A Kiss Goodnight

End of blog...

2011-07-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

Marcus and Gabriella have officially started tracking, rating, and commenting on their books using www.goodreads.com. I love this site because:

1. Their information and books are only seen by friends.
2. They can mark books as read, to-read, or currently reading.
3. They can rate books out of five stars and leave comments about the books they read.
4. I no longer have to keep track!

So, if you join goodreads and would like to befriend Marcus and Gabriella to see what fun things they are reading, please let me know by leaving a comment here, and I will send you their email addresses.

ps. For you adult readers out there, I highly recommend goodreads as a way to not only keep track of the books you read, but also to get wonderful recommendations. I am hooked!

Shakespeare...

2011-05-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

Gabriella finished Mattimeo (432 pages), Brian Jacques.
Marcus finished Mariel of Redwall (387 pages ), Brian Jacques.

This summer I am reading Shakespearean plays to the children.

I found a book called Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare for Children, E. Nesbitt, that is wonderful, in narrative form, and easy enough to follow. We have read: The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As you Like It, Hamlet, Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, and The Taming of the Shrew.

At the end I ask, "Did the story go from bad to good or good to bad?"

If they answer, "good to bad," then the play is a tragedy.
If they answer, "bad to good," then the play is a comedy.

Very simple, yes, but it gets the job done.

I also really like the series that is based on the animated tales as seen on HBO years and years ago. Shakespeare, the Animated Tales is abridged by Leon Garfield, and has fun illustrations. The stories read like plays, and keep much of the original language and poetic forms. Our library even had four of the animated tales (vhs tapes!) that we checked out and watched. The kids LOVED watching the tales after reading the plays.

A short series that Marcus and Lella read and enjoyed is called The Buddy Files, Dori Hillestad Butler. Each book is about 130 pages, and super easy to read. There are five books in the series, and Marcus and Lella have read three of the five. The main character is a Golden Retriever named Buddy, and he solves mysteries. "Buddy speaks "dog" so all humans hear is barking," Marcus commented.

Gabriella has been enjoying these two series (easy reads):
Houndsley and Catina, James Howe - Gabriella enjoys them, "because they are funny have lots of adventure in them."
Bunnicula and friends, James Howe

Anne of Green Gables, C.S., and Jacques...

2011-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I never read Anne of Green Gables (304 pages, L.M. Montgomery) growing up, so I decided to finally check it out from the library and read it with the kids. It was grand! Some things we loved...

We loved how Anne said "Marilla" all the time, how dramatic she was, and how she always overcame trials with a new outlook on life.

"Oh, Marilla, you look so elegant!"

"This is the most tragical thing that has ever happen to me."

"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"

We also liked how first and last names were used in speaking, Ruby Gillis, Gilbert Blyth, Josie Pye, Moody Spurgeon, and how wonderful the names sounded when we read them aloud.

We fell in love with Anne, of Green Gables, and will always cherish this book.

"There's such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I'm such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn't be half so interesting."

Gabriella finished Mossflower (376 pages), Brian Jacques. It was slow going at first, but then she flew through it in a week or so. Marcus finished Mattimeo (432 pages), Brian Jacques and is onto the next book in the Redwall series. Marcus is obsessed with The Redwall Cookbook (104 pages), Jacques, and is constantly reading recipes to me. "Mama, do you think I would like Mole's Favourite Deeper 'n' Ever Turnip 'n' Tater 'n' Beetroot Pie?" So cute.

Steve and the children finished The Magicians Nephew (208 pages) and The Horse and His Boy (240 pages), C.S. Lewis. Of course, they loved them both.

Farmer Boy, Little House in the Big Woods, The Fire Within, and Mossflower

2011-04-06T06:32:00.000-07:00

Gabriella really enjoyed Farmer Boy (372 pages), Laura Ingalls Wilder. She became interested in reading this book after reading an excerpt from Little House in the Big Woods in our writing curriculum. Farmer Boy is based on Wilder's husband's childhood in the late 1800's in upstate New York. Marcus also recently finished Little House in the Big Woods (238 pages), Wilder. Marcus learned quite a bit about pioneer life, and how hard, but oh so sweet, it can be.

Marcus also recently finished The Fire Within (340 pages), Chris D'Lacey. This is actually a series, but I would only recommend the first one here. He enjoyed the book quite a bit in the beginning, but his interest waned. He did finish it and seemed to like the story.

Finally, Marcus finished his second book in the Redwall series, Mossflower (376 pages), Brian Jacques. This was a prequel to Redwall; aren't prequels wonderful? He LOVES this series.

It's time for a change...

2011-03-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

I have been faithfully posting all books Marcus and Lella read for two years now, and it's time for a small change. I will now be posting some of the books the children read, highlighting their favorites. They read so many books, and life is busy, hence the change.

Book 1

The children and I just finished Redwall (351 pages), Brian Jacques. The children loved this book about a young mouse, Matthias, and his quest for the legendary sword of Martin the Warrior. Cluny the Scourge, an evil rat, is out to overthrow Redwall Abbey, where many kind woodland creatures live. I suspect they will read all of the books in this series.

Book 2

Steve and the children recently finished C.S. Lewis' The Silver Chair (243 pages), their fourth book in the series. This has been their favorite book so far in the series, and they particularly like Puddleglum. I know I have said this before, but Marcus and Lella absolutely love the Narnia series.

Book 3

Marcus recently finished Merlin (91 pages), Jane Yolen. This was the third book in The Young Merlin Trilogy, set in medieval times, written in poetic language. Marcus enjoyed this series and particularly liked reading how Merlin matured in each book.

Completed Books 3/1/11

2011-03-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

History (both):
Cathedral Mouse, Kay Chorao
Vasco da Gama, (23 pages) Tanya Larkin
The Foolish Men of Agra and Other Tales of Mogul India (48 pages), Rina Singh
Three Samurai Cats, A Story From Japan, Eric A. Kimmel
Katie and the Mona Lisa, James Mayhew
Moon Rope, Un lazo a la luna, Lois Ehlert
The Spirit of the Maasai Man, Laura Berkeley
How a Book Is Made, Aliki
Musicians of the Sun, Gerald McDermott
Leonardo's Horse, Jean Fritz
Cuckoo, Lois Ehlert
I am Lutheran, Erica Bradley
Jackal's Flying Lesson, Verna AArdema
The Life and Work of Leonardo da Vinci (32 pages), Sean Connolly
Leonardo and the Flying Boy, Laurence Anholt
I am Catholic, Philemon D. Sevastiades
Da Vinci (32 pages), Mike Venezia
Rembrandt (32 pages), Make Venezia
You Wouldn't Want to be an Aztec Sacrifice! (32 pages), Fiona Macdonald

Other Reading (both):
The Field Mouse and the Dinosaur Named Sue, Jan Wahl
Bones and the Clown Mix-up Mystery (32 pages), David A. Adler
The Giants Go Camping (46 pages), Jane Jolen
Amazing Animal Journeys (48 pages), Laura Marsh
Humphrey's Bear, Jan Wahl
and...

Lella LOVED this sweet little book about farm life.

Lella Reading:
Little Fur, A Fox Called Sorrow (245 pages), Isobelle Carmody
Shakespeare Can Be Fun! Romeo and Juliet for kids (63 pages), Lois Burdett

Hobby

2011-02-15T12:25:00.001-08:00

Marcus just finished Hobby (90 pages), Jane Yolen, after I did the post below. He really likes this series and I hope I can find the third one for him today at the library!

Books Completed 2/15

2011-02-15T09:27:00.000-08:00

History (both):
Three Ships for Columbus (32 pages), Eve Spencer
Calabash Cat and His Amazing Journey, James Rumford
Brendan the Navigator, A History Mystery about the Discovery of America (31 pages), Jean Fritz
Stories from India (48 pages), Vayu Naidu
Foolish Men of Agra and other tales of Mogul India (47 pages), Rina Singh
Ghana (24 pages), Lucile Davis
Count Your Way through India, Jim Haskins

Reading (both):
Amazing Coin Tricks, Kirk Charles
Assistance Dogs, Elizabeth Ring
If You Ever Meet a Whale, Poems selected by Myra Chon Livingston
***This is a very fun book!

Lella Reading:
The Dragons of Wayward Crescent, Gauge (105 pages), Chris D/Lacey
A.A. Milne, Author of Winnie the Pooh (45 pages), Marlene Toby
Nature's Children, Frogs, Ivy
Nature's Children, Cats, Ivy
Persian Cats, Stuart Kallen
Really Radical Reptiles and Amphibians, Leslee Elliott
State Birds, Elaine Landau

Marcus Reading:
The Mystery of the Silver Dolphin (45 pages), Elspeth Campbell Murphy

Explore Museums Around the World

2011-02-07T11:32:00.001-08:00

Google Art Project

The Young Merlin Trilogy and Books Completed 2/7/11

2011-02-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Marcus recently finished the first book in Jane Yolen's The Young Merlin Trilogy called Passager (76 pages). He is now reading the second book and very much enjoys them. He said he liked the books because they were "adventurous and mysterious."

Another series that the kids are really enjoying are The Dragons of Wayward Crescent by Chris d'Lacey.

They have both read Gruffen (112 pages) and Glade (96 pages), and Marcus recently read Gauge (112 pages) and Grabber (96 pages).

Finally, Marcus and Lella finished Voyage of the Dawn Treader (248 pages), C.S. Lewis. Again, they are reading the Narnia series aloud with Steve and get so excited when nighttime rolls around and they are able to lay on the couch and read with Daddy. Fun.

Gabriella recently finished:
The Apple and the Arrow, The Legend of William Tell (80 pages), Mary and Conrad Buff
The Best-Loved Doll, Rebecca Caudill
***Chandra - she received this for Christmas and has read it through multiple times already. She loves it as much as Anastasia.
Michelangelo, Diane Stanley

History Completed (both):
Christopher Columbus (32 pages), from the "First Biographies" series
Follow the Dream, The Story of Christopher Columbus, Peter Sis
Young Christopher Columbus (32 pages), Carpenter
Bernal and Florinda, A Spanish Tale, Eric Kimmel
Journeys With Elijah (75 pages), Barbara Goldin
Fa Mulan, Robert D. San Souci
Africa Calling, Daniel Adlerman
Savitri, A Tale of Ancient India, Aaron Shepard
Sundiata, David Wisniewski

Shakespeare for Children and Completed Books 1/29/11

2011-01-29T11:32:00.000-08:00

We recently listened to A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Taming of the Shrew as told by Jim Weiss. The kids LOVED it. Weiss did an amazing job with the character's voices and the stories are simplified, but far from simple. This is a wonderful introduction to Shakespeare for younger children.

Completed History (both):
People of the Middle Ages: Blacksmith (32 pages), Lilly
The Hunter, Mary Casanova
The God and Goddesses of Ancient China, Leonard Fisher
The Great Wall of China, Leonard Fisher
Bitter Dumplings, Jeanne M. Lee
Kids in the Middle Ages, Lisa Wroble
The Middle Ages, Jane Shuter
Fa Mulan, Robert San Souci
Three Sacks of Truth, A Story from France, Eric Kimmel
The Duchess Bakes a Cake, Virginia Kahl
Joan of Arc, The Lily Maid, Margaret Hodges

Books Completed Lella:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (GIC - 238 pages), Robert Louis Stevenson
My Secret Unicorn, The Magic Spell (118 pages)
Gus and Gertie and The Missing Pearl (48 pages), Joan Lowery
Gus and Gertie and The Lucky Charms (48 pages), Joan Lowery
Boss of the Plains, The Had that won the West, Laurie Carlson
Chipmunk Song, Joanne Ryder
The Junkyard Wonders, Patricia Polacco
Gregor Mendel, The Friar Who Grew Peas, Cheryl Bardoe
Lizards Weird and Wonderful, Margery Facklam
Really Radical Reptiles and Amphibians, Leslee Elliott

Other Books Completed (both):
Three More Stories You Can Read to Your Cat (again!), Sara Miller
Three More Stories You Can Read to Your Dog (again!), Sara Miller
Picasso, Jennifer Fandel
***LOVED this book from the Xtraordinary Artists series.

Prince Caspian, Follow My Leader, Poetrees and Completed Books 1/21/11

2011-01-21T09:49:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Lella just finished their second Narnia book, Prince Caspian (223 pages), C.S. Lewis. They had several favorite parts. This is what they said when I asked them...

First favorite: Peter's battle with King Miraz

Second favorite: When the bulgy bear is promising not to put his paw in his mouth, but while he's promising, his paw is in his mouth.

Third favorite: When the kids get pulled into Narnia.

My friend, Chandra, recommended Follow My Leader (191 pages), James B. Garfield. We bought it a while ago, but Marcus recently decided to read it. He LOVED it. The story is about Jimmy, a boy blinded in an accident with a firecracker and his dog Leader. Marcus read this book every night before bed and didn't want to put it down. It's a wonderful story about friendship and forgiveness.

Marcus also finished another book in the series "The Ten Commandment Mysteries" called Carousel Horse (43 pages), Elspeth Murphy.

While Marcus has been consumed with his Physics Workshop he received for Christmas, Lella has been doing a lot of reading:

Harry the Explorer (79 pages), Dyan Sheldon
Lella's summary for interested readers, "Harry is an alien cat from a different planet who likes to go on adventures. He likes to visit Earth and visit his friend Chicken. Chicken's real name is Sara Jane. She is called Chicken because she dragged a stuffed chicken around when she was little."
There are a series of the aoove Harry books and I plan on getting her more of them.
The Dragons of Wayward Crescent: Gruffen (104 pages), Chris d'Lacey
The Snowman's Path, Helena Pittman
Our Wildlife World: Lizards, Ivy
The Wretched Stone, Chris Van Allsburg
On the Mayflower, Kate Waters
Sugar Cane, A Caribbean Rapunzel, Patricia Storace
Wonder Horse, The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse, Emily McCully

Poetrees, Douglas Florian

This book is ripe with poetrees,
They're grown to educate and please.
You'll see a cedar.
Oak tree too.
Birch and banyan,
Pine and yew.
Palm and gum
And willow tree,
Plus more you'll love tree-mendously!

Gabriella and I had so much fun reading this together. Marcus and I are going to read it together too!

Nature's Children Series: Each book is approximately 50 pages, all written by Ivy.

Mallard Ducks

Salamanders

Kangaroos

Old World Monkeys

Tigers

Gabriella loves Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa books, Betsy Lewin. Although they are way below her reading level, I get them for her because she enjoys them so much. She recently read Horse in the House and Spring Babies.

She also LOVES Richard Scary books. Again, these are far below her reading level, but she enjoys them so much. I hear her laughing often when she reads them. She recently finished:

A Big Operation

The Cat Family Takes a Trip

The Treasure Hunt

The Snowstorm

Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever: 82 Wonderful Round-the-Year Stories and Poems

Completed History (Both):
*Most of these books aren't numbered.

The Clay Pot Boy, Cynthia Jameson
Lian and the Magic Paintbrush, Demi
Raisel's Riddle, Erica Silverman
The Weaving of a Dream, Marilee Heyer
The Paper Dragon, Marguerite W. Davol
Little Johnny Buttermilk, after an old English folktale, Jan Wahl
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave, Marianna Mayer
A Perfect Pork Stew, Paul Brett Johnson
Magna Carta (32 pages), C. Walter Hodges
Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tales, Barbara Cohen
The Dragon Prince, Laurence Yep
Gods and Goddesses of the Ancient Norse, Leonard Fisher
The Empty Pot, Demi
The Girl Who Lost Her Smile, Karim Alrawi
Joan of Arc, Josephine Poole
Welcome to Russia, Schemenauer
The Toy Brother, William Steig
The Red Balloon, A. Lamorisse
***The kids read this book multiple times. It was one of their favorites.

Narnia and Completed Books 1/4/10

2011-01-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

Steve and the children are reading through C.S. Lewis' Narnia series. They look forward to it every night and absolutely love everything about the series. They recently finished The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (176 pages).

Marcus history:
Robin Hood in the Greenwood (53 pages), Jane Louise Curry
Chess (63 pages), Daniel King

Lella history:
The Adventures of Robin Hood (comic book style), Marcia Williams
Heroines, Great Women Through the Ages (78 pages), Rebecca Hazell
Bard of Avon, The Story of William Shakespeare, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
The Canterbury Tales (117 pages), Geraldine McCaughrean
Castle Diary (60 pages), Richard Platt

Lella's ther completed books:
The Animal Rescue Squad, Kitten Alert (118 pages), Ellen Weiss
The Animal Rescue Squad, Hand-Me-Down Chimp (123 pages), Ellen Weiss
Nature's Children, Weasels (47 pages), Ivy
The Animals' Merry Christmas (69 pages), Richard Scarry
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, Kerley and Selznick

The Moffats and other completed books 12/22/10

2010-12-22T14:38:00.000-08:00

We recently finished The Moffats (261 pages), Eleanor Estes. The children originally became interested in this book after an excerpt was used from the book in their writing curriculum. We decided to listen to the book on CD while we followed along. The CD was FANTASTIC! All of the characters had different voices and there were times when we all laughed out loud.

Summary from Amazon:

Who else but a member of the Moffat family could, during kindergarten recess, accidentally hitch a ride out of town on a boxcar? Or wind up trapped in the breadbox outside the delicatessen store? Or kindly offer to escort the Salvation Army man to his destination--only to accidentally bump him out of his own horse-drawn wagon? The Moffats is a paradigm of old-fashioned family fun.

Marcus has really enjoyed The Ten Commandment Mysteries series by Elspeth Campbell Murphy. He has read:

Second Map (39 pages)
Silent Idol (45 pages)
Double Trouble (48 pages)
Vanishing Present (46 pages)
Tattletale Parrot (45 pages)

He also finished Gulliver's Travels (GIC - 240 pages), Jonathan Swift.

Gabriella very much enjoyed Uncle Wiggily's Story Book (247 pages), Howard R. Garis. There are 36 chapters in this book and each chapter is a unique story detailing the adventures of Uncle Wiggily, the bunny rabbit gentleman, who understands people talk, and dedicates his life to helping other animals and children.

Another series that Lella is enjoying is The Animal Rescue Squad series by Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman. There are only a few books in this series, but she just finished Kitten Alert (117 pages) and is halfway through the next book.

Other books Lella finished recently:
Why do Volcanoes Erupt, Chris Maynard
Safari Journal, The Adventures in Africa of Carey Monroe, Hudson Talbott
Timothy's Tales from Hilltop School (64 pages), Rosemary Wells
Fairy Tale Lunches (29 pages), Jane Yolen
Fairy Tale Desserts (31 pages), Jane Yolen

Both:
Micro Monsters, Life Under the Microscope (48 pages), Chris Maynard
The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins, Kerley and Selznick

History Reading (both):
Chanticleer and the Fox, Barbara Cooney
The Making of a Knight, Patrick O'Brien

Book Completed 12/6/10 and some favorable mentions...

2010-12-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

At night, I have been reading poems from Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses. The illustrations are by Brian Wildsmith and are beautiful watercolors which complement each poem.

Some of Lella's favorites are:
Travel, My Shadow, The Land of Nod, The Dumb Soldier, Nest Eggs, My Bed is a Boat, Looking-Glass River, The Cow ,Little Land
Time to Rise, and North-West Passage, Escape at Bedtime, Foreign Children, and The Moon.

Other books completed by Marcus and Lella:
On Beyond a Million, An Amazing Math Journey, David M. Schwartz
You are the First Kid on Mars, Patrick O'Brien
Megatooth, Patrick O'Brien

Marcus:
The Year at Maple Hill Farm, Alice and Martin Provensen
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Jumping Frogs (69 pages), Donald J. Sobol
Go Figure, A totally cool book about numbers, Johnny Ball
***Marcus LOVED this book. He learned some really neat math tricks.

Lella:
Why do seasons change?, Christopher Maynard
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Treasure Hunt (91 pages), Donald J. Sobol
Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Handprints (90 pages), Donald J. Sobol
Jenny goes to Sea (128 pages), Esther Averill
The Best Book of Dinosaurs, Christopher Maynard
Amelia Earhart, The Legend of the Lost Aviator, Shelly Tanaka
Fairy Tale Cookbooks, Fairy Tale Dinners, Jane Yolen
The Children on Troublemaker Street (99 pages), Astrid Lindgren
***Warning: Astrid Lindgren is one of Lella's favorite authors (Pippi Longstocking, The Children of Noisy Village, etc...) and she enjoyed this book, however she came to me when she was finished and said that she thought she learned a bad word. I couldn't imagine what the word was, but sure enough, one of the children says, "Damn it!" This is the second book in this genre of literature from the early 60's that I have found unfavorable phrases in. So, just be aware that it is in there.

Completed History Reading (both):

The children loved Eric A. Kimme's Sword of the Samurai, Adventure Stories from Japan. The book is 120 pages and full of short samurai stories.
Food and Feasts in the Middle Ages, Imogen Dawson
The Girl Who Loved the Wind, Jane Yoland
Little Mouse and Elephant, A Tale from Turkey, Jane Yoland

Completed Books 11/20/10

2010-11-20T12:45:00.000-08:00

History:
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema
Mary, Brian Wildsmith
A Medieval Feast, Aliki
Knights, Philip Steele
Food and Feasts in the Middle Ages, Imogen Dawson
Castle Diary (64 pages), Richard Platt

Lella:
Tumtum and Nutmeg: The Great Escape (157 pages), Emily Bearn
Tumtum and Nutmeg: The Pirate's Treasure (162 pages), Emily Bearn
Escape South (73 pages), Kim Siegelson
The Year at Maple Hill Farm, Alice and Martin Provensen
Jenny's Birthday Book, Esther Averill
I Love to Draw Dogs!, Jennifer Lipsey
Draw 50 Baby Animals, Lee J. Ames
If You Decide to Go to the Moon, Faith McNulty
The Big Book of Questions and Answers, A Consumer Guide Children's Book
Leonardo, Beautiful Dreamer, Robert Byrd

Marcus:
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (GIC-Great Illustrated Classic, 239 pages), Robert Louis Stevenson
***Marcus loved the ending. He ran out and said, "So Mama, Dr. Jekyll IS Mr. Hyde!" It was cute.

Both:
Bink and Gollie, Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
Monster Math Picnic, Grace Maccarone
Fairy Tale Classics, Ziefert
The Fire Cat (63 pages), Esther Averill
A Day in the Life of Murphy, Alice Provensen
If you Made a Million, David Schwartz
Millions to Measure, David Schwartz

Great Math Pracitce Problems

2010-11-19T20:19:00.000-08:00

My dear fried Jamy posted this site, so I thought I would share it. All levels are represented (K-8) and the practice problems are based on the State Standards.

IXL Math

How to use a semicolon...

2010-11-19T17:28:00.000-08:00

From Susan Wise Bauer's blog....

"Best explanation of semicolons ever..."

How to use a semicolon - The most feared punctuation on earth

Warning: Only look at this link. The rest of the comics on the site are inappropriate for young eyes.

Books Completed 11/9/10

2010-11-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Gabriella has been reading some of the dearest books lately. Here are a few that she recently completed:
1. Tumtum and Nutmeg (181 pages), Emily Bearn
2. The Milly Molly Mandy Storybook (224 pages), Joyce Lankaster Brisley
3. Homer Price (149 pages), Robert McCloskey

All highly recommended.

Other books she has completed:
Equal Shmequal (32 pages), Virginia Kroll
The Usborne Book of Creepy Poems (32 pages), various poets

Marcus and Lella have both completed:
The Greedy Triangle, Marilyn Burns
Somewhere in the World Right Now, Stacey Schuett
Oh Theodore! Guinea Pig Poems (43 pages), Susan Katz
*They laughed out loud reading this book together and have revisited it often.
What Makes a Magnet? (32 pages), Franklyn Branley
Wiggling Worms at Work (33 pages), Wendy Pfeffer
Floating in Space (32 pages), Franklyn Branley
How to Dig a Hole to the Other Side of the World (32 pages), Faith McNulty
*Marcus was so fascinated by this book. He read it multiple times.
Small Potatoes Club (40 pages), Lon Levin
How Much is a Million, David Schwartz
*Both Marcus and Lella loved this book and requested the other two similar to this one.
Volcanoes (30 pages), Franklyn Branley
The Usborne Book of Fairy Tales, Cartwright and Amery
Jenny's Moonlight Adventure (32 pages), Esther Averill
*Both Marcus and Lella enjoyed this sweet book about a cat named Jenny. Short, but written more like a chapter book with little pictures.

Marcus recently finished Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Two Spies (73 pages), Donald Sobol.

Completed History Reading (Both):
The North Wind and the Sun, Brian Wildsmith
The Miller Boy and the Donkey, Brian Wildsmith
The Master Swordsman and the Magic Doorway, Alice Provensen
East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon, P.J. Lynch
Puss In Boots, Marcia Brown
Saint George and the Dragon (32 pages), Margaret Hodges

Lella's book about dogs...

2010-11-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Gabriella is fascinated with dogs. She recently checked out a book with dog facts and explanations of how to draw dogs. The other day she had some free time and asked to do art. I said, "Of course," and she worked for about an hour. She handed me the book when she was finished.

Great Typing Resource

2010-10-24T18:28:00.001-07:00

The kids really enjoy this site!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/

Lovely "Little" Books 10/25/2010

2010-10-24T13:24:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since my last post, so please bear with me as I talk about all of the wonderful literature the children have been reading.

To begin, the children and I finally finished Little Women (526 pages), Louisa May Alcott. It was also my first time reading this classic novel. I was able to instruct the children on so many godly principles throughout reading this book. Marcus and Lella asked many questions throughout. Some moments that stand out as I reminisce... Marcus and Lella were truly disappointed when Jo did not accept Laurie's proposal. We all got teary eyed when Beth died. I was able to share with them how I too had ignored Daddy when they were little (like Meg), how it wasn't pleasing to the Lord, and how I changed. We talked about how morals and principles are far more important than money (when Jo was writing racy articles to earn a living). I could go on... Needless to say, I highly recommend this book as a read aloud.

Steve and the children recently finished Little Pilgrim's Progress (256 pages), Helen L. Taylor (adapted from John Bunyan's book Pilgrim's Progress). Taylor keeps the original story line intact in her adaptation and simplifies some of the concepts and vocabulary. Our Pastor recently asked a question about Christian from Pilgrim's Progress during evening instruction. He asked what Christian's was carrying on his back, and the children answered, "A burden." He then asked what the burden was, and they answered, "Sin." The children LOVED this book and requested Daddy read to them every night.

Gabriella recently finished More Milly Molly Mandy (224 pages), Joyce Lankester Brisley. This was such a darling book. Each chapter is its own story, which makes for a great book to read at bed time, or to read aloud. The protagonist in each story is Millicent Margaret Amanda (Milly-Molly-Mandy for short...if you consider that short). More Milly Molly Mandy is a collection of old-fashioned stories about MMM and her adventures in her small English town. Gabriella is now reading Milly Molly Mandy and enjoying it just as much.

Marcus recently finished The Great Wide Sea (283 pages), M.H. Herlong. I am especially proud of him for finishing this book. There were quite a few sailing and nautical terms that were somewhat technical (Marcus has never sailed), and I think he may have been a bit young to full grasp the relationship dynamic of the two brothers and their father, but he persevered and in the end, said he enjoyed the book. He especially liked the ending.

Another book I highly the kids and I are still working on is Art Fraud Detective (48 pages), Anna Nilsen. Grab your pencil, paper, and magnifying glass! A security guard at the Museum of Art (which houses a fine collection of 34 European masterpieces), asks young readers to play detective. Readers are asked to determine which paintings are fraudulent by comparing them to the originals. Each reproduction of the original painting is excellent, and the paragraphs of information about the paintings are well-written and entertaining.

Completed History Reading (both):
Easy Origami, Dokuohtei Nakano
The Enchanted Storks (32 pages), Aaron Shepard
The Duke and the Peasant: Life in the Middle Ages (30 pages), Prestel
The Reluctant Dragon (40 pages), Robert D. San Souci
Mr. Pak Buys a Story, Carol Farley
The Rich Man and the Shoe-maker, Brian Wildsmith
Adventures with the Vikings (47 pages), Linda Bailey

Lella:
Encyclopedia Brown (87 pages), Donald Sobol

Marcus:
A to Z Mysteries: The Talking T. Rex (85 pages), Ron Roy

Books Completed 10/5/10

2010-10-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

History Reading (both):
The Wisdom of the Crows and Other Buddhist Tales (79 pages), Sherab Chodzin and Alexandra Kohn
The Boy Who Drew Cats, David Johnson
In the Moonlight Mist, A Korean Tale, Daniel San Souci
Exodus, Brian Wildsmith
Joseph, Brian Wildsmith
Maui and the Sun, A Maori Tale, Gavin Bishop
A Carp for Kimiko, Virginia Kroll
The Crane Wife, Odds Bodkin
The Pumpkin Runner, Marsha Arnold
Little Oh, Laura Krauss Melmed (Gabriella loved this book.)
Saint Francis, Brian Wildsmith

Gabriella:
Captains Courageous (GIC, 239 pages), Rudyard Kipling
Wild Horses (44 pages), George Stanley
Pioneer Cat (63 pages), William Hooks (Gabriella loved this book too!)

Marcus:
Encyclopedia Brown (87 pages), Donald Sobol

Both:
The Adventures of Ratman (62 pages), Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman

The Red Pyramid and Completed Books 9/21/10

2010-09-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

The kids and I just finished The Red Pyramid (528 pages), Rick Riordan. Riordan's knowledge of Ancient Egyptian culture is superb, however I got quite bored with the story. The kids seemed to like it though! Basically, the two main characters are descended from the line of Pharaohs and must save the world. In doing so, they encounter monster after monster, and must morph into different things to escape or defeat the monster... sigh. Finally, "Oh god!" was used on and off when the children were in trouble. Granted the whole story is about false Egyptian gods, but I still don't like the expression. I will say that Marcus and Lella have a better understanding of Egyptians gods, who they are, and what Ancient Egyptians believed.

History Reading (both):
Favorite Celtic Fairy Tales (84 pages), Joseph Jacobs - A collection of stories from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Cornwall. Gabriella almost cried at the end of "Beth Gellert". We loved reading this book.
Favorite Medieval Tales (72 pages), Mary Pope Osborne - We read these stories last year and loved all of them. This year, we focused on "Beowulf". Gabriella's favorite is "The Werewolf".
Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, Ed Young
Religions of the World - I am Muslim, Jessica Chalfonte - A simple book about the beliefs of Muslims.
Forty Fortunes: A Tale of Iran, Aaron Shepard
The Three Golden Oranges, Alma Flor Ada
The Hundredth Name, Shulamith Levey Oppenheim

Marcus:
Mercy Watson to the Rescue (71 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (72 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Tales from the Odyssey, Book One: The One Eyed Giant (101 pages), Mary Pope Osborne - Marcus read this series last year and loved it. He wanted to read this story again.

Marcus and Gabriella are obsessed with reading their dictionary (Scholastic Children's Dictionary). They have also been reading The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls. It's amazing the things they find and learn about in these three books!

Embossed Letters

2010-09-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

This history project was super easy and fun. The kids are studying illuminated manuscripts with Steve and since I am the art director of this family, I decided to help them make some embossed letters. We printed out letters, cut them out of cardboard and then rubbed aluminum foil over them. The whole process took no more than 30 minutes. Hmmmmm... I wonder whose is whose......

Books Completed 9/5/10

2010-09-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

History Reading (both):
Across a Dark and Wild Sea, Don Brown
The Warlord's Beads, Virginia Pilegard
Marguerite Makes a Book, Bruce Robertson
The Holy Twins, Benedict and Scholastica, Kathleen Norris and Tomie de Paola
The Clay Ladies, Michael Bedard
Long is a Dragon, Chinese Writing for Children, Peggy Goldstein
Ali, Child of the Desert, Jonathan London
The Last Snake in Ireland, Sheila MacGill-Callahan
The Very Hungry Lion, Gita Wolf
The Story of Saint Patrick, James Janda
The Warlord's Fish, Virginia Pilegard
Saint Nicholas, Ann Tompert

Marcus:
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (GIC - 239 pages), Mark Twain
A to Z Mysteries, The Canary Caper (87 pages), Ron Roy
A to Z Mysteries, The Bald Bandit (71 pages), Ron Roy
Calendar Mysteries, April Adventure (69 pages), Ron Roy
Word After Word After Word (125 pages), Patricia MacLachlan

Lella:
Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep (220 pages), Liz Kessler
Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist (204 pages), Liz Kessler
Alice in Wonderland (Stepping Stones - 104 pages), Lewis Carroll
The Secrets of Droon, The Genie King (168 pages), Tony Abbott
The Goblin Baby (Stepping Stones - 120 pages), Berlie Doherty
Mercy Watson to the Rescue (71 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (72 pages), Kate DiCamillo
Smasher (72 pages), Dick King-Smith

Both:
Ivy and Bean Break the Fossil Record (115 pages), Sophie Blackall
Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter (123 pages), Sophie Blackall
*I didn't like the tone of this book at all. I forgot to return this to the library and the children read it without me realizing it.
The Monster Who Ate Darkness, Joyce Dunbar
Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole, Wong Herbert Yee
Mouse and Mole, Fine Feathered Friends, Wong Herbert Yee
A Brand-New Day with Mouse and Mole, Wong Herbert Yee

Multiplication troubles?

2010-08-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Gabriella understands the concept of multiplication very well, however to recall multiplication facts quickly is not her forte. We are working on it!

I found this wonderful site for her (it's free) and wanted to share it. Just click on "Games" and scroll down. There are quite a few! Some incorporate art into the games as well (like Minko's Milkshake Shop). You can pick the level and/or the specific fact you want your child to work on. Enjoy!

Multiplication Fun

Curriculum 2010/2011

2010-08-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

Math: Horizons
History: Story of the World (Bauer)
Language Arts: 1st Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind (Bauer)
Writing: Writing With Ease (Bauer)
Italian: Rosetta Stone
Bible: ESV Bible (historical books starting with Joshua)
Literature: Recommended reading from SOW and other selections
Reading Comprehension: Teacher Created Resources
Spelling: Spelling Power
Piano: Faber and Faber, along with jazz and classical
Science: Finish Botany and do Physics (Real Science 4 Kids)
Geography: Google Earth and various online sites, State and World Capitals

Summer is coming to an end...

2010-08-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Completed books 8/21:

Lella:
Toy Story 3, Woody's Wild Adventure (79 pages), Kitty Richards, Too Many Fairies, A Celtic Tale, Margaret MacDonald, Mermaid Tales from Around the World (77 pages), Mary Pope Osborne. Lella really enjoyed Osborne's Mermaid Tales!

Marcus:
A to Z Mysteries: The Absent Author (87 pages), Ron Roy, Smasher (72 pages), Dick King-Smith, Zelda and Ivy and Zelda and Ivy One Christmas, Laura McGee Kvasnosky, Louise, When I Grow Up..., Peter Horn.

Both:
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (137 pages, Hear It Read It), Benedict Flynn, Adam Sharp, Code Word Kangaroo (44 pages), George Edward Stanley, The Adventures of a Chicken, Kate DiCamillo, Can You See What I See? Cool Collections (I Spy, 32 pages), Walter Wick, Can You See What I See? Dream Machine (I Spy, 32 pages), Walter Wick, Zelda and Ivy, Laura Mc Gee Kvasnosky, African Critters (91 pages), Robert Haas:

Amazing photographs, written by Haas about his own adventures in Africa, all true. You can feel Hass' excitement as he captures each animal on film. Highly recommended!

So many good books...8/5/10

2010-08-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

The children and I have read some wonderful books this summer. The Tail of Emily Windsnap (224 pages), Liz Kessler was one of our favorites! We thought it was "swishy!". Emily is a human girl who discovers that she can change into a mermaid in the sea. She's on a quest to find her father and show King Neptune that love is what really matters, not what you look like.

Although the children and I have read this series before, we are reading and listening to it again. The series is called "Hear It, Read It" and consist of abridged stories from classic literature. We recently read The Secret Garden (138 pages), Frances Hodgson Burnett, Peter Pan (130 pages), J.M. Barrie, and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (133 pages), Mark Twain.

Other completed books:

Marcus:
Andrew Lost In Uncle Al (84 pages), J. C. Greenburg, Captains Courageous (GIC - 239 pages), Rudyard Kipling, Three Tales of My Father's Dragon (242 pages), Ruth Gannett.

Lella:

Gabriella really enjoyed The Runaway Dolls (323 pages), Ann M. Martin and Laura Godwin. She loved telling me about the doll's adventures.

Brutus the Wonder Poodle (61 pages), Linda Gondosch - Gabriella said that EVERYONE should read this book :-).

Zelda and Ivy and Zelda and Ivy One Christmas, Laura McGee Kvasnosky.

Can You See What I See? The Night Before Christmas, Walter Wick.

Ivy and Bean (120 pages), Annie Barrows - Lella also really enjoyed this book, but after I asked her about it, she said one character was practicing to be a witch. I'll have to investigate this further.

When I Grow Up..., Peter Horn.

Graphic Novels and Books Completed 7/26

2010-07-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Summertime reading is here!

Marcus and Lella seem to really enjoy graphic novels. They recently read Into the Volcano (173 pages), Don Wood, and loved it. They actually read this book a few times before I insisted they read other things. (Caution: There are a couple of scenes where one of the females is wearing a bikini top and shorts.)

They also really enjoyed Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown (96 pages), Jarrett J. Krosoczka. This wasn't a graphic novel, but the layout was similar to one. They laughed out loud during parts of this book.

Other books recently completed:
Marcus: Jake Drake: Bully Buster (101 pages), Andrew Clements, Superstar Watch (98 pages), Gertrude Warner, The Dog-Gone Mystery (120 pages), Gertrude Warner, Abe Lincoln: The boy who loved books, Kay Winters and Nancy Carpenter, Ten Holiday Jewish Children's Stories (45 pages), Barbara Goldin.

Lella: Five Fables of La Fontaine (64 pages), Roberta Sewal, My Father's Dragon (77 pages), Ruth Gannett, Elmer and the Dragon (78 pages), Ruth Gannett, The Dragon of Blueland (79 pages), Ruth Gannett, Breakfast in the Rainforest, Richard Sobol, Sun-Day, Moon-Day: How the week was made (80 pages), Cherry Gilchrist and Amanda Hall.

***Gabriella LOVED Gannett's dragon books. She actually re-read My Father's Dragon and then read the other two. She also loved Sun-Day, Moon-Day and read it multiple times.

Both: Here Comes the Garbage Barge, Jonah Winter, Prayer for a Child, Rachel Field, Pet Stories You Don't Have to Walk (64 pages), Reading Rainbow.

Harriet the Spy and Completed Books 7/10

2010-07-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

The children and I began reading Harriet the Spy (320 pages), Louise Fitzhugh. I have seen this book on many reading lists and after reading a review that said, "Happily, it has neither dated nor become obsolete and remains one of the best children's novels ever written," I thought we would give it a try.

Unfortunately, at Chapter 5 of the book, we had to stop. The icing was this sentence: "I'll be damned if I am going to dance class!"

Harriet, the protagonist, is a very observant little girl who writes observations down in a notebook. I felt like some of her observations were unkind. The word "fat" was used a lot and she tended to see the negative in everything she wrote. With so many wonderful children's books available, skip this one. It's just not worth it.

Books Completed Marcus:
The Time Machine (GIC - 238 pages), H.G. Wells, The Camp Knock Knock Mystery (47 pages), Betsy Duffey, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Rudyard Kipling.

Books Completed Lella:
Frankenstein (GIC - 238 pages), Mary Shelley, A Little Princess (129 pages), Frances Burnett, Lunch Lady, Jarrett Krosoczka, Roxaboxen, Barbara Cooney, A House Is a House for Me, Mary Ann Hoberman.

Both:
The Fantastic Undersea Lif of Jackques Cousteau, Dan Yaccarino, The Velveteen Rabbit (again), Margery Williams, The Seven Silly Eaters, Mary Ann Hoberman.

Books Completed 6/28

2010-06-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

Lella: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (155 pages), Roald Dahl, The Great Genghis Khan (73 pages), Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, Just Enough is Plenty, Barbara Goldin.

Marcus: The True Gift (81 pages), Patricia MacLachlan, The Silver Thread (76 pages), Kathleen Duey

Both: Trapped By A Teacher (45 pages), Mary Ann Duke, The Big Monkey Mix-up (65 pages), Pamela Jane.

Angelo and Completed Books 6/15

2010-06-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Angelo (48 pages), David Macualay, is the first book to every cause one of my children to weep. I was reading on the couch and Marcus came out of his room with a sad look on his face and tears welling up in his eyes. "What's wrong buddy?" I asked. "He dies Mama, and it's so sad." Although the ending was sad, Marcus loved Angelo and said it was one of his favorite stories. Lella and I also read Angelo and I thought it was beautifully written with inspiring illustrations.

Amazon:
Angelo is an old Italian craftsman who restores facades of Roman buildings. Sweeping away feathers and twigs left "by generations of thoughtless pigeons" one day, Angelo comes face to beak with his nemesis. This pigeon isn't looking so good, though, and in spite of himself, Angelo takes her home and brings her back to health, grumpily commenting, "Mamma mia! I restore walls, not pigeons." It's not long before this lonely old man grows attached to the bird, though, and makes a touching, lasting gesture to her in the final hours before his death.

Books Completed Marcus:
Other than reading various anatomy books, he completed The Three Musketeers (GIC, 237 pages), Alexandre Dumas, Alien for Rent (71 pages), Betsy Duffy, Bicycle to Treachery (48 pages), Robert Quackenbush, Evil Under the Sea, Robert Quackenbush, The Great Genghis Khan (73 pages), Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.

Books Completed Lella:
The True Gift (81 pages), Patricia MacLachlan, The Last of the Mohicans (GIC, 239 pages), James Fenimore Cooper, Captain Fact Dinosaur Adventure (102 pages), Jadven Knife, The Man Who Lived Alone (35 pages), Donald Hall, Three Names (31 pages), Patricia MacLachlan, All the Places to Love, Patricia MacLachlan.

Both:
Alien and Possum - Friends No Matter What (48 pages), Tony Johnston, The Roman Twins, Roy Gerrard.

Ragweed, The Wanderings of Odysseus, and Completed Books 6/10/10

2010-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

The Wanderings of Odysseus: The Story of THE ODYSSEY (114 pages), Rosemary Sutcliff, was by far one of the highlights of our history reading this year. We read Mrs. Sutcliff's first book, Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of THE ILIAD, several months ago and also loved her rendering of this epic poem. Alan Lee's illustrations are splendid. I HIGHLY recommend reading these two books aloud. They are full of suspense and tastefully written. Thank you Mrs. Sutcliff.

The next book we recently finished was Ragweed (178 pages), Avi. Gabriella had Marcus and I laughing out loud yesterday in the car when she said to Marcus, "Cool dude! Like, thanks!" She was imitating how the city mice spoke to each other in the book. Marcus and Lella enjoyed Ragweed and at the end of each chapter would say, "Just one more chapter Mama!"

Books Completed Lella: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (159 pages), Roald Dahl, Alien for Rent (71 pages), Betsy Duffey, The Roman Twins, Roy Gerrard, Pompeii...Buried Alive! (48 pages), Edith Kunhardt (Lella loved this book and read it three times!), The Book of Beasts, E. Nesbit, Miriam's Cup, A Passover Story, Fran Manushkin.

Books Completed Marcus: The Rockhound Science Mysteries #2 (46 pages), Mark H. Newhouse, The Rockhound Science Mysteries #3 (46 pages), Mark H. Newhouse, Karate Kick (118 pages), Matt Christopher.

The Gingerbread Rabbit and Completed Books 6/3

2010-06-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

Marcus: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (155 pages), Roald Dahl, Lebron James: King of the Court (48 pages), L.R. Jacobs.

Lella: Andrew Lost with the Bats (82 pages), J.C. Greenburg, Andrew Lost in the Whale (84 pages), J.C. Greenburg, The Rockhound Science Mysteries #3 (46 pages), Mark H. Newhouse, Princess Madison and the Paisley Puppy, Karen Linamen, Second-Grade Ape, Daniel Pinkwater, Dogsled to Dread (48 pages), Robert Qackenbush, Luv Amelia, Luv, Nadia, Marissa Moss, Lorenzo the Naughty Parrot, Tony Johnston.

Both: The Rockhound Science Mysteries #1 (46 pages), Mark H. Newhouse, Once I Ate a Pie, Katy Schneider, Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster, L. Numeroff, I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, Rose Lewis, and finally,

The Gingerbread Rabbit (55 pages), Randall Jarrell.

Marcus and Gabriella both enjoyed reading this story; a mix (sort of) between the Gingerbread Man and the Velveteen Rabbit. They both laughed out loud at parts and Gabriella said it was one of her favorite books.

Amazon: This gentle story of a mother's fervent love for her only daughter, and the comical, suspenseful adventures of her rabbit cookie is carefully spun in Jarrell's flawless, slightly tongue-in-cheek prose.

Anniversary, Human Anatomy, Maj Lindman, and Completed Books 5/25

2010-05-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Today Steve and I have been married for nine years! My, how time has flown. Eight years ago Marcus was born and from the earliest age loved books. Before he could walk or talk, I could lay out his five favorite books and tell him, "Marcus, go get Touch the Bunny," and he would crawl over, pick it up, and bring it to me. Gabriella, now seven, loves books too and reads all the time.

The kids and I just finished part 1 of Little Women. We will finish it by and by and be happy to have done so.

This past week, instead of reading at night, Marcus has been doing 4-D puzzles of the human body. He has four different puzzles: the human body, the heart, they eye, and the brain. I have to admit that I tried to put together the eye and was unable to do it! The directions are vague and confusing. Still, Marcus was able to put each puzzle together. He also times himself and his fastest time so far is 4 minutes. Below are the pieces and then final product of the human body puzzle.

Gabriella has been enjoying Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Snipp, Snapp, Snurr books by Maj Lindman. She requested, "all they have at the library Mama."

Books Completed Lella: Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and the Big Red Hen, Maj Lindman, Flicka, Ricka, Dicka Bake a Cake, Maj Lindman, Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and the Reindeer, Maj Lindman, Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and The Gingerbread, Maj Lindman, Snipp, Snapp, Snurr and The Yellow Sled, Maj Lindman, Tintin in Tibet, Herge, Land of Black Gold, Herge, The Crab with the Golden Claws, Herge, The Calculus Affair, Herge, The Wrong Kind of Bark, Julia Donaldson.

Books Completed Marcus: Mirette and Bellini Cross Niagara Falls, Emily McCully, Esther's Story, Diane Wolkstein.

Books Completed Both: The Red Sea Sharks, Herge, Words In Our Hands, Ada Litchfield, Andiamo, Weasel!, Rose Grant, The Great Graph Contest, Loreen Leedy, Marie in Fourth Position, The Story of Degas' "The Little Dancer", Amy Littlesugar.

Virtual Surgery

2010-05-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Marianne sent me this site for "Dr. Marcus". We did virtual knee replacement surgery yesterday and he LOVED it. We also did the game about simple machines which was very cool. We will explore the site more over the next couple of weeks, however I think this may be his new favorite!

http://www.edheads.org/

The Cobble Street Cousins, The Adventures of Tintin, and Completed Books 5/17

2010-05-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recommended The Cobble Street Cousins series by Cynthia Rylant for Lella. She LOVED them. She read:

A Little Shopping (55 pages)
Special Gifts (55 pages)
Summer Party (54 pages)
Some Good News (55 pages)
In Aunt Lucy's Kitchen (54 pages)

Other books completed by Lella: Here is the Wetland, Madeleine Dunphy, Five Fables of La Fontaine (64 pages), Roberta Sewal, Anatole Over Paris (32 pages), Eve Titus, Esther's Story, Diane Wolkstein.

Completed Books Marcus: The Secrets of Droon, Crown of Wizards (168 pages), Tony Abbott, Andrew Lost in the Desert (88 pages), J. C. Greenburg, Andrew Lost in the Jungle (88 pages), J. C. Greenburg, Fabulous Monsters, Marcia Williams, Sinbad the Sailor, Marcia Williams.

Marcus and Gabriella requested more of The Adventures of Tintin...in English of course :-).

From Amazon: Join traveling reporter Tintin and his faithful dog Snowy, along with well-known friends such as Captain Haddock, as they embark on extraordinary adventures spanning historical and political events, fantasy and science-fiction adventures and thrilling mysteries. These full-color graphic novels broke new ground when they were first released and became the inspiration for countless modern-day comic artists.

The Adventures of Tintin, Cigars of the Pharoah (62 pages), Jadven Herge.

Lives of the Presidents

2010-05-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

A while back Marcus memorized all of the United States Presidents. Well, I came across this book at the library and he very much enjoyed it. He is now quoting some of the presidents...oh brother! Anyway, he did learn quite a bit about them and enjoyed reading this book.

Lives of the Presidents (96 pages), Kathryn Hewitt.

Completed Books 5/6

2010-05-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Well, since my last post, the kids have been reading a lot of Calvin and Hobbes. It's fun hearing them laugh out loud and share their enjoyment of reading with each other. Most recently, they both finished The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson.

We also recently completed several books that were part of history reading for school. Next year, I think I will try to come up with a better system for posting books we read. We read: The Empty Pot, Demi, The Lost Horse, Ed Young, The Dragon Prince, Laurence Yep, Lord of the Cranes, Kerstin Chen, and Ten Suns, Eric Kimmel. We also read Julius Caesar from Tales From Shakespeare, Marcia Williams.

Marcus: The Count of Monte Cristo (GIC, 240 pages), Alexandre Dumas, Sleepy Little Owl, Howard Goldsmith, Charlie Brown: Not Your Average Blockhead, Schulz, Epossumondas, Coleen Salley.

Lella: Mama Provi and the Pot of Rice, Sylvia Rosa-Casanova, A Gift of Gracias, Julia Alvarez, My Little Artist, Donna Green.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, Andrew Lost, and Completed Books 4/23/10

2010-04-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

I loved Shel Silverstein's poems and drawings when I was a little girl. Marcus and Lella recently discovered Where the Sidewalk Ends and devoured it. Their favorite poem was Lazy Jane.

When Marcus was finished, he handed the book to me and said earnestly, "Mama, I really liked these poems, but I couldn't finish The Unicorn."
"Why buddy?"
"It violated my conscience Mama."

The poem is about Noah's arc and how instead of entering the arc, the unicorns played games; hence, no unicorns.

Completed books Marcus:
Frankenstein (GIC, 238 pages), Mary Shelley, Ancient China (43 pages), Mel Friedman, Shy Little Turtle, Howard Goldsmith, Superhero School, Aaron Reynolds, The Secrets of Droon, In the City of Dreams (120 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secrets of Droon, Flight of the Blue Serpent (119 pages), Tony Abbott, , The Secrets of Droon, Moon Magic (165 pages), Tony Abbott.

Lella recently finished Andrew Lost in the Garden (81 pages), J. C. Greenburg. This is book four of the Andrew Lost series. She really enjoyed it and asked for more. I highly recommend this series for children. They are sweetly written and educational to boot. It is not necessary to read them in order.

Other books completed by Lella:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (GIC, 236 pages), Jules Verne, Don Quixote, Marcia Williams, Tales From Shakespeare, Marcia Williams, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Marcia Williams, Sinbad the Sailor, Marcia Williams, Jamaica's Find (32 pages), Juanita Havill, Jamaica's Blue Marker, Juanita Havill, Jamaica Tag-Along, Juanita Havill, Jamaica and the Substitute Teacher, Juanita Havill.

Holes

2010-04-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

About a week ago the kids and I finished Holes (240 pages), Louis Sachar. I honestly have no idea how this book won the Newberry Award. The story is far too contrived to be believable, and I would certainly not consider this book "intelligent" reading. I realize that this book is loved by many, but I do not recommend it.

Greek Myths and Completed Books 4/19

2010-04-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

Marcus and Lella LOVED Greek Myths For Young Children by Marcia Williams. The children enjoyed her comic strip format to classic Greek myths. Eight myths are retold by Williams and some are very funny. Enjoy!

Completed Books
Lella: Romeo and Juliet Together (and Alive!) At Last (page 122), Avi, Brown Angels (poems), Myers, Brianna, Jamaica, and the Dance of Spring, Juanita Havill, A Packet of Seeds, Deborah Hopkinson, The Boy Who Invented TV, The Story of Philo Farnsworth, Kathleen Krull, Carmann's Summer, Stian Hole, Esther's Story, Diane Wolkstein, Epossumondas Saves the Day, Coleen Salley, Epossumondas, Coleen Salley.

Marcus: The Secret of Droon: Flight of the Blue Serpent (119 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: Crown of WizardsThe Secret of Droon: Moon Magic (168 pages), Tony Abbott, Ali and the Magic Stew, Oppenheim, How to Make Friends with a Giant, Amy Walrod.

Both: The Secret of Droon: Queen of Shadowthorn (120 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Treasure of the Orkins (120 pages), Tony Abbott, Why Epossumondas Has No Hair on His Tail, Coleen Salley, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat, Lucille Colandro.

Who Stole the Wizard of Oz? and Completed Books 4/13

2010-04-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

Marcus really enjoyed Who Stole the Wizard of Oz (116 pages), Avi. He said he liked it because it was a good mystery. Other books Marcus recently finished: The Secrets of Droon: Escape from Jabar-Loo (122 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secrets of Droon: Crown of Wizards (168 pages), Tony Abbott.

Gabriella has enjoyed reading various picture books, some with larger amounts of text, some on the shorter side. She really liked Eppossumondas Plays Possum, Colleen Salley. She requested the other ones in the series. She also enjoyed reading Ancient Greece, Sandra Newman, Ancient China, Mel Friedman, and Mesopotamia, Sunita Apte. These books are from a series called "A True Book" and are simple reads with great facts and colorful pictures.

Other books Lella recently read: My Little Artist, Donna Green, Turtle Bay, Saviour Pirotta, The Day-Glo Brothers (a true story btw about how day-glo came about), Chris Barton, How to Make Friends with a Giant, Gennifer Choldenko, Sleepy Little Owl, Howard Goldsmith, Shy Little Turtle, Howard Goldsmith, Superhero School, Aaron Reynolds, Cupid and Psyche, M. Charlotte Craft, Ali and the Magic Stew, Shulamith Oppenheim, The Secrets of Droon: Escape from Jabar-Loo (122 pages), Tony Abbott.

The Hobbit and Completed Books 4/6/10

2010-04-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Steve and the children recently finished The Hobbit (483 pages), J.R.R Tolkien. I highly recommend this book as a family read aloud. Marcus and Gabriella LOVED reading this book with Steve. Before they read, Steve reviewed what they had read so far. Also, during the reading, if they had any questions, they would raise their hand, Steve would pause and answer their question. Both say this is their favorite book now. I don't doubt it is, but there sure is something special about reading a book with Daddy!

Marcus: Dracula (GIC, 239 pages), Bram Stoker.
Lella: The War of the Worlds (GIC, 239 pages), H.G. Wells, Hairy Hezekiah (89 pages), Nick Bruel.
Both: The Secret of Droon: Pirates of the Purple Dawn (124 pages), Tony Abbott, Gladiator (80 pages), Richard Watkins.

Memories

2010-04-06T09:58:00.000-07:00

Recently, I pulled out my three favorite picture books from childhood: Never Tease a Weasel, Jean Conder Soule and Denman Hampson, Yurtle the Turtle and Other Stories, Dr. Seuss, and Star Flower, Jim Kelly . Gabriella loves reading them and at night I often find them on her bedroom floor. The one she enjoys the most is Star Flower by Jim Kelly. It's a sweet story about seasons, friendship, and love. Gabriella is also drawn to the illustrations, just as I was as a child. The first three images below are the covers from each of these books and the images that follow are from Star Flower.

Spelling and Writing

2010-04-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

Gabriella and Marcus are doing so well in spelling this year. The program we use is Spelling Power and is well worth the money. One of the ways the program helps children remember the words they misspelled is to write them in a sentence. Gabriella struggles a bit with contractions and missed these three words: we're, there's, and you're.

These were her sentences exactly as written:

There's a place we're at called Mount Piaplo. "You're gonna climb that!" said my mom. I could not believe it! The mountain was 100,000 miles! I was going to climb it. "Wow!" I said.

THANK YOU SUSAN WISE BAUER! I think that's pretty impressive punctuation for a 6 year old :-).

Completed Books 3/29/10 and The Roman News

2010-03-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Marcus and Lella enjoyed The Roman News, Langley and De Souza. Each page is laid out like a newspaper and is full of fascinating facts about ancient Rome.

Marcus' Completed Books: The Secret of Droon: Flight of the Genie (122 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Isle of Mists (121 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Race to Doobesh (127 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Riddle of Zorfendorf Castle (124 pages), Tony Abbott.

I had to laugh when Marcus began reading these books again. He would watch Lella read and enjoy them and he just couldn't take it! So, now I think he's trying to catch up. I asked him about it and he said it was, "just timing Mama. I didn't mean forever."

Lella's Completed Books: The Invisible Man (GIC, 239 pages), H. G. Wells, The Secret of Droon: In the Shadow of Goll (123 pages), Tony Abbott.

Completed Books 3/24/10

2010-03-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

Marcus: The War of the Worlds, GIC, (238 pages), H.G. Wells, Tales of Mystery and Terror, GIC, (238 pages), Edgar Allan Poe.

Marcus told me recently he is "not interested anymore" in The Secret of Droon books. It's funny how he just decided to be "over them". I asked him why and he replied, "Mama, I have too many other things I want to read right now." Lella is still reading them :-).

Lella: The Secret of Droon: Flight of the Genie (122 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Isle of Mists (121 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Race to Doobesh (127 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secret of Droon: The Riddle of Zorfendorf Castle (124 pages), Tony Abbott.

Both: You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator! (32 pages), John Malam, Roman News, Andrew Langley and Philip De Souza, Rome Antics (79 pages), David Macaulay.

Disappointed in book

2010-03-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

The kids and I were about 1/4 of the way through I Coriander (288 pages), Sally Gardner, when I was sad to see the development of one of the main characters in her story.

I understand that the fairy tale takes place in 17th-Century London, but to paint the only Christian character in the book (at least up until we stopped reading the book) as an uneducated, abusive step-mother is very disappointing.

I was saddened when I read reviews of this book on Christian websites. Not a single reviewer pointed out that in this book, Christ's name is used in vain, Christ is completely misrepresented, and that the only Puritan woman in this story is painted as an evil, wicked woman. I could write more, but I won't.

Needless to say, we will not be finishing this book and I do not recommend this book to other Christian families who read this blog.

The Willougbys and Completed Books 3/19/10

2010-03-19T14:24:00.000-07:00

The kids and I recently finished The Willoughbys (176 pages), Lois Lowry. Lowry's parody of old fashioned children's books was entertaining and quite funny at times, but was a bit dark for our family.

I think we're going to take a break from dark comedy for a while :-).

Marcus: UP, Spirit of Adventure (78 pages), Irene Trimble, Wayside School is Falling Down (152 pages), Adam McCauley, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger (168 pages), Louis Sachar, The Mouse Family Robinson (71 pages), Dick King-Smith, Dinosaur Trouble (118 pages), Dick King-Smith, The Jungle Book (GIC) (238 pages), Rudyard Kipling.

Lella: Wishbone Mysteries, Stage Invader (140 pages), Vivian Sathre, The Secret of Droon: The Fortress of the Treasure Queen (115 pages), Tony Abbott, The Tale of Three Trees, Angela Hunt, How Animals Care for Their Babies, National Geographic Society, Katie Meets the Impressionists, James Matthew, Seven Ravens, Laura Geringer.

Both: Who is Melvin Bubble, Nick Bruel, Atlantis, Christina Balt, The Legend of the Persian Carpet, Tomie DePaola.

Completed Books 3/8/10

2010-03-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

Marcus: Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride, Pam Ryan, The Secret of Droon: The Fortress of the Treasure Queen (115 pages), Tony Abbott.

Lella: The Secrets of Droon: The Coiled Viper (117 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secrets of Droon: The Ice Caves of Krog (114 pages), Tony Abbott, The Pizza Book, Stephen Krensky, Foxes, Sandra Markle.

Both: If You Give a Cat a Cupcake, Laura Numeroff, Too Many Toys, David Shannon.

Completed Books 3/6/10

2010-03-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

This week the children read two books that were a bit dark, although comical. Both books warranted discussions about behavior, bad attitudes, blessings, obedience, and worldliness.

Marcus and Gabriella both laughed out loud reading Sideways Stories from Wayside School (p. 118), Louis Sachar. The humor is a bit dark and there were a couple of chapters we had to talk about (chapter 20 in particular), but overall, this book is a fun, silly one to read.

Together this week, we read Matilda (240 pages), Roald Dahl. We listened to Ron Keith narrate this book as we read along. I am not sure if we would have enjoyed it as much if not for Keith's superb ability to capture the voices and attitudes of each character in the book, particularly the Trunchbull, the headmistress of Matilda's school who is simply awful! Again, we had to have several discussions about respect for authority, and also what a blessing it is to be raised by loving parents who fear God.

We also just completed Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy, The Story of THE ILIAD (125 pages). I read this aloud while the kids followed along. It took us a while to finish this book, but it was worth it! Sutcliff has truly created an accessible version of this classic tale and the illustrations are beautiful and appropriate. I suspect Marcus may re-read this on his own in the near future. I would recommend reading this out loud the first time through.

Other books completed this week:
Marcus: The Secrets of Droon: Flight of the Genie (122 pages), The Isle of Mists (122 pages), Tony Abbott.

Lella: The Secrets of Droon: Dream Thief (122 pages), Search for the Dragon Ship (122 pages), Tony Abbott, Fantastic Mr. Fox (Movie Storybook), Roald Dahl, Foxes (44 pages), Emilie Lepthien, One Giant Leap, The Story of Neil Armstrong, Don Brown, King Midas and the Golden Touch (32 pages), Charlotte Craft.

Both: Bad Kittie Gets a Bath (125 pages, but really easy), Nick Bruel, Mr. Semolina-Semolinus, A Greek Folktale, Anthony Manna.

Time Cat, The Lost Flower Children, and Completed Books 3/2/10

2010-03-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

Gabriella just finished Time Cat (235 pages), Lloyd Alexander, and said, "It was one of the best chapter books I've ever read." When asked why, she replied, "Because I learned about Don Diego. It was funny that the Egyptians thought Gareth was a god. Also, I liked the ending because it was all a dream."

Marcus just finished The Lost Flower Children (188 pages), Janet Lisle. He said he loved it because, "There was a book within the book that said there was a horseshoe garden and children were playing inside it. Green-skins did a transforming spell and the children became droopy flowers. To break the transforming spell, you must find eight cups and one teapot. This is hard to do. If you find one or two it does not count. The story is a 'come true' story because there are eight cups and a little teapot in Aunt Minty's garden."

Other completed books:

Marcus: Pirate School-Ahoy, Ghost Ship Ahead! (64 pages), Brian James, Pirate School-Attach on the High Seas (64 pages), Brian James.

Lella: The Persian Cinderella, Shirley Climo, Snoring Beauty, Bruce Hale, The Rooster Crows, A Book of American Rhymes and Jingles, Maud and Mishka Petersham.

Finally, for those adults (and possibly teens) out there who enjoy a good mystery, I just finished a delightful, very British, book called The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley.

Flavia De Luce, the 11-year old heroine in this story, is not only a chemist with a passion for poisons, but also a bike-riding detective who manages to solve a murder mystery even better than the detectives! This was a very fun and easy read.

Pirate School and Completed Books 2/25

2010-02-25T12:10:00.000-08:00

The kids are really enjoying the Pirate School series by Brian James. They are around 60 pages and on the easier side as far as reading level. Enjoy!

Marcus: The Secrets of Droon: The Coiled Viper (117 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secrets of Droon: The Ice Caves of Krog (114 pages), Tony Abbott, Annie and the Old One (44 pages), Mishka Miles, Anatole and the Cat (32 pages), Eve Titus, Snoring Beauty, Bruce Hale, Pirate School: The Curse of Snake Island (64 pages), Brian James.

Lella: The Secrets of Droon: Voyage of the Jaffa Wind (132 pages), Tony Abbott, The Secrets of Droon: The Knights of Silversnow (121 pages), Tony Abbott, Adventures of Riley, Panda Project (33 pages), Lumry and Hurwitz, Theodore and the Talking Mushroom, Leo Lionni.

Both: Babushka Baba Yaga, Patricia Polacco, Airmail to the Moon, Tom Birdseye, I Wonder Why...Greeks Built Temples (31 pages), Reader's Digest, Captain Abdul's Little Treasure, Colin McNaughton.

Ancient Greece

2010-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

The children and I have been reading about life in Ancient Greece. One of the things we read about were Grecian children sculpting dolls to play with out of clay. Lella and Marcus wanted to sculpt their own dolls. We bought some clay and they came out quite good! Can you guess who sculpted which doll? :-)

Calvin and Hobbes and Completed Books 2/17

2010-02-17T13:08:00.000-08:00

The kids and I have had so much fun reading Calvin and Hobbes, Bill Watterson! They have read:

The Calvin and Hobbes 10th Anniversary Book

The Days Are Just Packed

It's a Magical World

The children read The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks (128 pages), Nancy McArthur, together and just finished it today. They laughed out loud throughout this whole book! It was so much fun.

The kids and I also just finished Ballet Shoes (192 pages), Noel Streatfeild. This was such a lovely book - set in England, three adopted sisters vow to have their names in history books when they grow up. One of my favorite books this year!

Marcus' recently completed books: The Secrets of Droon: The Knights of Silversnow (122 pages), Tony Abbott, Odd and the Frost Giants (117 pages), Neil Gaiman, Theodore and the Talking Mushroom, Leo Lionni, Katie Meets the Impressionists, James Mayhew, Flamingo Dream, Donna Jo Napoli, Seven Ravens, Brothers Grimm.

Books Completed 2/6/10

2010-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Gabriella really liked Pirate School by Colin McNaughton (40 pages, very easy read). One warning though, this is a pirate book and in pirate school kids are taught, well, how to be pirates!

Marcus: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late (373 pages), Pseudonymous Bosch (note: There is a character in this book whose parents are divorced.), The Secrets of Droon: The Knights of Silversnow (122 pages), Tony Abbott, Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine, Evaline Ness, The Earth Shook, Donna Jo Napoli, Buying Mittens (31 pages), Niimi Nankichi, Applelard and Liverwurst (34 pages), Mayer and Kellogg, The Trogan Horse, Warwick Hutton, In English of Course, Josephine Nobisso, The Dog Who Lost His Bob, Tom and Laura McNeal.

Lella: The Real Winner, Charise Neugebauer, Nicolas, where have you been?, Leo Lionni, Morris's Disappearing Bag, Rosemary Wells, How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball, David Shannon, and her wonderful National Geographic Kids magazines that Gigi provides each year, The Secrets of Droon: The Mask of Maliban (120 pages), Tony Abbott.

Both: Captain Abdul's Pirate School (40 pages), Colin McNaughton, Count Your Way through Greece, Haskins and Benson, Swimmy, Leo Lionni, The Librarian Who Measured the Earth (46 pages), Kathryn Lasky (note: I LOVED this book!), Kings and Queens of the Bible, Mary Hoffman and Christina Balit, Tales from the Waterhole (64 pages), Bob Graham, Hotel Jungle (32 pages), D. Napoli and S. Johnston, Cider Apples, Sandy Nightingale, The Rainbabies, Laura Melmed, The Trogan Horse: How the Greeks Won the War, Emily Little.

Interesting Article From Alpha and Omega Publications

2010-02-04T17:00:00.000-08:00

Homeschool View - How to Speak Your Homeschooler's Love Language

After you read the article, this will make more sense.

Gabriella said, "First hugs, loves and kisses and then I would want a gift!"

Marcus said, "First kisses and hugs, and then I would want you to worship God."

Steve said, "I would want to know where in the heck you had been!" That made me laugh.

Completed Books 1/29/10

2010-01-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

The kids and I are half way through Swallows and Amazons (352 pages), Arthur Ransome. We have very much enjoyed this book full of joyful adventure! Our library only has one copy, and because someone put a hold on the book, we had to return it early. We will pick it back up in a month or so for sure!

Marcus: The Secret of Droon: The Mask of Maliban (119 pages) and Voyage of the Jaffa Wind (132 pages), Tony Abbott, Locked in the Library (56 pages), Mark Brown, Stories to Solve (53 pages), George Shannon, Rimonah of the Flashing Sword, Eric Kimmel, Kings and Queens of the Bible (31 pages), Mary Hoffman, The Perfect Nest, Catherine Friend, The Amazing Pig, Paul Galdone, Anatole (32 pages), Eve Titus, The Monkey and the Crocodile, Paul Galdone, Tutankhamen's Gift, Robert Sabuda.

Lella: You Wouldn't Want to be a Slave in Ancient Greece! (28 pages), Fiona Macdonald, Stuart Little (131 pages), E.B. White, Snake Hair - The Story of Medusa (48 pages), Stephen Spinner, Uno Blue-Ribbon Beagle (47 pages), Stephanie Spinner, Zoo in the Sky, Jacqueline Mitton, Why Can't I Slide Down a Rainbow? (29 pages), Sally Hewitt, The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (selected chapters), Astrid Lindgren, The Secrets of Droon: Under the Serpent Sea (113 pages), Tony Abbott.

Both: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly Guy, Ted Arnold, Greek Myths: King Midas and the Golden Touch, Arachne, Perseus and Medusa, Adventures of Hercules, Jim Weiss, Monkey Business (selected chapters, Erik Brooks, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor (119 pages), John Yeoman, A Dog of My Own, Jack Canfield and Mark Hanson, The Trojan Horse (48 pages), Emily Little, Ishtar and Tammuz, Christopher Moore, Once Upon a Starry Night, Jackqueline Mitton, Buster's New Friend (54 pages), Marc Brown, Why Can't I Jump Up to the Moon? (27 pages), Sally Hewitt.

Fun Website

2010-01-25T18:17:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine gave me this website and the kids love it! The site is geared mostly towards math, but there are some spelling and grammar games. Enjoy!

Arcademic Skill Builders

Stories to Solve and Completed Books 1/21/10

2010-01-21T20:03:00.000-08:00

Stories to Solve: Folktales from Around the World, George Shannon, is such a fun book to have on hand.

"Shannon aptly combines folklore and puzzles in this short collection of 14 stories from around the world. The tales, not more than a page or two long, present situations in which someone figures out a problem or solves a mystery. Readers are then asked to suggest how it was done. For those who can't -- and many of the stories are abstract -- solutions are provided." Amazon

Are you ready for one? Here is a fun and familiar puzzle from the book. See if your children can figure it out!

One fine summer day two fathers and two sons went fishing at their favorite lake. They fished and talked all morning long and by noon everyone had caught one fish. As the two fathers and two sons walked back home, everyone was happy because each had a fish even though only three fish had been caught. Two fathers and two sons. Only three fish and no fish were lost. How can this have happened?

The answer is at the bottom of this post!

Book completed 1/21:

Lella: Anatole (32 pages), Eve Titus, The Monkey and the Crocodile, Paul Galdone, Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Adrienne Adams, The Amazing Pig, Paul Galdone, The Perfect Nest, Catherine Friend, Tutankhamen's Gift, Robert Sabuda.

Note: Lella really enjoyed Anatole, Parisian mouse magnifique!

Marcus: The Secrets of Droon: Under the Serpent Sea (113 pages), Tony Abbott, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (GIC, 236 pages), Jules Verne, Mummy Math, An Adventure in Geometry, Cindy Neuschwander, from The Children's Treasure of Virtues: Try, Try Again, The Tortoise and the Hare, St. George and the Dragon, The Lion and the Mouse, David and Goliath, The Minotaur, "America", edited by William J. Bennett.

Both: The Legend of the Persian Carpet, Tomie DePaola, Temple Cat (31 pages), Andrew Clements, The Secret of Droon: The Hawk Bandits of Tarkoom (116 pages), Tony Abbott, Jonah and the Whale, Rosemary Lanning, There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, Simms Taback, Get Ready for Second Grade Amber Brown (48 pages), Paula Danziger, Amanda Bean's Amazing Dream, A Mathematical Story, Cindy Neuschwander, Four Hungry Kittens, Emily McCully, George Washington's Breakfast, Jean Fritz.

Note: Gabriella loves reading There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and has the whole book memorized. She actually read it a couple years ago and recently requested it again. I was amazed she even remembered reading it! It is such a silly book, but she thinks it is very funny! She is also in this strange phase where she is requesting touch and feel board books. She is such a kinesthetic learner!

Solution to Riddle: Only three people went fishing. A boy, his father, and his grandfather: two sons and two fathers.

Draw, Write, Now

2010-01-17T19:32:00.000-08:00

I am not gifted in drawing, so I was very excited to come across this series that teaches kids how to draw using basic steps. Below is an excerpt from book 8: Animals of the World, Dry Land Animals.

Here are Marcus' and Lella's drawings. Marcus' are pictured first and then Lella's.

Completed Books 1/14/10

2010-01-14T16:07:00.000-08:00

Lella: The Secret of Droon: Quest for the Queen, Tony Abbott (91 pages), Lost in Little Bear's Room (32 pages), Else Minarik, Tales of Mystery and Terror (GIC, 238 pages), Edgar Allen Poe.

Both: The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor (119 pages), John Yeoman, Mush, a Dog from Space (39 pages), Daniel Pinkwater, Tut's Mummy Lost and Found (48 pages), Judy Donnelly, Laffite the Pirate (48 pages), Ariane Dewey, The Banshee (32 pages), Eve Bunting, The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales, Scieszka and Smith, It's A Fair Day Amber Brown (48 pages), Paula Danziger.

MEDtropolis

2010-01-12T12:20:00.001-08:00

This is a fun free site for kids to explore the human body: MEDtropolis.

You Can't Take a Balloon...

2010-01-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Lella really enjoy looking at this series of books (there are three) about art mimicking real life.

A little girl brings her balloon to a museum, but is not allowed to bring it inside. In each book, someone who works at the museum offers to watch her balloon. The balloon, by various means depending on which book you're looking at, becomes free. The museum worker chases the balloon through the city and each scene is similar to a piece of art the little girl is looking at. We make up our own words for each page! Very fun!

The books are written by sisters Jacqueline Weitzman and Robin Glasser.

Enjoy!

Snowflakes

2010-01-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

This was such a fun activity to do with the children (Thanks Chandra!). I used this site for instructions: How To Make Snowflakes.

Books Completed 1/11/10

2010-01-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

Marcus: The Secret of Droon: Quest for the Queen, Tony Abbott (91 pages), The Octopus, Cynthia Rylant (57 pages), Just So Stories (The Elephant's Child and How the Whale got his Throat), Rudyard Kipling, The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature: Humpty Dumpty, Jack and the Beanstalk, Red Riding Hood, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie-the-Pooh.

Note: If you can get pick up The Illustrated Treasury of Children's Literature, I would do so. It's a lovely book with many stories complete in themselves and carefully chosen excerpts from some of the greatest books in the English language. These stories are designed for families to read aloud, although Marcus likes to pick stories here and there to read on his own. Either way, it's a lovely book to have on hand.

Lella: The Secret of Droon: The Sleeping Giant of Goll, Tony Abbott (91 pages), The Secret of Droon: The Tower of the Elf King,Tony Abbot, (100 pages), Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown, Paula Danziger (48 pages).

Both: The Whale, Cynthia Rylant (96 pages), The Eagle, Cynthia Rylant (64 pages), Tales From Cultures Far and Near, Jim Weiss (CD), Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, Henry Barker, Sir Cumference Series (see post), The Story Keepers, Catacomb Rescue, Brown and Melrose (29 pages).

Reading together leads to reading separately.

Sir Cumference - A MUST read!

2010-01-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

Join a knight called Sir Cumference, his wife, Lady Di of Ameter, and their son Radius on their fun math adventures!

We recently read three of the books in this series by Cindy Neuschwander.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table (32 pages)

Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland (32 pages)

Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone (32 pages)

Marcus and Gabriella can still tell me the definitions for right, acute and obtuse angles, diameter, radius, and circumference!

Enjoy!

Beautiful Warrior, The Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu

2010-01-10T20:17:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Warrior, The Legend of the Nun's Kung Fu, Emily Arnold McCully was recommended to me by my friend Chandra. Marcus and Gabriella LOVED this book. Marcus especially loved the Kung Fu and the beautiful illustrations. Both children were able to understand the story's lessons, soft overcomes hard, calm overcomes strong. I highly recommend this book!

BrainPop

2010-01-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Lella have officially graduated from BrainPop Jr. to BrainPop. This is such a wonderful way to incorporate computer time into the school day. There is a wide range of topics covered and after each short video, students are given the opportunity to take an online quiz. You can sign up for a free trial with no obligations. The monthly fee is $9.95 (sign up under the "Family" section and not the "Homeschool" section).

The characters remain consistent throughout each video and the videos are informative and even funny at times! BrainPopJr. is a bit more fun than BrainPop, but the topics are limited. Enjoy!

Books Completed 1/5/10

2010-01-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

I noticed over the past week or so that Lella has read more than Marcus, which isn't usually the case. Then, it dawned on me that Marcus has been watching college football with Steve at night instead of reading! So, less reading for Marcus this past week, but definitely more bonding time with Daddy!

Marcus: The Secret of Droon: The Sleeping Giant of Goll (91 pages), Into the Land of the Lost (95 pages), The Golden Wasp (101 pages), Tony Abbott.

Lella: The Secret of Droon: City in the Clouds (88 pages), The Great Ice Battle (85 pages), The Sleeping Giant of Goll (91 pages), Into the Land of the Lost (95 pages), Tony Abbott, Pippi's Extraordinary Ordinary Day, Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Goes to School, Astrid Lindgren, I Was Born in a Tree and Raised by Bees, Jim Aronsky, Pippi to the Rescue, Astrid Lindgren, Beachcombing, exploring the seashore, Jim Aronsky, Little Lions, Jim Aronsky.

Both: Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper, T. Mollel, Anansi and the Magic Stick, E. Kimmel, Anansi the Spider, a tale from the Ashanti, Gerald McDermott, Zomo the Rabbit, Gerald McDermott, The Pot of Wisdom: Anansi Stories (63 pages), Adwoa Badoe and Baba Diakite.

Completed Books 12/30/09

2009-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

Marcus: The Secret of Droon: City in the Clouds (88 pages), The Great Ice Battle (85 pages), Tony Abbot, Stuart Little (129 pages), E.B. White.

Marcus said Stuart Little was his second favorite E.B. White book so far. Trumpet of the Swan was his favorite and Charlotte's Web ranked third. He especially liked the part where Stuart Little meets Harriet because she is small too!

Lella: The Secret of Droon: The Mysterious Island (85 pages), Tony Abbott, The Fairy Berry Bake-Off (47 pages), Daisy Alberto, Race Into Space (48 pages), Eric Arnold, George the Drummer Boy (61 pages), N. Benchley.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

2009-12-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

Joyful Noise, written by Paul Fleischman, is a children's book of poetry about insects. Each poem is designed for two readers to enjoy together; there are two columns of verse for children to alternate reading aloud. The poems are about the lives of six-legged creatures ranging from fireflies writing in the sky to a love affair between two lice, crickets eating pie crumbs and the single day in the life of a mayfly.

Marcus and Lella look forward to reading these poems aloud each day. One of the poems even had me in tears, as it was so beautifully written.

Enjoy!

Mary Poppins and Books Completed December 26, 2009

2009-12-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers, is such a delightful book to read with children. Each chapter is almost a story in itself! Mary Poppins is charming; her stern and haughty exterior belies the delightful nonsense she harbors. Marcus and Lella have truly enjoyed this book! 202 pages

Marcus' recently completed books: The Call of the Wild (GIC), Jack London, 238 pages, The Secret of Droon: The Mysterious Island, 85 pages, City in the Clouds, 88 pages, The Great Ice Battle, 87 pages (All written by Tony Abbott).

Lella's recently completed books: The Secret of Droon: The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet, 80 pages, and Journey to the Volcano Palace, 85 pages, Tony Abbott, Christoper Mouse, William Wise, 151 pages, The Hello, Goodbye Window, Norton Juster, Wombat Goes Walkabout, Michael Morpurgo.

Both have read: The Storm, Cynthia Rylant, 80 pages, Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane, Joanne Cole, D is for Doufu: An Alphabet Book of Chinese Culture, Maywan Krach, A Companion Book to D is for Doufu, Shen Krach, Do you Know Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren, 28 pages, Michael Phelps, Jeffrey Zuehlke, 29 pages, Crinkleroot Seris: 25 Fish Every Child Should Know, 25 More Animals Every Child Should Know, 25 Mammals Every Child Should Know, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Butterflies and Moths, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Habitats, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing Animal Tracking, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing The Trees (all written by Jim Arnosky), The Master Swordsman and the Magic Doorway, Alice Provensen, Pippi Longstocking in the Park, Astrid Lindgren.

Fun and Challenging Thinking Games

2009-12-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Lella received two games for Christmas that are wonderful.

The first, Brick-by-Brick by Thinkfun, challenges them to build a brick wall with five pieces. There are sixty cards with different brick walls to build.

The second, Q-bitz, can be played individually or with up to four players. Players are challenged to replicate a pattern given a square of cubes.

Enjoy!

The Secrets of Droon and completed books 12/13/09

2009-12-13T20:13:00.000-08:00

We recently discoverd this series at the library and Marcus is reading one/two every day! There are 30+ books in the series and are approximately 80 pages each. The reading level is around 3rd grade.

Summary: Three friends, Eric, Neal and Julie, discover a secret doorway in Eric's basement that leads to rainbow stairs. The stairs reach down into the wondrous world of Droon; a land where all kinds of amazing things occur. A cast of magical characters appears to guide the kids on their journeys.

Recently Completed Books

Marcus: The Secrets of Droon: The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet, Tony Abbott, 80 pages, The Secrets of Droon: Journey to the Volcano Palace, Tony Abbott, 85 pages, George the Drummer Boy, N. Benchley, 61 pages, Otis Spofford, Beverly Cleary, 189 pages

Lella: Birds Do the Strangest Things, Hornblow, 64 pages, How Not to Babysit Your Brother, Hapka and Titlebaum, 48 pages, Owl Moon, Jane Yolen, Lon Po Po, Ed Young, Cinderella, Marcia Brown

Both: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Robert O'Brien, 233 pages, One Grain of Rice, Demi, The Little Brown Jay, E. Clair, 22 pages, The Magic School Bus Gets Programmed, Scholastic, Once a Mouse, Marcia Brown, The Sisters Grimm: Magic and Other Misdemeaners, Michael Buckley, 304 pages

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, books completed 12/3/09

2009-12-03T16:51:00.000-08:00

We are currently reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Robert O'Brien, 233 pages. The children beg to read this book each day and as it is one of my favorite stories as a child, I am happy to oblige!

Other books recently completed:

Both: Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde (The Selfish Giant and The Star Child), P. Craig Russell, Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde (The Young King and The Remarkable Rocket), P. Craig Russell, Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde (The Devoted Friend and The Nightingale and the Rose), P. Craig Russell (Note: The three books above are in comic strip form), Gilgamesh the King, Ludmila Zeman, The Revenge of Ishtar, Ludmila Zeman, The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, Ludmila Zeman, The Coat of Many Colors, Korlek and Baynes, The Golden Sandal, Rebecca Hickox, Life in Ancient Mesopotamia, Silpha Mehta-Jones, The Winged Cat, Deborah Lattimore, The Friends of Abu Ali, Dorothy O. Van Woerkom, 64 pages, A Kitten Called Moonlight, C. Birmingham, 40 pages, Soccer Sam, Marzolla and Sims, 48 pages, So You Want To Be President, George and Small, 52 pages, The High Rise Private Eyes #3, The Case of the Puzzling Possum, C. Rylant, 48 pages

Lella: The Prince and the Pauper (GIC), Mark Twain, 239 pages

Marcus: Mr. Popper's Penguins, Richard and Florance Atwater, 139 pages

Turkey Art Project

2009-12-03T16:46:00.001-08:00

"Hi there! We are Marcus and Lella's Thanksgiving turkeys! You can see we were made from their hand prints. Marcus made me. I am on your left. My sister, made by Lella, is on your right. We were thankful that Marcus and Lella's Mama got motivated to do an art project!"

Making Christmas "Soap" Globes

2009-12-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun making soap with our Pastor's family! The project was extremely easy and the kids enjoyed placing the mini-ornaments inside the soft glycerin. The link below is to the website we used. Enjoy!

How To Make Soap

Recently Completed Books 11/22

2009-11-22T18:53:00.000-08:00

Marcus:
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle's Farm, Betty MacDonald, 128 pages
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (GIC), Howard Pile, 238 pages

Lella:
Besides re-reading every single Magic School Bus we own :-)...
Gulliver's Travels (GIC), Jonathan Swift, 240 pages
Farmer Skiboo Stories, Martin Waddell, 31 pages
Dogs Rule!, Daniel Kirk (cute poem book about dogs)
Flying Feet, James Stevenson, 48 pages
The Mud Flat Mystery, James Stevenson, 56 pages
Heat Wave at Mud Flat, James Stevenson, 31 pages
The High Rise Private Eyes, the case of the Puzzling Possum, G. Brian Karas, 48 pages
A Kitten Called Moonlight, Martin Waddell

Both:
Once Upon a Crime, Michael Buckley, 296 pages
The Ghost Ship, Martin Waddell, 31 pages
Two Brown Bears, Martin Waddell, 31 pages
A Treasure of Turkish Folktales for Children, Barbara Walker
The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition, Cole and Degen
Nurse Matilda, Christianna Brand, 133 pages
The 5000 Year Old Puzzle, Claudia Logan

Nurse Matilda

2009-11-22T18:46:00.001-08:00

"Full of such naughtiness- it may be better to keep these away from your children." --Emma Thompson

One day all the nurses and nannies and governesses gave notice together. "Mr. and Mrs. Brown, your children are so naughty that we cannot stand it one minute longer and are going away. What you need is Nurse Matilda."

...and so the laughter began. Marcus and Lella LOVED those naughty disobedient children (which I am not sure is a good thing!). Thankfully, they liked Nurse Matilda just as much :-)! One thing I really enjoyed about this book was the many British words that we got to pronounce and talk about. Do you know what blancmanges are? Enjoy!

The 5,000 Year Old Puzzle

2009-11-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

Marcus and Gabriella LOVED this book! There are actual pictures from the real expedition and all of the facts are real; the fictional characters are delightful. I highly recommend this book (40 pages).

Summary:
When King Tut's tomb was discovered in Egypt in 1922, the world was abuzz. What would be the next big, newsworthy archaeological find? Might it be Giza 7000X, a secret Egyptian tomb buried deep within the earth? Logan and Sweet (with the cooperation of The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston) answer that question and ask a few more in The 5,000-Year-Old Puzzle, their truly splendid picture book for older readers.

11/12/09 Completed Books

2009-11-12T18:07:00.000-08:00

Gabriella:
I Love Guinea Pigs, Dick King-Smith (short, easy read)
No Fighting, No Biting, Else Holmelund (short, easy read)
Dolphins and other Marine Mammals, Bobbie Kalman (31 pages about Marine Mammals)
Polar Bears in Danger, Roberta Edwards (short, easy read)
Mud Flat Spring, James Stevenson, (short, easy read)
Seven books in the High-Rise Private Eyes series, Cynthia Rylant (short, easy reads)

Marcus:
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Kate DiCamillo (198 pages)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis (198 pages)

Abridged C. S. Lews, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2009-11-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

After Marcus finished this classic C. S. Lewis unabridged novel, Gabriella wanted to read it too. I was able to find this lovely abridged version for her. It was the perfect amount of reading (definitely longer in parts) and was true to the original story. She enjoyed the illustrations too!

Publisher: HarperCollins
Illustrator: Christian Birmingham

The High Rise Private Eyes

2009-11-12T17:50:00.000-08:00

Gabriella happened upon this series at the library and asked if she could check some out. The reading level varies from book to book, but I would say it's on an average 1st - 3rd grade reading level. This reader series features detectives and best friends Bunny Brown and raccoon Jack Jones.

The books average about 50 pages and Lella reads them rather quickly. She has requested more!

Cave Paintings

2009-11-08T21:16:00.001-08:00

Hall of Bulls Cave in Lascaux, France vs. Marcus and Lella's cave painting. Lella's reverse hand print is on the left and Marcus' is on the right. Fun!

Salt Map of Egypt

2009-11-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

This was a fun project we did a couple weeks ago. Shaping the map caused the kids to easily see how Lower Egypt is actually North.

Directions:
Mix 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt and 3/4 cup water. (Add a little water at a time). This should make a very thick dough. Add more flour if needed. Spread dough over map you've outlined on heavy cardboard or plywood. I had the kids create their map in a gift box! Shape mountains, valleys, plains, etc. You may dip fingers lightly in water to smooth out rough places in dough. Allow to dry and paint with tempura.

Recently Completed Books 11/4/09

2009-11-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

There were times when Marcus was reading E. B. White's classic tale The Trumpet of the Swan. Trumpet is an unforgettable, poetic and deeply moving story of love, friendship, and most importantly, coming to terms with a disability. The book not only teaches, but entertains. There were even several times Marcus laughed out loud!

Marcus:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis, 189 pages
The Trumpet of the Swan, E. B. White, 210 pages
Edward Tulane, K. DiCamilllo, 198 pages

Lella:
The Call of the Wild, Great Illustrated Classics, Jack London, 238 pages
Peter Rabbit, A Lift-the-Flap Rebus Story Book, based on the original by Beatrix Potter
Zak's Lunch, Palatini, 32 pages

The Chronicles of Narnia

2009-11-02T19:50:00.000-08:00

I found this special read-aloud edition of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S Lewis, 189 pages) at the library recently, and Marcus was finished with it in five nights. He was intrigued by the large text, black and white illustrations and then, of course, was drawn into C. S. Lewis' magical and mystical world of Narnia. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a charmingly written, classic story.

When I asked Marcus what he liked most about the book, he replied, "When Aslan died for Edmond. It reminded me of Christ dying for us."

We are ordering him the rest of this series for him on Amazon!

A Place in the Sun (Jill Rubalcaba, 80 pages)

2009-10-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

We read A Place in the Sun today and compared Sunmet's life with the lives of Marcus and Lella in the following ways:

Worship and Prayer
Treating Sickness
Home and Family
Country Leader
Punishment for Wrongdoing
Entertainment

Summary of story:

When Sunmut's sculptor father is bitten by a cobra, Senmut believes that if he can carve a statue of the healer-goddess Sekhmet that will please her, she will help save Yuf. As the boy works, he carelessly throws aside a tool, accidentally killing a dove. This thoughtless act, in ancient Egypt, means a death sentence for Senmut, unless the gods intercede on his behalf. They do, and instead of a quick death, the boy is sentenced to work in the mines, which will lead, he knows, to a slower, but no-less-sure, demise. How Sunmut escapes this fate and, by virtue of his talent and some good luck, survives to become Royal Sculptor to the Pharaoh, makes for an exciting and information-filled adventure!

So many books, so little time...

2009-10-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Marcus is reading several books at the moment, but recently completed A Good Night for Ghosts, Mary Pope Osborne (~110 pages), and a few shorter stories like: Grandaddy's Place (Helen Griffith), Goldilocks and the Three Bears (a modern take on the old fairy tale by Steven Guarnaccia), How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball (David Shannon).

Gabriella is reading through all of her Magic School Bus Books again and also her "about" books: About Birds, About Mammals, About Arachnids, etc... (Catherine Sill). We have all of them and although they are very simple, she enjoys the illustrations and the longer descriptions of each animal in the back of the book. Gabriella is very much enjoying Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg (Levine, ~208 pages) and is almost finished.

Gabriella and Marcus both recently finished The McElderry Book of Aesop's Fables (Morpurgo), and The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, Book 2, ~320 pages).

We are currently reading The Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Braum, ~200 pages). I particularly like the version illustrated by the Junior Library, as the writing is a bit larger and the illustrations are simple and sweet.

Steve recently finished his unit on Literary Devices and now, especially during family worship, the children are recognizing them when we read scripture. His plan is to teach them ten new devices each year. They now are familiar with: Metaphor, Simile, Personification, Hyperbole, Understatement, Metonymy, Synecdoche, Hendiadys, Eupemism, and Irony. If you would like to see what he has done, feel free to email him! He's happy to share :-).

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

2009-10-10T05:36:00.001-07:00

Kate DiCamillo writes such lovely childrens' books. You may recognize her other books: The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie.

Gabriella just finished The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (197 pages), and said it was one of her favorite books.

Summary:

Edward, a china rabbit, is lost when he is dropped over the side of a boat. Edward journeys home and has many encounters along the way. He learns valuable lessons about life through these encounters..

Recently read books 10/5

2009-10-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

Marcus: Coudy with a chance of Meatballs (Junior Novelization) 112 pages, The Rockhound Science Mysteries (book 1, 2, and 3) all about 50 pages

Lella: Mole and Shrew (Koller), Pickles to Pittsburgh (Barrett)

Both: Nim's Island Movie Storybook (Scholastic), Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat (Miller), Three More Stories You Can Read to Your Cat (Miller)

It was so fun to see Marcus and Gabriella read to their stuffed cat "Alley". I am going to reserve the dog version for sure!

We are also reading the McElderly's book of Aesop's Fables. The kids love to read a fable and then write down what they think the moral of the story is.

Enjoy!

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs Junior Novelization

2009-10-05T11:45:00.000-07:00

Marcus and Lella loved reading this book based on the soon to be released movie and famous book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs by the Barretts . Marcus even laughed out loud at certain parts of the story!

Enjoy!

Books Recently Completed

2009-09-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Marcus: Apollo 13, The Movie Storybook, Around the World in 80 days (Great Illustrated Classics)
Lella: Three More Stories You Can Read to Your Cat (Sara Miller), Margarine and Marbles (A Go Bananas book), Moby Dick (Great Illustrated Classics)

Both: The McElderry Book of Grimm's Fairy Tales (Saviour Pirotta): The Sleeping Beauty, The Magic Bear and the Handsome Prince, The Golden Haired Girl in the Tower, The Princess and the Seven Dwarves, The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Tangrams

2009-09-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up this book from the library:

The Tangram book : the story of the Chinese puzzle with over 2000 puzzles to solve
Slocum, Jerry.

Marcus loves to look at an image, create it using one set of Tangrams, and then check his answer. Gabriella likes to play with all of the Tangrams and create pictures (shown here). Either way, Tangrams are an easy, creative, smart activity for children.

Enjoy!

Choose Your Own Adventure Series

2009-09-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

We recently purchased several "Choose Your Own Adventure" books from ebay and Marcus and Lella LOVE them! There are so many books in this series to choose from.

Gabriella recently finished Return to Atlantis and Marcus recently finished By Balloon to the Sahara. They eventually read the entire book, as they choose different paths each time.

Most of these books seem to be approximately 100 pages.

Harry Kitten and Tucker Mouse

2009-09-24T11:13:00.001-07:00

Gabriella and Marcus recently finished this delightful book and requested more from this series.

The author is George Seldon.

Summary:
This book tells the story of a mouse, Tucker, and a cat, Harry, who become friends, share food, and search New York for a home of their own. Their wanderings take them to the basement of the Empire State Building and to Gramercy Park, among other places. Eventually, they settle down in the Times Square subway station.