Winnie-the-Pooh

Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

This was the first time I've read the original Winnie-the-Pooh. It was a really sweet book and I think would be a great book to read aloud to kids.

Read for Children's Lit class.

started: September 15, 2007
finished: September 18 2007

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary

Read for Children's Lit class. Good old Ramona, gotta love her! I remember reading this book all in one day one summer in either 1985 or 1986. I was so proud of myself for reading a 200 page book in one day. Ramona always makes me smile. In this book, I love how when she wrote her name on things she also wrote "Age 8" after her name.

started: August 26, 2007
finished: August 28, 2007

Ruby Lu, The Empress of Everything

Ruby Lu, The Empress of Everything by Lenore Look

I really enjoyed this Ruby Lu book too. These two books had me snickering out loud at times. They reminded me why I love children's books so much.

started & finished: August 2, 2007

Ruby Lu, Brave & True

Ruby Lu, Brave & True by Lenore Look
I really enjoyed this book which is an assigned book for my Children's Lit class. Ruby is such a fun character and I loved some of her antics like driving her parents' car using a Chinese dictionary to sit on and a shovel to reach the pedals. She just figured since her grandmother had learned to drive she might as well try it too.

started & finished: August 1, 2007

Junie B, First Grader: Toothless Wonder

Junie B, First Grader: Toothless Wonder by Barbara Park

I recently read an article in the NY Times about a lot of parents being upset by the Junie B. Jones series and how Junie talks in the books is grammatically incorrect. After reading this book, I can see why some parents are upset but it's written in a way that kids talk.

started & finished: August 1, 2007

Freckle Juice

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
I hadn't read this since grade school. When I checked it in at the libary I decided I needed to read it again.

started & finished: July 31, 2007

Beezus and Ramona

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

I checked in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 at the library on Wednesday, June 6 and remembered how I'd read that book all in one day one summer around 1985 or 1986. It's one of those proud reading moments that you remember. When that memory came rushing back at the desk and I was ready to start reading my next book, I decided that it was time to read another Ramona book and I started with the first one. It was a perfect little summer quick read.

started: June 6, 2007
finished: June 8, 2007

The Higher Power of Lucky

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

This book has gotten a lot of recent attention because it won this year's Newbery Award and on the first page is the word "scrotum." The attention was blown way out of proportion because the NY Times noticed a group of librarians were discussing the book on a list-serv. Scrotum is discussed in the book as Lucky, the main character, wonders what a scrotum is. It's an entertaining book.

March 29-April 3, 2007

The Linden Tree

The Linden Tree by Ellie Matthews

Another ALA Midwinter in Seattle book. A nice story that I really enjoyed. It's about a farm family in the 1940s, who is struggling after the mother dies. Not a book that will sell like Harry Potter but I think it will definitely appeal to those into American Girl books.

started: January 22, 2007
finished: January 25, 2007

Marigold and the Feather of Hope

Marigold and the Feather of Hope, The Journey Begins (The Fairy Chronicles) by J.H. Sweet

Another book I picked up at ALA Midwinter in Seattle. It was a cute book for grade school girls. The girls who are into the fairy books will love it.

started: January 21, 2007
finished: January 22, 2007

Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Bryan is reading this for his History of Children's Lit class. I've wanted to read it for a while, so I've decided to read it now. It seems to fit well into my current interest in children's/young adult books.

started: September 4, 2006
finished: September 23, 2006

Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

This is a book that I've always meant to read but have just never gotten around to until now. I don't know why it took me this long to read it. I absolutely loved this book. I felt like I couldn't read it fast enough. What a sweet and wonderful story. It made me cry at the end and thinking about it made me cry later on in the evening. If you've never read this book but have always meant to, check it out from the library or buy it then pass it on to a friend. It's a beautiful story of friendship.

August 20-22, 2006

Secret of the Old Clock

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

Bryan is reading this for a class and since I don't remember any of the Nancy Drew books I read, I decided to read this one since it's the first one. It was a typical mystery and what I expected, but I definitely see the appeal of Nancy Drew. I'm sure if I wanted to take the time, I would read quite a few of them. I'll definitely pick up another Nancy Drew in the future for a quick mystery read.

August 18-19, 2006

Ida B.

Ida B. by Katherine Hannigan

I picked this book up at the library because the book I had originally wanted wasn't in. This sounded like a really cute book. It started out as a quick read during my break at work, I finished the first 12 pages in less than 10 minutes. I had no idea I would read the last 200 pages in one day.

This was a really fun book about a 4th grader who has been home-schooled since kindergarten. When her mom gets cancer she has to go to public school and her parents sell part of their farm. Ida B decides she's going to be mad and mean about things to try to turn the world back to the way it used to be before her mom got sick.

July 25-27, 2006

The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley

The Slightly True Story of Cedar B. Hartley (who planned to live an unusual life) by Martine Murray

Bryan received this book from one of his friends who works at Scholastic, it’s one of her favorites. Then Bryan read it, loved it and suggested I read it too. This is one of my favorite books that I've read this summer. It’s about 13-year-old Cedar who is learning to be an acrobat with her friend, Kite. If you’re looking for a quick read that’s really fun, check out this book.


June 15-July 4, 2006

Criss Cross

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

I've seen this book on the YA shelf at the library and I loved the inside text on the jacket - " She wished something would happen. Something good. To her. Loking at the bright, fuzzy picture in the magazine, she thought, something like that. Checking her wish for loopholes, she found one. Hoping it wasn't too late, she thought the word soon." It really intrigued me so I picked it up. It's an interesting book about four teenage kids in a small town.

This book won the Newbery Award this year.

started: June 17, 2006
finished: June 25, 2006

Matilda

Matilda by Roald Dahl

What a great book. I started this years ago, got distracted and never got past the first 10 or so pages. This time I was going to finish it. The first night I sat down to read it, it made me laugh out loud. Every time I read this book it made me giggle. Another book that I'm recommending to everyone. I recommended it to Bryan and he loved it, too. He's been reading a lot of YA and J books, so this fit in perfectly to his list.

June 5 - June 9, 2006

The Witches

The Witches by Roald Dahl
I saw this at the library last week and have wanted to read it for a while. I figured now is as good of a time as any. It's really entertaining and a quick read.

(7 - 14 October 2005)