara Zaske about German parenting.
Sara is a methodical writer, and I learned about more than parenting as she delves into issues that systems that affect parents everywhere: in this case, how to navigate the country's health care system, playground system, and education system.
At first what's foreign becomes familiar and then even starts to make more sense than the way it's done in the States. And like all parenting books of this genre on my list, I read it when I was parenting young kids, and then again with older kids, and it was good for me to think about my parenting style and what could be improved.
If you are on a parenting-in-another-country binge, this is a good one to have on your list. If you'd like more, read on.
Monday, May 25, 2020
Swedish Living
Here are two books about Swedish culture that I think are great:
1. There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather by Linda McGurk. This Swedish born and raised women immigrated to the US, then took her kids back to Sweden as a parent. The premise is that kids should play outside. A lot. In clothes that keep them warm. But it's the journey that's charming, and McGurk's insider/outsider perspective on Swedish culture and Swedish parenting culture.
2. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family by Margareta Magnusson. Margareta is Swedish, and she has lived a lovely long and interesting life. Her book, part cleaning-out-your-house-before-you-die, and part memoir is just plain charming. Her premise is that as we all near the end of our lives, cleaning out our houses and stuff is a gift to our families. Her message is lovely.
I was grieving a miscarriage when I read this book, and grieving all the "stuff" that remained from the baby that wasn't coming: the bins of clothes, waiting, the high chair that I'd saved, the maternity clothes I wouldn't wear, the crib, you know . . . the stuff. And there was something healing for me about reading this memoir of a woman who was making her peace with the end of her life. It was a loss she was accepting, blessings she had experienced and was grateful for, and a passage she was preparing herself to make. And part of all that was getting rid of the stuff. I got the message, and I highly recommend this charming, gentle, love-your-life book.
French Parenting Books
Since I discovered Mireille Guiliano and her French Women book series, I've been inspired by the way French women see food, life, etc. No surprise that I enjoyed parenting books about the French way of parenting. Here are some I recommend:
1. Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Druckerman. Pamela Druckerman is an American who has a baby in France, and absorbs French parenting culture. The book is good, it's a fun read. I like Druckerman's writing.
2. French Kids Eat Everything: How our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snaking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon. I read this when my kids were younger, and it helped me develop some good mommy food management skills.
3. French Twist: An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting by Catherine Crawford. I think the subject matter is interesting and that Crawford's observations are insightful. I just didn't jive with her writing, so this is last on the list. But it might work for someone else, so if the topic interests you, try this one.
I don't agree with everything that's stereotypically "French parenting"but there are some things I definitely agree with---exposing kids to new foods, taking a more relaxed approach/letting kids grow in independence, etc. So when I had young kids, this was a fun reading binge to figure out what was important to me and what wasn't. Bonne chance!
1. Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Druckerman. Pamela Druckerman is an American who has a baby in France, and absorbs French parenting culture. The book is good, it's a fun read. I like Druckerman's writing.
2. French Kids Eat Everything: How our Family Moved to France, Cured Picky Eating, Banned Snaking, and Discovered 10 Simple Rules for Raising Happy, Healthy Eaters by Karen Le Billon. I read this when my kids were younger, and it helped me develop some good mommy food management skills.
3. French Twist: An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting by Catherine Crawford. I think the subject matter is interesting and that Crawford's observations are insightful. I just didn't jive with her writing, so this is last on the list. But it might work for someone else, so if the topic interests you, try this one.
I don't agree with everything that's stereotypically "French parenting"but there are some things I definitely agree with---exposing kids to new foods, taking a more relaxed approach/letting kids grow in independence, etc. So when I had young kids, this was a fun reading binge to figure out what was important to me and what wasn't. Bonne chance!
It takes Quarantine to Get Me Back to my Blog: Danish Living Books
I knew it had been a while since I blogged. How is a year and five months "a while"?
Mom time, that's how.
And "I'm going to get back to blogging" is on my list of things to do during the quarantine. I even have a pile of books, ready to go.
So I'm going to start with Danish Living books. This was out of my parenting in other countries binge, that developed into hygge research. And these are the books that I cozy up to about every Thanksgiving, when the weather gets chilly.
1. The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking, is just a nice little guide to hygge, the Danish concept of coziness/familiarity/being snuggly to cope with the cold. Although it's not dismally dark where I live in the winter, I still like a little hygge in the winter, and this where I go.
2. The Hygge Life by Gislason and Eddy. More hygge, love the recipes. Slow down and be cozy.
3. How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life by Johansen. More cozy, more recipes, just more.
4. The Year of Living Danishly by Russell. This is another book I read just about every winter. Russell is an American who moves to Denmark and learns to cope, by embracing Danish culture. This is a charming little book and I like Russell's voice. Maybe I read this in the winter to remind myself I live closer to the equator than Denmark and really, although I hate February, it's really not that bad where I live. There's a little adult content, I wouldn't hand this book to my 10-year-old.
5. The Danish Way of Parenting by Alexander. I skim through this one, I think Russell (see above) has a better voice, but still, there's insight to Danish parenting culture in this book.
Mom time, that's how.
And "I'm going to get back to blogging" is on my list of things to do during the quarantine. I even have a pile of books, ready to go.
So I'm going to start with Danish Living books. This was out of my parenting in other countries binge, that developed into hygge research. And these are the books that I cozy up to about every Thanksgiving, when the weather gets chilly.
1. The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking, is just a nice little guide to hygge, the Danish concept of coziness/familiarity/being snuggly to cope with the cold. Although it's not dismally dark where I live in the winter, I still like a little hygge in the winter, and this where I go.
2. The Hygge Life by Gislason and Eddy. More hygge, love the recipes. Slow down and be cozy.
3. How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life by Johansen. More cozy, more recipes, just more.
4. The Year of Living Danishly by Russell. This is another book I read just about every winter. Russell is an American who moves to Denmark and learns to cope, by embracing Danish culture. This is a charming little book and I like Russell's voice. Maybe I read this in the winter to remind myself I live closer to the equator than Denmark and really, although I hate February, it's really not that bad where I live. There's a little adult content, I wouldn't hand this book to my 10-year-old.
5. The Danish Way of Parenting by Alexander. I skim through this one, I think Russell (see above) has a better voice, but still, there's insight to Danish parenting culture in this book.
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Christmas Read Alouds 2018
Every year, the holidays come and I tell myself to be reasonable with finding Christmas read alouds.
It never works.
I thought that I was adding "just a few" more books to our reading pile.
I don't think 27 counts as "just a few", but I did find some good ones.
So here is the master list:
And here are the ones I added to the pile: so grateful for a great public library system! Not all of these were the definite favorites, but I can never tell which ones my kids will adore so it's fine with me if we have lots of books around.
I'm Not Santa by Allen (This gets the kids' favorite award for 2018)
I've Seen Santa by Bedford
Madeline's Christmas by Bemelmans
Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett
Christmas Mouseling by Chaconas
The Money We'll Save by Cole
The Nutcracker by DoCampo
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Dean
Santa Rex by Idle
The Nutcracker by Jeffers
An Angel Came to Nazareth by Knott
Tyrannoclaus by Lawler
The Waltz of the Snowflakes by MacKay
The Friendly Beasts by McGinley
Santa Duck by Pilgrim
Is it Christmas Yet? by Prater
Twelve Days of Christmas by Randall (Fun folk illustrations!)
Merry Christmas, Curious George by Rey
The Perfect Christmas by Spinelli
Santa's Snow Kitten by Stainton
The Bearer of Gifts by Steven (a very nice Santa/religious tie-in, the best one I've found)
Snowman Magic by Tegen
Pick a Pine Tree by Toht
DinoChristmas by Wheeler
Sharing Christmas by Westerlund
The Beautiful Christmas Tree by Zolotow (Lovely themes of caring)
Every year I try a new way to wrap up the books---this year 2 or 3 kids out of the four wanted to unwrap a package every time we found time for story time. Which was fine, because I'd kept the packages small (one or two books, three if there was a theme like "These are the Night Before Christmas books"). The rest of the books I kept in piles around the house, upstairs, downstairs, on the piano, etc.
As always, this is a fun tradition for our family. A lovely way to spend time together that doesn't include spending money, having to leave the house, or consuming calories.
I'll try to keep it under control next year.
Saturday, November 17, 2018
Thanksgiving Read Alouds 2018
Thanksgiving Read Alouds 2018.
Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
*Thelonius Turkey Lives (on Felicia Ferguson’s Farm) by Lynn Reed
*Thanksiving at the Tappletons by Eileen Spinelli illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffer and also the version illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Ten Hungry Turkeys by Balsley
Duck for Turkey Day by Mitter
*Time for Cranberries by Detlsen
Thanksgiving Mice by Roberts
This First Thanksgiving Day by Melmed
The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Fearing
Thanksgiving Rules by Friedman
Over the River and Through the Woods by Child
This is the Turkey by Levine
*Sharing the Bread by Miller
*'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Pilkey
Ten Hungry Turkeys by Balsley
Duck for Turkey Day by Mitter
*Time for Cranberries by Detlsen
Thanksgiving Mice by Roberts
This First Thanksgiving Day by Melmed
The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Fearing
Thanksgiving Rules by Friedman
Over the River and Through the Woods by Child
This is the Turkey by Levine
*Sharing the Bread by Miller
*'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Pilkey
*I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Judith Schachner
*Turkey Surpise by Peggy Archer
Thanksgiving at Our House by Hallinan
Thanksgiving at Our House by Hallinan
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B.G. Hennessy
*The Thanksgiving Door by Debby Atwell
*Thanksgiving is Here by Diane Goode
*The Perfect Thanksiving by Eileen Spinelli
*The Perfect Thanksiving by Eileen Spinelli
*My personal favorites.
If you want a read aloud about Thanksgiving and young Tad Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln's son), Thanksgiving in the White House by Gary Hines is good.
My bigger boys liked Two Bad Pilgrims by Kathryn Lasky, but I think it gives them ideas about what explosives.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Halloween Picture Books 2018
Some of our favorite holiday traditions are picture books. With Halloween, we also add a few quirky videos like Studio C's Kyle's Hyper Halloween and, of course, the Simpsons' version of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven". I feel like I've done my literature enrichment when my children, giggling, quote Poe all around the house.
So here are some picture books for your Halloween reading. Favorites are at the top:
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda White
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
Bone Dog by Rohmann
We're off to Find the Witch's House by Krieb
Room on the Broom by Donaldson
Big Pumpkin by Silverman
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Savage
Click Clack Boo by Cronin
Pet the Cat Five Little Pumpkins by Dean
Jungle Halloween by Cocoa-Leffler
The Very Best Pumpkin by Good
Pumpkin Smasher by Benarde
Pumpkin Cat by Turner
T Rex Trick or Treat by Grambling
Cat Nights by Manning
Five Little Monkeys Trick or Treat by Christelow
Brooms are For Flying by Micheal Rex
Moonlight the Halloween Cat by Rylant
Humbug Witch by Balian
Three Bears Halloween by Duval
Sheep Trick or Treat by Apple
The House at Night by Swanson
Mrs. McMurphy's Pumpkin by Walton
Pumpkin Trouble by Thomas
Only a Witch Can Fly by McGhee
And The Comes Halloween by Brenner
Corre Corre Calabaza by Mejunto and Letria (it's in Spanish)
and
The Ugly Pumpkin by Horowitz, which is more of a Halloween/to Thanksgiving book.
Happy Halloween.
So here are some picture books for your Halloween reading. Favorites are at the top:
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda White
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
Bone Dog by Rohmann
We're off to Find the Witch's House by Krieb
Room on the Broom by Donaldson
Big Pumpkin by Silverman
Ten Orange Pumpkins by Savage
Click Clack Boo by Cronin
Pet the Cat Five Little Pumpkins by Dean
Jungle Halloween by Cocoa-Leffler
The Very Best Pumpkin by Good
Pumpkin Smasher by Benarde
Pumpkin Cat by Turner
T Rex Trick or Treat by Grambling
Cat Nights by Manning
Five Little Monkeys Trick or Treat by Christelow
Brooms are For Flying by Micheal Rex
Moonlight the Halloween Cat by Rylant
Humbug Witch by Balian
Three Bears Halloween by Duval
Sheep Trick or Treat by Apple
The House at Night by Swanson
Mrs. McMurphy's Pumpkin by Walton
Pumpkin Trouble by Thomas
Only a Witch Can Fly by McGhee
And The Comes Halloween by Brenner
Corre Corre Calabaza by Mejunto and Letria (it's in Spanish)
and
The Ugly Pumpkin by Horowitz, which is more of a Halloween/to Thanksgiving book.
Happy Halloween.
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
Family Vacationing in the Beautiful Black Hills
My family just joined a long-time friend family for a vacation in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota.
The truth of the matter is that really, I planned the whole thing so I could see our friends. The place was irrelevant, and even a joke to me, when I asked my Colorado friend, "What's close to you? What can we go see?" "Mt. Rushmore!" she said, and we laughed. Ha ha. Then I told my husband who said, completely seriously, "I've always wanted to go there."
And that was how this trip started.
But as I did more and more research on all my trip research-y places (guide books, National Park passports, mom blogs, etc) I read about so many things that we could do in the Black Hills. Most resources said there was more to do than a four day trip would allow, and that it was a lovely place to visit. This is all true.
First of all, the Black Hills are beautiful this time of year and the locals are hospitable, down-to-earth, and accommodating. There are lots of places to stay (we found a house on vrbo), and every town, although small, has enough restaurants to give families enough options.
There are caves and parks and trails and museums galore and it's hard to choose what to do. But here was how it all panned out as far as our itinerary went:
1. Day one. We got up early to beat the crowds and went to Wind Cave national park for the family tour of Wind Cave. Caving is not on my list of favorite things to do---I just can't think too hard about the fact that I'm 200 feet underground WITH MY CHILDREN. But the kids liked the tour and I liked coming up the elevator back into solid ground.
Then we went to Mount Rushmore. Our friends opted for the audio tour, which was a smart choice, I realized, when my kids kept pilfering their headphones---full of interesting information, and a novelty enough to keep my (crabby, tired, whiney) 4 year old entertained. Next time, we'll just get our own headphones. We stayed at MR and perused the museum and stayed for treats. Note to self: All the desserts (even the Thomas Jefferson recipe ice cream) are gargantuan. Two, maybe three people could share them.
Later, we went to the Circle B Chuckwagon dinner and cowboy show in Hill City. Fun, just what you'd expect. I got my summer dose of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and the fiddler was actually good.
2. Day Two.
We did the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park and got stuck in a herd of buffalo. Custer State Park far surpassed my expectations. It's amazing, which is why we came back on Day Three.
The weather was threatening to turn stormy, so we made the long drive to the Badlands, which were awesome.
The Badlands is a must-see. It's two hours or so from Mount Rushmore, but worth the trip. Lots of interesting walks and hikes and no one cares if the kids climb on the rocks---I think they are happy to have tourists do the fossil uncovering.
We took the long route out of Badlands and drove to a field dubbed "Robert's Prairie Dog Town". My daughter especially wanted to see the prairie dogs and they are cute, yes they are---from a distance of course, no touching.
And they have fleas, yes, they do. The prairie dogs stayed in the field but the fleas hitched a ride. Shame on those fleas. If you don't want to risk fleas, stay out of the field and on the pavement.
Then we went to the very quirky mega-monstrosity that is Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota (home of Wall Drug!) Words can't describe it: It's a drugstore! It's a restaurant! It's a chapel! Every quirky South Dakota tchotchke is sold here! And there are bathrooms! And free water! And a t-rex! And a jackalope! And history!
It's like a big American inside joke and now we know it. If you like that quirky sort of Americana, don't miss it. The folklorist in me went bananas.
3. Day Three
We started the day in Hill City at the Geological Institute of South Dakota Museum. It's small, but it's packed with fossils. This was a highlight for my oldest because he's full of facts about dinosaurs and I was entertained as he chattered about dinosaur teeth, feet, and meat. Fascinating. I would have passed it by, but was glad Eric wanted to stop.
The rest of the day we spent in Custer State Park, first driving the Needles Highway, and then at the blissful Sylvan Lake. We played in the lake and canoed and enjoyed the perfect weather and meeting people from all over the country.
And that was the trip, but here are four more notes:
All in all, we had a lovely trip. If you want a resort vacation, look elsewhere. But if the great outdoors with quirky side trips is your cup of cocoa, I'd say put this on your list.
The truth of the matter is that really, I planned the whole thing so I could see our friends. The place was irrelevant, and even a joke to me, when I asked my Colorado friend, "What's close to you? What can we go see?" "Mt. Rushmore!" she said, and we laughed. Ha ha. Then I told my husband who said, completely seriously, "I've always wanted to go there."
And that was how this trip started.
But as I did more and more research on all my trip research-y places (guide books, National Park passports, mom blogs, etc) I read about so many things that we could do in the Black Hills. Most resources said there was more to do than a four day trip would allow, and that it was a lovely place to visit. This is all true.
First of all, the Black Hills are beautiful this time of year and the locals are hospitable, down-to-earth, and accommodating. There are lots of places to stay (we found a house on vrbo), and every town, although small, has enough restaurants to give families enough options.
There are caves and parks and trails and museums galore and it's hard to choose what to do. But here was how it all panned out as far as our itinerary went:
1. Day one. We got up early to beat the crowds and went to Wind Cave national park for the family tour of Wind Cave. Caving is not on my list of favorite things to do---I just can't think too hard about the fact that I'm 200 feet underground WITH MY CHILDREN. But the kids liked the tour and I liked coming up the elevator back into solid ground.
Then we went to Mount Rushmore. Our friends opted for the audio tour, which was a smart choice, I realized, when my kids kept pilfering their headphones---full of interesting information, and a novelty enough to keep my (crabby, tired, whiney) 4 year old entertained. Next time, we'll just get our own headphones. We stayed at MR and perused the museum and stayed for treats. Note to self: All the desserts (even the Thomas Jefferson recipe ice cream) are gargantuan. Two, maybe three people could share them.
Later, we went to the Circle B Chuckwagon dinner and cowboy show in Hill City. Fun, just what you'd expect. I got my summer dose of "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and the fiddler was actually good.
2. Day Two.
We did the Wildlife Loop in Custer State Park and got stuck in a herd of buffalo. Custer State Park far surpassed my expectations. It's amazing, which is why we came back on Day Three.
The weather was threatening to turn stormy, so we made the long drive to the Badlands, which were awesome.
The Badlands is a must-see. It's two hours or so from Mount Rushmore, but worth the trip. Lots of interesting walks and hikes and no one cares if the kids climb on the rocks---I think they are happy to have tourists do the fossil uncovering.
We took the long route out of Badlands and drove to a field dubbed "Robert's Prairie Dog Town". My daughter especially wanted to see the prairie dogs and they are cute, yes they are---from a distance of course, no touching.
And they have fleas, yes, they do. The prairie dogs stayed in the field but the fleas hitched a ride. Shame on those fleas. If you don't want to risk fleas, stay out of the field and on the pavement.
Then we went to the very quirky mega-monstrosity that is Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota (home of Wall Drug!) Words can't describe it: It's a drugstore! It's a restaurant! It's a chapel! Every quirky South Dakota tchotchke is sold here! And there are bathrooms! And free water! And a t-rex! And a jackalope! And history!
It's like a big American inside joke and now we know it. If you like that quirky sort of Americana, don't miss it. The folklorist in me went bananas.
3. Day Three
We started the day in Hill City at the Geological Institute of South Dakota Museum. It's small, but it's packed with fossils. This was a highlight for my oldest because he's full of facts about dinosaurs and I was entertained as he chattered about dinosaur teeth, feet, and meat. Fascinating. I would have passed it by, but was glad Eric wanted to stop.
The rest of the day we spent in Custer State Park, first driving the Needles Highway, and then at the blissful Sylvan Lake. We played in the lake and canoed and enjoyed the perfect weather and meeting people from all over the country.
And that was the trip, but here are four more notes:
Note 1: Every year in August there’s the Sturgis motorcycle rally. We were there the week before, just as the bikers were starting to come in. Although it was totally fine that we were there the week before, I wouldn’t go the week of the motorcycle rally, just because it’s too crazy. I actually found the bikers to be very courteous, it was just the numbers I was happy to avoid.
Note 2: The Black Hills so beautiful in the summer. And it smells so good there, I'm not sure why: the sage?
Note 3: I love our country and I'm used to being on the coasts or in the West. But it was nice to be more central US because we met people from the north, south, east, and west, all converging in central.
Note 4: We packed in all that we could, but there was so much we missed. We never got to Rapid City, and we missed the mammoth site in Hot Springs. I would love have to have had time for Spearfish Canyon (the locals confirmed this is beautiful), and Deadwood sounded fun. There are also a bunch of caves to explore, or (like me next time) just send the rest of your family. There just wasn't enough time.
Note 3: I love our country and I'm used to being on the coasts or in the West. But it was nice to be more central US because we met people from the north, south, east, and west, all converging in central.
Note 4: We packed in all that we could, but there was so much we missed. We never got to Rapid City, and we missed the mammoth site in Hot Springs. I would love have to have had time for Spearfish Canyon (the locals confirmed this is beautiful), and Deadwood sounded fun. There are also a bunch of caves to explore, or (like me next time) just send the rest of your family. There just wasn't enough time.
All in all, we had a lovely trip. If you want a resort vacation, look elsewhere. But if the great outdoors with quirky side trips is your cup of cocoa, I'd say put this on your list.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Us Against You, Butchering Art, Island of the Mad
Here are my latest finds:
1. The Butchering Art by Lindsey Fitzharris about the advent of sterile surgery. Definitely a topic I wouldn't chose! Ew. The book is vivid about surgery practices of the nineteenth century and they were gruesome. As in cringe-when-I-read it gruesome. But factual, so therefore fascinating. Surgery had to start somewhere. If you like historical novels, give this one a try. Fitzharris is a fine writer and I always admire an author who can make a topic (like surgery) that I think: "No thank you", to be something that's actually pretty interesting because of the way she tells it.
2. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman, the sequel to Beartown. Some sequels are total letdowns after the first fine book, and I wondered if Backman could keep it up. He can. Adult themes, not for my tween readers, but I'd love to suggest it to a (non-offended!) book club of intelligent readers. Backman is one of the few authors would can make me heartily laugh and get to profound realizations in the same paragraph.
3. Island of the Mad, the next in my favorite detective series starring Mary Russell as a sidekick to Sherlock Holmes. I was waiting for this to arrive at my library because it was just published a few months ago. And Laurie King keeps up her Laurie King self. Bedlam mental hospital! Venice! Fascists! Cole Porter! Sherlock Holmes as Zorro! If King only did a great mystery plot, I'd be hooked. But King has this expansive vocabulary! Like the word "susurrations", which means "a whispering sound" and King uses it to describe the ocean waves. Marvelous.
She plays with the concept of gender identity, so if that makes you nervous, or you have a young reader you don't want to go there yet, now you know.
Happy summer reading!
Wednesday, July 18, 2018
Educated by Tara Westover, and Idaho
One of the latest "to read" books is Educated by Tara Westover. It was recommended to me by a friend, then I kept seeing it on book blogs and books lists and more smart friends were talking about it. (I LOVE my smart friends!)
Tara grew up in rural Idaho and there's a reason rural Idaho has the reputation it does, I can vouch for that because I lived there myself for a while. When my kids ask me for stories about my childhood they know that any story about Idaho is going to turn into a tall tale: that when you drive into town you go back in time, that the dinosaurs wander the streets, and that the only day of summer is the 4th of July---that one is true actually. I tell these tall tales because the reality is just too weird to describe, and I wasn't happy there. When we moved to California, I came back alive.
But all these years I've wondered if my memories of rural Idaho were tainted because I was there when I was 8 years old and we left when I was 12, and those were awwwkkkkwarrrd Deborah years. Maybe it was just me.
But the way Tara describes rural Idaho living, I can firmly say: Nope. It wasn't me.
I'm talking small town Idaho, by the way. I'm sure Boise is better, it must be.
Of course, Tara's parents had plenty of issues, while I had parents who didn't. So it wasn't her home life I could identify with, but the attitudes of the people in the town and the general life perspective. You'd have to live there to get it, but it's what makes Napoleon Dynamite funny.
So rural Idaho is the setting. Where people stockpile guns and only heal with herbs and are suspicious about government everything. And that's considered normal. Add to this that Tara's dad is manic depressive and paranoid, and her mother is living his warped reality, and there's abuse of all kinds in the home, they live their own version of Mormonism, and Tara is homeschooled . . . . well that's a story.
But what makes an interesting story is that Tara gets out to the rest of the world.
The saddest thing to me is how well she portrays what happens in the mind of a family member who has been taught her role---children get this young, what role they are expected to have. The dark side of this is abuse where family members are taught to accept and even continue harmful family patterns. This would be a funny story about a weird family if it weren't for that abuse. And that Tara is taught to accept it.
The redemption of the story is that when Tara gets out to the rest of the world, she gets away from the abuse. But oh, the battles in her mind and heart to do it.
This would be a fascinating read for any book club. For people who are going to get all "Well most Mormons aren't like that!" huffy, they'll be offended.
Of course most Mormons aren't like this. But let's examine the dark side of when religion is used as justification for crazy behavior, and that can be found in any faith.
Tara grew up in rural Idaho and there's a reason rural Idaho has the reputation it does, I can vouch for that because I lived there myself for a while. When my kids ask me for stories about my childhood they know that any story about Idaho is going to turn into a tall tale: that when you drive into town you go back in time, that the dinosaurs wander the streets, and that the only day of summer is the 4th of July---that one is true actually. I tell these tall tales because the reality is just too weird to describe, and I wasn't happy there. When we moved to California, I came back alive.
But all these years I've wondered if my memories of rural Idaho were tainted because I was there when I was 8 years old and we left when I was 12, and those were awwwkkkkwarrrd Deborah years. Maybe it was just me.
But the way Tara describes rural Idaho living, I can firmly say: Nope. It wasn't me.
I'm talking small town Idaho, by the way. I'm sure Boise is better, it must be.
Of course, Tara's parents had plenty of issues, while I had parents who didn't. So it wasn't her home life I could identify with, but the attitudes of the people in the town and the general life perspective. You'd have to live there to get it, but it's what makes Napoleon Dynamite funny.
So rural Idaho is the setting. Where people stockpile guns and only heal with herbs and are suspicious about government everything. And that's considered normal. Add to this that Tara's dad is manic depressive and paranoid, and her mother is living his warped reality, and there's abuse of all kinds in the home, they live their own version of Mormonism, and Tara is homeschooled . . . . well that's a story.
But what makes an interesting story is that Tara gets out to the rest of the world.
The saddest thing to me is how well she portrays what happens in the mind of a family member who has been taught her role---children get this young, what role they are expected to have. The dark side of this is abuse where family members are taught to accept and even continue harmful family patterns. This would be a funny story about a weird family if it weren't for that abuse. And that Tara is taught to accept it.
The redemption of the story is that when Tara gets out to the rest of the world, she gets away from the abuse. But oh, the battles in her mind and heart to do it.
This would be a fascinating read for any book club. For people who are going to get all "Well most Mormons aren't like that!" huffy, they'll be offended.
Of course most Mormons aren't like this. But let's examine the dark side of when religion is used as justification for crazy behavior, and that can be found in any faith.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Wonder. Lots of Wonder. by R.J. Palacio
By the time I read Harry Potter, the first book, the second book had already come out. I was a little late to the Potter party, but it was nice that the series was clipping along by the time I found it because then I didn't have to wait much.
Same with Wonder by RJ Palacio. By the time I read Wonder, there was already:
Wonder
Auggie and Me
We're All Wonders (a picture book)
365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts and
choose KIND journal
And the movie, which I haven't seen yet. But it's on the Netflix queue.
So I volunteered to do Wonder for my book club and then read all the books. Then I had intelligent- and-kind-and-funny friends (my favorite) come over for book club and we had a great discussion. Here's the tip of the iceberg:
1. This book is great for discussion at any age---kids can get it, teenagers understand it, adults can relate to it. Especially good for teaching kindness and compassion for grades 4-8.
2. Lots of "choose kind" messages and isn't that nice to find in YA!
3. Lots of tough themes in these: accepting people with differences, stress on family/friends for caring for people with extensive medical needs, bullying, etc.
4. Great book for teaching point of view, especially nice that there's Auggie and Me for that one.
5. Palacio got a lot of flack, evidently (I didn't know this), for not being sensitive/representing well the community of people with differences and challenges---I despise the term "disabled" because it's so surface---because she's an outsider, not an insider. Our group had a good discussion about that.
6. The choose KIND journal and 365 days are great for writing teachers or young writers.
And here are two of my favorites:
1. Via was absolutely my favorite character because she's so conflicted. She loves her brother and she had always understood the need for herself to take a back seat to his medical needs. Her parents are good parents who are portrayed as saintly in the books (we don't get their perspectives ever), but they aren't really paying attention to their lack of attention to Via. But there comes a point where she needs some love and attention too. Hey, let's talk about that.
2. I found it fascinating the justifications for mean behavior that the kids make. Blaming another kid, just wanting to be liked themselves, protecting their own group identity. But there's this lovely character named Summer who doesn't buy into it. She says, when some girls are talking about "everyone" being mean: "No one has to be mean. Ever."
I love that character. She is more adult than some adults who say things like "Well I was just a laughing because it's funny! "(It's funny, but it's not kind), or "I'm just saying it because it's true!" (It's true, but it's not compassionate.) or "I'm just reacting because of what she did." (But you are choosing your reaction.)
Summer made me think of this old book where this is taught:
38 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
(Matthew 5)
In other words:
If someone is mean to you, choose kind.
If someone takes something from you, choose kind.
If someone says something mean, choose kind.
If someone is laughing at someone else, you don't have to.
If someone is being mean to someone else, you don't have to follow.
If someone is different from you, choose kind.
Thanks Palacio. Great work.
Same with Wonder by RJ Palacio. By the time I read Wonder, there was already:
Wonder
Auggie and Me
We're All Wonders (a picture book)
365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts and
choose KIND journal
And the movie, which I haven't seen yet. But it's on the Netflix queue.
So I volunteered to do Wonder for my book club and then read all the books. Then I had intelligent- and-kind-and-funny friends (my favorite) come over for book club and we had a great discussion. Here's the tip of the iceberg:
1. This book is great for discussion at any age---kids can get it, teenagers understand it, adults can relate to it. Especially good for teaching kindness and compassion for grades 4-8.
2. Lots of "choose kind" messages and isn't that nice to find in YA!
3. Lots of tough themes in these: accepting people with differences, stress on family/friends for caring for people with extensive medical needs, bullying, etc.
4. Great book for teaching point of view, especially nice that there's Auggie and Me for that one.
5. Palacio got a lot of flack, evidently (I didn't know this), for not being sensitive/representing well the community of people with differences and challenges---I despise the term "disabled" because it's so surface---because she's an outsider, not an insider. Our group had a good discussion about that.
6. The choose KIND journal and 365 days are great for writing teachers or young writers.
And here are two of my favorites:
1. Via was absolutely my favorite character because she's so conflicted. She loves her brother and she had always understood the need for herself to take a back seat to his medical needs. Her parents are good parents who are portrayed as saintly in the books (we don't get their perspectives ever), but they aren't really paying attention to their lack of attention to Via. But there comes a point where she needs some love and attention too. Hey, let's talk about that.
2. I found it fascinating the justifications for mean behavior that the kids make. Blaming another kid, just wanting to be liked themselves, protecting their own group identity. But there's this lovely character named Summer who doesn't buy into it. She says, when some girls are talking about "everyone" being mean: "No one has to be mean. Ever."
I love that character. She is more adult than some adults who say things like "Well I was just a laughing because it's funny! "(It's funny, but it's not kind), or "I'm just saying it because it's true!" (It's true, but it's not compassionate.) or "I'm just reacting because of what she did." (But you are choosing your reaction.)
Summer made me think of this old book where this is taught:
38 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have [thy] cloke also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
(Matthew 5)
In other words:
If someone is mean to you, choose kind.
If someone takes something from you, choose kind.
If someone says something mean, choose kind.
If someone is laughing at someone else, you don't have to.
If someone is being mean to someone else, you don't have to follow.
If someone is different from you, choose kind.
Thanks Palacio. Great work.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Christmas Read-Alouds 2017
Every
year I add more books to our “Wrap the books up and read a package every
night”. First there was one book, then two in each package and this year most
packages had four books.
I think
there were too many this year because we are still reading “new” books and
Christmas passed a few days ago. I’m not sure what the solution is, I just
can’t help myself from bringing more great books home. I’ll ponder this for
next year. Maybe I just keep the favorite books in the wrapping and keep the
rest of the books out in bins.
For
now, here’s another updated list. Alphabetized by author now because the other way
was making me crazy when I was requesting books from the library. For this
list, I also put a *next to books that are becoming interwoven with our family
Christmas
"Make it Yourself" theme: Nice for the beginning of the season.
A Homemade Together Christmas by Cocca-Leffler
The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Shall I Knit you a Hat? by Klise
Traditions in Other Countries Themes
Jingle Bells by Trapani
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaloa
The Legend of Old Befena by Tomie dePaloa
First Dog's White House Christmas by Lewis (A pleasant surprise, I was initially put off by the title.)
"Don't Get Too Carried Away/Remember What Christmas is About" theme
The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza by Shannon
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Dewdney
Fun Non-Nativity themed books
Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Home for Christmas by Jan Brett
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
The Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett
Snowmen for Christmas by Buehner
The Twelve Days of Christmas Dogs by Conahan
Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho! by Cronin
"Make it Yourself" theme: Nice for the beginning of the season.
A Homemade Together Christmas by Cocca-Leffler
The Not Very Merry Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Shall I Knit you a Hat? by Klise
Traditions in Other Countries Themes
Jingle Bells by Trapani
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaloa
The Legend of Old Befena by Tomie dePaloa
First Dog's White House Christmas by Lewis (A pleasant surprise, I was initially put off by the title.)
"Don't Get Too Carried Away/Remember What Christmas is About" theme
The Amazing Christmas Extravaganza by Shannon
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Dewdney
Fun Non-Nativity themed books
Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Home for Christmas by Jan Brett
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett
The Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett
Snowmen for Christmas by Buehner
The Twelve Days of Christmas Dogs by Conahan
Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho! by Cronin
Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Dewdney
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by Dewdney
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson
Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker by Englelbreit
Olivia Helps with Christmas by Falconer
Mary Engelbreit's Nutcracker by Englelbreit
Olivia Helps with Christmas by Falconer
*Christmas Lights by Fearrington—I like to start the season with
this book and talk about the symbol of light.
Christmas Wombat by Jackie French
Oh, What a Christmas by Garland
A Creature was Stirring by Goodrich
The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Cheryl Harness
Houseful of Christmas by Joosse
My Penguin Osbert by Kimmel
Gingerbread Pirates by Kladstrup
Redheaded Robbie's Christmas Story by Luttrell
Dear Santasaurus by McAnulty
The Christmas Ship by Morrissey (Amazing illustrations!)
Auntie Claus by Primavera
Dinosaur vs. Santa by Bob Shea (ROAR!)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Too Many Tamales by Soto
Twelve Lizards Leaping by Stevens
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Sweet
The Polar Express by Van Allsburg
How do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas by Yolen
The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Bruce Whatley
Next are the fun books, B list. Still good, especially for my younger two. Just not on my personal classics list.
What's Coming for Christmas by Banks
Christmas Parade by Sandra Boynton
Christmas Wombat by Jackie French
Oh, What a Christmas by Garland
A Creature was Stirring by Goodrich
The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Cheryl Harness
Houseful of Christmas by Joosse
My Penguin Osbert by Kimmel
Gingerbread Pirates by Kladstrup
Redheaded Robbie's Christmas Story by Luttrell
Dear Santasaurus by McAnulty
The Christmas Ship by Morrissey (Amazing illustrations!)
Auntie Claus by Primavera
Dinosaur vs. Santa by Bob Shea (ROAR!)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Too Many Tamales by Soto
Twelve Lizards Leaping by Stevens
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Sweet
The Polar Express by Van Allsburg
How do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas by Yolen
The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Bruce Whatley
Next are the fun books, B list. Still good, especially for my younger two. Just not on my personal classics list.
What's Coming for Christmas by Banks
Christmas Parade by Sandra Boynton
Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett
Home for Christmas by Jan Brett
Grumpy Badger's Christmas by Bright (This has the word "piffle" in it and it's fun to read.)
Merry Christmas, Old Armadillo by Brimner
Grumpy Badger's Christmas by Bright (This has the word "piffle" in it and it's fun to read.)
Merry Christmas, Old Armadillo by Brimner
When Cows Come Home for Christmas by Dori Chaconas
Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo
The Christmas Bears by Chris Conniver (The storyline is OK, but the illustrations are darling.)
Christmas at the Top of the World by Coffeey
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Colandro
The Christmas Bears by Chris Conniver (The storyline is OK, but the illustrations are darling.)
Christmas at the Top of the World by Coffeey
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell by Colandro
Mrs Wishy Washy’s Christmas by Cowley
Carl's Christmas by Day
Santa's Stowaway by Dorman
The Three Bears Christmas by Kathy Duval
Carl's Christmas by Day
Santa's Stowaway by Dorman
The Three Bears Christmas by Kathy Duval
Christmastime by Alison Jay
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Susan Jeffers
Tacky's Christmas by Lester
Tacky's Christmas by Lester
Santa Claus and the Three Bears by Modugno
Santa’s New Suit by Rader
Christmas Cookies by Rosenthal
Together at Christmas by Eileen Spinelli
Inside, Outside Christmas by Spowart
Christmas Magic by Stainton
Christmas Magic by Stainton
The Christmas Quiet Book by Underwood
Merry Christmas Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
These next books are about Christ's birth, and/or have themes like charity and giving. I save these for Sunday story time especially.
December by Bunting
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Byrd
Great Joy by DiCamillo
Christmas Is by Gibbons
Asleep in the Stable by Hillenbrand
Merry Christmas Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood
These next books are about Christ's birth, and/or have themes like charity and giving. I save these for Sunday story time especially.
December by Bunting
Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown
Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Byrd
Great Joy by DiCamillo
Christmas Is by Gibbons
Asleep in the Stable by Hillenbrand
Our Very Own Christmas by Annette Langen
The Little Fir Tree by Lamarche (This one makes me cry. Every. Single. Time.)
The Little Fir Tree by Lamarche (This one makes me cry. Every. Single. Time.)
Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Crippled Lamb by Lucado
Listen to the Silent Night by Mackall (artwork is lovely)
Gifts of the Heart by Polacco
The Orange for Frankie by Polacco
All the the Newborn Baby by Phyllis Root
The Crippled Lamb by Lucado
Listen to the Silent Night by Mackall (artwork is lovely)
Gifts of the Heart by Polacco
The Orange for Frankie by Polacco
All the the Newborn Baby by Phyllis Root
The Friendly Beasts by Rebecca St. James
The Donkey’s Christmas Song by Tafur
One Starry Night by Thompson
Spirit of Christmas by Tillman
One Starry Night by Thompson
Spirit of Christmas by Tillman
Room for a Little One by Waddell
Other Books not for the Wrap and Read tradition, but fun to have
around
Here Comes Santa Claus by Mary Englebreit
Red Sled by Rita Judge
The Snowy Day by Keats
The Strega Nona books by dePaolo, to understand the Strega Nona
story
The Snowmen books by the Buehners, tis the season
The Snowmen books by the Buehners, tis the season
Sunday, November 26, 2017
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey, is on my current favorites list. You can check another source for a more complete summary, but here's mine: A childless couple lives in Alaska and wants a child. They build a snow child out of snow and then they see a real child flitting in and out of the woods. Is she real? Is she for them? And so the story goes . . .
It's more fairy tale than fiction as far as genre goes. It is itself, and it is lovely.
I checked it out of the library, and I felt like Ivey sent me my own beautiful gift. It is kind, it is gentle, it's about hope and love and losing and finding.
It's lovely.
I think Santa is going to bring me a copy. I will put it next to the other books I use as literary comfort food, warm and filling.
It's more fairy tale than fiction as far as genre goes. It is itself, and it is lovely.
I checked it out of the library, and I felt like Ivey sent me my own beautiful gift. It is kind, it is gentle, it's about hope and love and losing and finding.
It's lovely.
I think Santa is going to bring me a copy. I will put it next to the other books I use as literary comfort food, warm and filling.
Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery
Grandma Gatewood's Walk is about this really amazing lady who, at age 67, walked the Appalachian Trail. She wasn't wealthy, she wasn't well-equipped, she wasn't in amazing physical shape, she was just plain stubborn.
The story is great, the writing approachable, the character unforgettable. I'd recommend it.
Go Granny, Go.
Friday, November 24, 2017
Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance
JD Vance's Hillbilly Elegy has gained rapid popularity and notoriety. I see his name referenced in New York Times articles (the latest one about his interview with Betsy De Vos), and hear his name tossed around on literary blogs.
I was beginning to feel like I'd been in the room where he was introduced and I wasn't paying attention:
I was starting to ask, "Should I know him? Have we met?" when I was seeing all the references.
So I read the book, for no other reason that to know what the chatter was. That usually doesn't motivate me (Ahem, because those books usually aren't reading. No comment, of course not, on certain way-popular books that worry me about how far our society has fallen).
But this time the chatter was for a GOOD reason, not a bad one.
JD Vance grew up, in what he calls, a hillbilly culture, and eventually goes to Harvard. It's a great narrative about the importance of family, how family/town/regional culture can be anti-education, and about how Vance's grandma encouraged him despite all the circumstances against him.
There's swearing. There's adult content, some.
But I thought it was a fascinating read. Especially from a cultural study standpoint.
Currently, I live in an area of the US, and sub-area of that area, where education is highly valued. Kids are expected to attend universities someday, and emphasis is on being prepared for prestigious ones. My sons and my daughter are surrounded by teachers, peers, and role models who re-inforce this. Furthermore, education is seen as career preparatory---no "*in case" degree expectations here. My community values education and resources are put towards good public and private schools. After-school programs and educational enrichment opportunities abound.
But I know we live in a bubble. This isn't the case everywhere in my state, and certainly not in our country. I've lived in some of these areas. Been there.
Vance's narrative is a valuable reminder of these regional and cultural differences. I'm glad he's being talked about, and glad he's being read. He adds great insight into the discussion of education in the US. That's a rather sweeping statement, but Hillbilly Elegy is compelling because it gives a face and a story to very real issues.
I'd say put it on your list if it interests you.
*As in, to a female: "You need your education---in case you don't get married." That's what I mean. There's none of that here.
None.
Of.
That.
Here.
I was beginning to feel like I'd been in the room where he was introduced and I wasn't paying attention:
I was starting to ask, "Should I know him? Have we met?" when I was seeing all the references.
So I read the book, for no other reason that to know what the chatter was. That usually doesn't motivate me (Ahem, because those books usually aren't reading. No comment, of course not, on certain way-popular books that worry me about how far our society has fallen).
But this time the chatter was for a GOOD reason, not a bad one.
JD Vance grew up, in what he calls, a hillbilly culture, and eventually goes to Harvard. It's a great narrative about the importance of family, how family/town/regional culture can be anti-education, and about how Vance's grandma encouraged him despite all the circumstances against him.
There's swearing. There's adult content, some.
But I thought it was a fascinating read. Especially from a cultural study standpoint.
Currently, I live in an area of the US, and sub-area of that area, where education is highly valued. Kids are expected to attend universities someday, and emphasis is on being prepared for prestigious ones. My sons and my daughter are surrounded by teachers, peers, and role models who re-inforce this. Furthermore, education is seen as career preparatory---no "*in case" degree expectations here. My community values education and resources are put towards good public and private schools. After-school programs and educational enrichment opportunities abound.
But I know we live in a bubble. This isn't the case everywhere in my state, and certainly not in our country. I've lived in some of these areas. Been there.
Vance's narrative is a valuable reminder of these regional and cultural differences. I'm glad he's being talked about, and glad he's being read. He adds great insight into the discussion of education in the US. That's a rather sweeping statement, but Hillbilly Elegy is compelling because it gives a face and a story to very real issues.
I'd say put it on your list if it interests you.
*As in, to a female: "You need your education---in case you don't get married." That's what I mean. There's none of that here.
None.
Of.
That.
Here.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Homegoing by Gyasi
When I recommended, with caution, the book Beartown to my dear friend in Denver, she recommended Homegoing by Gyasi to me. With caution.
Homegoing is historical fiction, a sweeping many-generational view of slavery and its' everlasting historical rippling effects. It starts in Ghana more than a century ago and sweeps and sweeps forward.
It's a magnum opus. It's magnificent. It's poignant, painful, insightful, brilliant. It doesn't apologize for or try to make sense of the complexities. It just is, and lets the reader figure it out. I guess that's what I like the best---Gyasi doesn't talk down to her reader, she expects a brilliant recipient for her brilliant work.
Gyasi is very good. I think she handled so much very deftly, and I think she'll get better as she writes more. I look forward to seeing if she will try again.
You can read the summary on Amazon. But if you can handle something with meaning, try this. If you want fluff and a feel-good storyline, this is not for you.
Like last week when a friend asked me about Flowers for Algernon. I said, "It's good. Just heavy. But good. Just heavy." She said, "Oh, I can't handle that right now," and I told her to go find Ove.
So Homegoing. There is adult content, you have to decide if you want that. But just know it's good.
Just heavy.
But good.
Just heavy.
I will read it again. It belongs with Their Eyes Were Watching God and Things Fall Apart. And also with The Good Earth, though that's Chinese not African.
Homegoing is historical fiction, a sweeping many-generational view of slavery and its' everlasting historical rippling effects. It starts in Ghana more than a century ago and sweeps and sweeps forward.
It's a magnum opus. It's magnificent. It's poignant, painful, insightful, brilliant. It doesn't apologize for or try to make sense of the complexities. It just is, and lets the reader figure it out. I guess that's what I like the best---Gyasi doesn't talk down to her reader, she expects a brilliant recipient for her brilliant work.
Gyasi is very good. I think she handled so much very deftly, and I think she'll get better as she writes more. I look forward to seeing if she will try again.
You can read the summary on Amazon. But if you can handle something with meaning, try this. If you want fluff and a feel-good storyline, this is not for you.
Like last week when a friend asked me about Flowers for Algernon. I said, "It's good. Just heavy. But good. Just heavy." She said, "Oh, I can't handle that right now," and I told her to go find Ove.
So Homegoing. There is adult content, you have to decide if you want that. But just know it's good.
Just heavy.
But good.
Just heavy.
I will read it again. It belongs with Their Eyes Were Watching God and Things Fall Apart. And also with The Good Earth, though that's Chinese not African.
American Fire by Hesse
I haven't read many historical novels---I'm not taking historical fiction, but real history. But I guess I should read more, because I really enjoyed American Fire by Hesse.
In this book, Hesse examines the arson (86 fires!) that occurred a few decades ago in the Accomack region of Virginia. It is about the arsonists, but it's also about the town, and why there were all these old buildings because of the vanishing railroad industry. And what happened to the town after that. It's about the fires, but also about the men and women who volunteer on the town fire department and fight them. It's about what happened and why.
Hesse found the story, and I like her writing! She took this topic: arson, that I would readily dismiss, and make it interesting and accessible. Her style is conversational and interesting, but not too chatty. I'd like to have Hesse over for dinner and try to get her to talk.
I don't need to own a copy, but I would recommend this to history buffs and book clubs.
Just not necessarily church book clubs looking for a certain kind of content---there is some adult content in this book. But for some members in my book club, I'll whisper to them during our book club meetings about books deemed appropriate: " . . . Hey, you should try American Fire by Hesse."
Yep, it's true. I'm one of THOSE women. Who whispers clandestine recommendations under her breath while someone else is talking.
Oh Dear. There, I've confessed.
Mariann, I think you'd like this one.
In this book, Hesse examines the arson (86 fires!) that occurred a few decades ago in the Accomack region of Virginia. It is about the arsonists, but it's also about the town, and why there were all these old buildings because of the vanishing railroad industry. And what happened to the town after that. It's about the fires, but also about the men and women who volunteer on the town fire department and fight them. It's about what happened and why.
Hesse found the story, and I like her writing! She took this topic: arson, that I would readily dismiss, and make it interesting and accessible. Her style is conversational and interesting, but not too chatty. I'd like to have Hesse over for dinner and try to get her to talk.
I don't need to own a copy, but I would recommend this to history buffs and book clubs.
Just not necessarily church book clubs looking for a certain kind of content---there is some adult content in this book. But for some members in my book club, I'll whisper to them during our book club meetings about books deemed appropriate: " . . . Hey, you should try American Fire by Hesse."
Yep, it's true. I'm one of THOSE women. Who whispers clandestine recommendations under her breath while someone else is talking.
Oh Dear. There, I've confessed.
Mariann, I think you'd like this one.
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