Here is a link to three of the best family 'must-reads'. Make sure to read these over and over with your family this year and all through the coming years!
What's the oldest thing you have? Here's mine:
It's not too much to look at, but it's a great old book from 1743. It's bound with hide and written in Latin. It's Volume Seven of a series on Catholic teachings, I think. I'm pretty sure this page mentions the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and eucharist.
I don't read Latin, so I'm not certain of the specifics. If you can translate, please comment!! It has a coverplate from Sutro Library in San Francisco, CA as a lovely valley with a few log homes and a man with a pickax working on the soil. I got a bit curious about my old book last night. I didn't have the Internet when I bought it! I googled Sutro Library and found it still exists! I also read about Mr. Sutro, who loved books, was mayor of San Francisco for a short time, made millions in the railroad industry and mining, built the Sutro baths, (I had heard of them, but hadn't put the two together). Some of his library was burned in the 1906 earthquake, but some still exists in the Sutro Library. Here's a link about him.
I called the Library this morning and described the book and asked if they had any information about it's history. The lady on the phone took the information, searched in the computer, took some more infor about the book, then asked if she could have the Head of Antiquities call me tomorrow. She said "This is very interesting....I know she will be eager to speak with you."
Here's hoping they want the book back for a cool $25G! One can dream, right?? I actually had it appraised years ago. The hippie with the pot smoke floating about his head said it was worth about $200.
I'll let you know what happens with it!
*Update* The Librarian called me back and said that they do indeed have a copy of the book, and she hasn't any idea how this copy ended up in a swap meet in Rocklin, CA. Poof- there goes my 25G...oh well.
For Christmas, I got Troubles a board book copy of his favorite story, "The Little Fur Family" by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Garth Williams. We had been reading it (in paperback form) for several weeks and he always wanted to take it to nap with him. He was always sad when he had to out it back on the Year 0 shelf. He was very excited to get his own book, and even kept leaving his toys on Christmas morning to look at his book. He can tell the story very well now, and reads it to me!
Now he has picked a new book to read over and over. It's "The Carrot Seed" by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson. It's a simpler story, and he can read it to me now after just a few days of hearing it. We already had it in board book form. Now he asks for "The Carrot Seed" first and "The Little Fur Family" next.
He's loving the Charlotte Mason style of learning as much as the rest of us!
I plan to introduce him to Lois Lenski's "Mr. and Mrs. Noah" next.
Ginger tagged me in that "you-can-be-tagged-if-you-want-to-be" way.
1. One book that changed your life:
Pollyanna helped me make a habit of cheerfulness.
2. One book that you have read more than once:
As a child I read a book called "House of Thirty Cats" by Mary Calhoun repeatedly. It's not good literature, but I had few books then. That's why I overcompensate now!
3. One book that you'd want on a desert island:
Of course, the Scriptures. And a copy of "Raft Building For Dummies".
4. One book that made you laugh:
Cheaper By The Dozen
5. One book that made you cry:
Understood Betsy
This is a school book for my Year 2'ers, and I read it ahead of time, cried, and enjoyed it very much. I knew how it turned out, but while reading it aloud to them, I still cried, darn it! They were surprised, as I DO NOT cry that often and almost never in front of the children.
6. One book that you wish had been written:
Hasn't everything been written about already?
7. One book that you wish had never been written:
Swiss Family Robinson came to mind right away. I tried to read that book several years ago, but -wow- is it wordy! Great for natural history, I guess, but the descriptions of things bored me into putting it away about half way through and never picking it up again.
8. One book you are currently reading:
Among my many half-read books....Raising Godly Tomatoes. I highly recommend it!
9. One book you've been meaning to read:
Just one? Nah..that's a typo, I'm sure. I need to at least skim most of the Year 5 AO books for school, Canterbury Tales is by my bedside, The Lord of the Rings needs revisited, and I'd love to get a copy of 1984. I've been watching for it, but haven't found it yet.
I'd like to add another question to this tag:
10. What book(s) have you recently finished?
Captain's Courageous by Rudyard Kipling
Hints On Child Training by Henry Clay Trumbull
Heroes by Charles Kingsley
If you'd like to be tagged, consider yourself tagged! Leave me a comment so I can go read yours, though!
It's Thursday already, cold and foggy outside, and I am feeling content. I have a beautiful fire going (the first of the season), the Lambies are playing well this morning, and I have had ample time to reshelve books in my library. I believe this is a perfect moment for a book review!
Today, I present one of my favorite illustrators: Hilda Boswell.
I have had this book since I was a small child, and am grateful that my parents picked it up somewhere for me. Copies of this book (and all her work) are hard to find in America, having been only published in England. I have read that they are scarce even there--"like hen's teeth" they said. There are some of her books up on E-Bay, though most of them are from England. I noted three copies of my book.
The Treasury of Children's Stories was published in 1971 and includes "The Story of Fairyfoot" by Frances Browne (from Granny's Wonderful Chair), "The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde, "The Substitute" by E.B. White (part of the Stuart Little story), "The Road to Dover" by Charles Dickens (part of the story of David Copperfield), "Through the Fire" by Mary de Morgan, "The Snow Child" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, "Tom" by Charles Kingsley (from Water Babies), and other stories. There are two versions. One has sevral more stories than the other, including a rendering of "Lucy in Narnia". My book is the smaller of the two printings. I would LOVE to see the Narnia drawings!!
It is truly a delightful book, superbly illustrated, that would enchant any child--or adult--who loves literature!
I guess I am in a silly rhyming mood for review books! Plump and Perky Turkey is written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Jeff Shelly. This is another cute little rhyming book that I have read many times with the Lambies. *SPOILER ALERT* It does end with a vegetarian Thankgiving meal, but isn't altogether another "poor turkeys" animal-rights thing; the turkey is just wily!
I wanted to offer more of our favorite books for your enjoyment. This is a series of supurb rhyming books by Lynley Dodd. There are lots of books in the series, and every one is great fun! They are available from Amazon for about $6 each. I would place the read aloud ages from 1-10+ (since my baby and my ten year old and everyone in between enjoy them), and the read alone level at about age 7 or so... the vocabulary can be pretty challanging in some books!
In this book, the first, we meet many of the characters in the series: Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's dairy, Hercules Morse, as big as a horse, Bottomley Potts, all covered in spots, Muffin McLay, like a bundle of hay, Blitzer Maloney, all skinny and bony, Schnitzel von Krumm, with a very low tum, and.......Scarface Claw. When my Lambies see a wiener dog, they often shout, "There's a Schnitzel von Krumm with a very low tum!"
Ms. Dodd's rhymes are very precise and her cadence is easy to read. I can read these books over and over without becoming tired of them. I think that's a very good quality in a children's book, since the children will listen as long as and as many times as I am willing to read! The vocabulary is rich and endearing, not at all "dumbed down for children". Her pictures are very entertaining and have details that encourage a "deep looking at" according to my ddS, aged 7.
I encourage you to try one of these charming books; I think you'll like them!
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes (as told to Jenifer).
This is a classic story, published in 1939 by DuBose Heyward, illustrated by the great Marjorie Flack.
From the back cover: "The Country Bunny is a lady, and she attains the exalted position of Easter Bunny in spite of her responsibilities as the mother of twenty-one children. That the story ends with success and a reward is, of course, as every child would wish."
This book is sometimes touted as a feminist book (on the back cover of my copy it is, at least), but I see it as a mother that has trained her children so well that they can take some responsibility for the home for a little while, allowing her a day to serve her neighbors. It is well written with interesting vocabualry and I love, love, love the way the relationship between Mother and the children is portrayed.
One drawback is the absence of Father Bunny, but there is a Grandfather Bunny as a positive male character. Father is mentioned in the beginning of the story in this way: "By and by she had a husband and then, one day, much to her surprise, there were twenty-one Cottontail babies to be taken care of." Father is not mentioned again.
The illustrations are lush and soft, yet at the same time, the colors are vivid, and they are somewhat reminiscent of Beatrix Potter. Anyone familiar with Marjorie Flack can imagine how delightful the characters are. All of the animals are modestly dressed, and might inspire your Little Princesses to want a full skirt and apron and your Little Prince to desire a bow tie and jacket! Make sure to check out the sleeping arrangements to bunnies enjoy at the back of the book!
This selection may be found at used bookstores (that's where I found my copy anyway!), Amazon.com for $5.95 and E-Bay (just now) for $1.75 for auction and as little as .01 at a store (but watch that shipping!!)
I have been wanting to do some reviews of our favorite picture books, so here's the first for your consideration!
The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman
Illustrated by Marla Frazee
The Seven Silly Eaters is one of my absolute favorite picture books. I would own eight or nine copies of this one if I ever saw it again at a yard sale! I'd like one for every one of my children to own their own copy and one for me, too!
It tells the story of Mr. and Mrs. Peters and their children, beginning with the oldest, Peter Peters, as an infant. Each of the ensuing children (they eventually have seven) have a favorite dish, and that's the ONLY one they will eat! Mrs. Peters must work her days away meeting the demands of her children, until.......
This book is delightfully written in rhyme and very well illustrated. I refer to it when one of my Lambies makes an unusual or outrageous request for a meal..."Who do you think I am, Mrs. Peters?"
I found my copy at a yard sale, but it is available on Amazon for $6 and on E-Bay, today, for as little as $1.31 (but I didn't check the shipping on that!).
Let me know, my friendly readers, if you like the idea of book reviews and suggestions!
I'm the blessed wife of My Honey of 14 years, and Momma to eight wonderful Lambies aged 13 and under. We live in Central CA, and use Ambleside Online for our curriculum. I'd love to meet you , so browse a while and feel free to leave a comment!
