Bird and Little Bird

Summer Reading Round-Up

I meant to write this post yesterday, which is to say that I meant to write it last week sometime, but somehow that never happened. There is gas main construction going on in our neighborhood, resulting in things like having no water for seven hours at a time, so we have been doing less at home and hitting the road for various adventures instead. The tour of Massachusetts beaches continues, in other words. But we have all been reading a lot, so I thought I might share a bit of what we have been reading, and maybe see what you all have been up to as well.

For her part, Mariam finished up reading the Mysterious Benedict Society books this summer, as well as reading a couple of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I think that she just finished Little Town on the Prairie. Annie 2.0 arrived for a visit this weekend, and brought along Wildwood, which M. has been wanting to read. They started reading it together a couple of nights ago, but I might try to catch up so that I can read it with Mariam when Annie heads back to Oregon. Mariam has probably read almost a book a day all summer long, including everything from The One and Only Ivan to a pile of Nancy Drew mysteries and about half of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. She loved The One and Only Ivan and was really excited when she heard that the book had won the Newbury Medal for this year.

 

For my part, I have gone deep down the natural history hole, as I am wont to do. A few weeks ago, I read the new David Quammen book, which I found totally riveting. I am like a certifiable squealing David Quammen fangirl, a fact which is so incredibly nerdy I can't even believe I just admitted to it on the Interwebs. But there it is. I have read everything the man has written and engage in Internet stalking to find out when new books will come out. I can't believe I was so slow to read his latest; I blame it on the residency match/move situation. And laziness.

Tim Gallagher also has a new book out, about his trek to Mexico to search for the likely extinct imperial woodpecker. I'm about half way into that one right now, reading it along with Dawn, who was the one that told me about it. I'm a big fan of Gallagher's earlier woodpecker chronicle, but somehow missed the fact that there was a new book.

Last week, I read The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, by Elisabeth Tova Bailey, which I also really enjoyed. It is part natural history, part memoir, part call to being present and grateful in daily life. It is very well written and strangely engaging, considering that a lot of it is about snails. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and neighbors. I've also been browsing The Seaside Naturalist, which is a truly fantastic reference for any of you beachgoing folks living on or visiting the eastern seaboard. I picked it up at the local Audubon center and have looked at it almost daily since then.

And for Z.'s part? More with the pigeon and the bus. Yes. Still.

I don't believe I've got anything on deck, so if you have a great read to recommend, do leave it in the comments for us all to see! I love to know what everyone is reading.

Library Monday: The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.

For reasons that are perhaps not at all sensible, I often find that I am hesitant when it comes to reading sequels to books that I have found particularly fantastic. I can't quite say if it is because I secretly fret over the possibility that the next title will be less fantastic, therefore ruining my happy feelings about the first book, but I suspect that this is probably close to the mark. Which is to say, it took us nearly three years to continue on with the Mysterious Benedict Society trilogy after finishing the first book, despite the fact that both Mariam and myself loved it whole-heartedly.

And I am happy to say, my concerns appear to have been unfounded. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart turns out to be a wonderful, page-turner of a follow up to the first book, and is a worthy story in its own right. Part detective story, part hero's quest, part tale of daring and adventure, the Perilous Journey is engaging, exciting, and every bit as clever as its predecessor. Like in the first novel, Stewart pays incredible attention to including the details that make the story feel real and true- even in moments when the events taking place seem outlandish and implausible.

For her part, Mariam seems to enjoy the fact that the strong, smart, capable kid characters from the first novel remain so in this follow up. The kid geniuses from the first book have all returned for the second, and prove themselves to be just as quick witted and kind hearted in this story. If anything, the characters are slightly more self aware this time around, and Stewart does a remarkable job of writing their individual thought processes and inner conflicts in such a way that their growth as people since the events of the first book is truly apparent. And, like with the first story, The Mysterious Benedict Soceity and the Perilous Journey is, above all, a satisfying tale of the power of friendship, family, and loyalty, so despite all of the harrowing danger faced by the kids as the novel reaches its climax, the hope provided by their reliance on one another always shines through. Also, did I mention that it has moments that are laugh out loud funny? The balance between moments of humor and dramatic tension is very well done here indeed.

So, while I can't exactly why I was so sheepish about picking this one up, I'm certainly glad that we did. It was a great restart to a read aloud routine that needed a bit of attention after the madness of our move. And, I think it will be quickly followed up by the third book in this clearly solid series.

Library Monday: A Little Giveaway for Your Library.

The considerable effort at organizing our recently unboxed wordly posessions continues. Although I tried to go through a lot of our belongings on the Vermont end of things, the reality was that as the move loomed closer and closer, I just ran out of time to be as conscientious and thoughtful about what to bring and what to giveaway as I had hoped.

But, this turns out to be a good thing. Well, for you anyway. Because one of the discoveries that I made as I was unpacking last week was a stack of extra copies of Henry and Mudge titles from my days teaching small literacy groups. There are four different titles represented, and I think that I have enough copies to give away sets of the four books to three interested parties. So, if you would like to fortify your Cynthia Rylant collection a bit (always a recommended course of action, if you ask me) simply leave a comment on this post. I'll pull numbers out of the proverbial hat 'round about Friday or so, and then email folks to get mailing addresses for sending the books. Thanks to all who entered! I'll be in touch with the winners, Christen, Sandra, and Liz via email.

In other news, I have a post up on the Playful Learning blog at the moment. It is an easy recipe for gluten-free play clay, and we are finding that the stuff works great for all kinds of sculpture and model building activities. The clay will be making another appearance (as part of a larger project) in the Alphabet Glue 2013 Summer Science Special, which I am hoping to have ready next Monday, July 1st.

Library Monday: If You Want to See a Whale.

A good couple of months before we started even packing up for the big move to Massachusetts, I put some serious restrictions on book procurement for any and all people around here who I am officially in charge of. Myself and the kids, essentially. Dan's book collection habits are an unstoppable force of nature that I wouldn't even try to harness. So, new books have been few and far between for the smalls these last few months, and any exceptions to this rule have been notable ones.

Which is to say, that if you are looking for a picture book truly worth its shelf space, If You Want to See a Whale by Julie Fogliano (with illustrations by Erin E. Stead) is an excellent choice indeed. I had heard enough buzz about this book even before it was in print, that when it actually became available, I just couldn't help but snap up a copy for our shelf. I have no regrets.

If You Want to See a Whale is a lyrical exploration of the finer points of watching for an extraordinary thing to happen; an ode to patience, perserverence, and the benefits of a watchful eye. The text reads almost like poetry, and the softly colored illustrations are simultaneously subtle and expressive. The story is a simple one- it chronicles the quest of a small boy and his dog as they set about whale watching- but the words on each page serve as invitations to a larger tale, just on the horizon of the reader's imagination. And despite the fact that this particular picture book is ideal for the younger reader, my chapter book eating nine-year old read through it immediately upon its arrival, and then wanted me to do the same (so that I could understand what she meant when she told me how very, very good it was).

If You Want to See a Whale is a whimsical and humorous guide to the finer points of nature observation (not being distracted by pirates, for example), but it is also a nice reflection on approaching the world with wide-eyed wonder and expecting to meet magic.

Rainy Days and Neighborhood Explores.

I have begun to accept the fact that it might actually not stop raining. Ever. It is marginally easier to regard this situation with cheerful resignation when I think about the fact that my children look very cute in their semi-matching rain jackets. The baby likes his very much, and regularly asks to put it on so that he can wear it around the house.

Since it seems that it will be raining always, we have been just going about our business with some expectation of being wet, and maybe a little cold. I have been letting the kids wear whatever shoes they want and haven't said a word about avoiding puddles. Really no point. Yesterday Mariam tromped through about six inches of water along the edge of the sidewalk as we walked to the farmer's market in the afternoon. It is a tiny market by any objective standards, but it is also a few hundred feet from our front door. Seriously. And we were able to get everything that we needed for dinner, including some haddock filets from a local lobsterman. Then we walked home in the rain, which took about a minute and a half.

 

For today's explore, we visited our new local library and got our library cards. We also grabbed a copy of Regarding the Fountain, which will likely be next in the read-aloud cue after we finish the second Mysterious Benedict Society book. I love Regarding the Fountain, and can't believe we've never read it together. Although I think it is sort of a perfect end-of-third-grade read, so perhaps that is why.

Oh, and the blur of baby in a blue rain jacket pictured above? A pretty accurate representation of what the world looks like from my point of view basically all the time these days.

Alphabet Glue: Volume Thirteen

Believe me when I say that no one is more surprised than I am to hear the news that in spite of all the packing and the sorting and the moving across various state lines and then unpacking and sorting some more, there is a new issue of Alphabet Glue ready. Right this minute. Indeed, in the midst of all the madness (and I can assure you, it really was madness), I put the finishing touches on Volume Thirteen of Alphabet Glue. It probably helped that I started working on it the very day that I launched Volume Twelve. And after I finished this newest installment, I proceeded to engage in all sorts of internet wizardry to make sure that it could launch itself this morning, even if I found myself without internet, or coffee, or shoes. Or all of the above.

 

Volume Thirteen is simple summer fun at its finest. Cool kid science activities, fun printables, four fantastic new themed booklists, basic bookmaking projects for storytellers and naturalists alike. Good, good stuff. And from freezer-free ice cream to handmade insect encyclopedias, you can find it all right here.

Which, of course, I hope that you will do.

 

Notes from Friday Morning.

The first half of our move to Massachusetts went pretty smoothly. Although it was apparently pretty busy, because I managed this one photo, and that appears to be about it. It is a picture of the living room of the new place, before we started filling it with stacks of boxes. As you can see, the floors are very shiny, which tells you that my children do not yet actually live there. But soon.

In the meantime, we have a big weekend coming up back here in Vermont. Dan is graduating from medical school on Sunday, an event worthy of my waxing philosophical at least a little bit. But right at this moment I am typing with one hand while trying to both nurse the baby and eat a sunny side up egg. This is actually pretty tricky business. So thoughts on the medical school journey later, I guess.

By the way, I made you all some printable and pocket-sized lists for summer library going. Fun, yes? You can find them over at Playful Learning.

Happy Friday, friends.

Library Monday: Birds, Nests, and Eggs.

It was, by all accounts, a very good weekend for the bird enthusiasts at our house. We had not one, but two, awesome nest sightings, both with a trio of tiny eggs inside and both in bushes at eye level. Pretty fortunate, yes? The nest above belongs to a scolding mother robin living just off the side of the deck at the home of some friends that we visited over the weekend.

 

The sighting of the robin's nest was a good reminder of exactly why it is handy to have an easy-to-reference kid's field guide handy. I think that I have mentioned before that I really like the Take Along Guides series by Mel Boring and Linda Garrow. They have lovely illustrations, are easy to navigate, and are full of great information that is accessible to kids of pretty much any age. I find that they have an intuitive structure to them that leaves Mariam feeling like she can probably find out what she wants to know when she goes to get one off the shelf.

We particularly like the Birds, Nests, and Eggs guide, and it was the first book that we went looking for this weekend when we found a second nest in the bushes in our own yard, near our front door. The mama bird wasn't around when we first found the nest (well, we didn't see her right away, anyway), so we needed to figure out what kind of eggs they were without the benefit of a bird sighting. I think that it is absolutely the mark of a good kids' nature tome when they immediately go hunting for it when they realize that there is something that they want to know about, or when they have a specific question that they want answered. It got me thinking that we should really collect each of the titles in this series. We have a handful already, and they are all fantastic. With baby Z. on his way up in the world, they will probably continue to be both useful and loved, so are likely well worth the investment.

 

And, we did figure out what kind of egg these are. Not long after we first found the nest, we caught a glimpse of their layer.

Anyone want to take a guess at who laid these little front yard treasures?

Don't forget about the big Alphabet Glue May moving sale!  Any and all issues of Alphabet Glue are on sale until May 15th! Enter "may25" at checkout for 25% off. There are lots and lots of great book recommendations, printable pages and fun science and craft projects in there; perfect for getting busy with the small folk this summer!

Library Monday: Q & A a Day for Kids.

There was a time in my life when I was a keeper of journals. I guess in some ways, I still am (this blog being a fine example, I suppose), but I don't do the same kind of waxing poetic with pen and paper type of thing that I did in my college years. I'm good with that, although from time to time, I do thing about the little details of daily life that might be nice to remember later. Which is one of the reasons why, when I ran across Betsy Franco's Q & A a Day for Kids, I snapped up a copy like that.

The idea here is genius in its simplicity, and pretty well done in its execution. There are pages assigned to every day of the year, each with a prompt for kids to write to. The pages have space to write an answer to the prompt three times: this year, next year, and then one more time three years from now. The questions are mostly about small details of daily life: what kinds of things a kid likes to wear or eat, what instruments they play, what they see when they look outside of their bedroom window. There are also some questions aimed at finding out a bit more about a kid's perspective on things. One question asks what they think a gallon of milk probably costs. Together, revisiting each of these questions again over the next couple of years will create a unique journal of the way that a child's likes, dislikes, world view, and thoughts on life's smaller moments change as they grow. I love it.

 

For our part, we began the journal on Mariam's ninth birthday. So, if we stick with it, we will finish it on the day that she turns twelve. I expect that we will have days when we forget to write, and am planning to give us leniency for catching up within a reasonable window of time (so that the answers are still an accurate picture of her thinking at the moment). So far I have learned that she thinks that I am the person who understands her best (at least most of the time), and that she is pretty sure you can buy a car for about 1,000 dollars. Good to know.

And remember.

Learning Through Play: Super Book Bundle for Spring!

So, as of right about now, the incredibly fantastic "Learning Through Play" spring book bundle is officially available. Organized by Melitsa of Raising Playful Tots and Cathy of NurtureStore, the bundle is available between now and April 14th. Melitsa and Cathy have put together a package of e-books and resources worth more than $130, from sixteen different authors. It is all based around the theme of "learning through play," which is kind of the perfect idea as we head into warmer weather and longer days.  The bundle includes books, resources, and an online course, and covers sensory play, outdoor play, art and crafts, positive parenting, learning to read and write, math and lots more. There is tons of great inspiration to keep busy and get creative with your kiddos all spring and summer long.

How to buy and download the bundle

The book bundle has officially gone on its way. But not to worry! The individual authors of the books included in the bundle all have their very own webpages and blogs where you can find their contributions. To track down any of the included ebooks that you were particularly hopeful about getting your hands on, simply click through to the author's site below.

The Garden Classroom by Cathy James of NurtureStore:

The Garden Classroom brings you fifty-two creative and playful outdoor activities, giving you a whole year’s worth of garden-based projects to enjoy with your children. Value $9.99  

ScienceArts by MaryAnn Kohl of Process Art & Treasures of Childhood:

ScienceArts inspires children to explore the world of science through art with open-ended experiments. 141 pages of art experiments amaze & delight children as they discover the magic of crystals, light, constellations, plants and more. All scientific reactions and concepts explained. Value $9.99

The Playful Family by Shawn Fink of Awesomely Awake:

The Playful Family encourages and challenges busy parents to slow down and spend quality time together with their children, regardless of their age. With nearly 100 ways to connect, engage and play together this easy-to-read e-book is a must-have resource for any parent interested in becoming more playful and happy while raising children. Value $4.99  

Connecting Family through Creative Play e-Workshop by Gina Kimmel of Connecting Family & Seoul and Katherine Lockett of Creative Playhouse:

Connecting Family through Creative Play is a 30 day e-Workshop designed for families who wish to connect with their children on a daily basis through simple, creative play. These ideas are perfect for parents looking to find a balance between the everyday responsibilities and connecting with your child in meaningful ways that fit into your family’s daily rhythm. You will receive daily messages from us in your inbox with inspirations to play, ideas for connection, and resources to help spark your imagination, including access to a private Facebook community. {Please note this course is running April 29th 2013 to May 28th 2013 only and you must register on the course before May 15th 2013} Value $25  

Alphabet Glue: Volumes Nine through Eleven by Annie Riechmann of Bird and Little Bird (Hey! I know her!):

Alphabet Glue is a downloadable e-magazine for families who love books, and aims to help more families to incorporate creativity, imagination and all things literary into their everyday routines. Each issue contains leveled book recommendations organized by theme, bookmaking tutorials, story-building activities, and hands-on projects that complement favorite titles in children's literature or teach basic elements of science. Value $11  

Alphabet Summer Learning Pack by Erin Wing of Small Types:

The Alphabet Summer Learning Pack is a collection of flexible summer learning ideas organized around an "A to Z" theme. Use these resources to prevent the dreaded "summer slide" and build fun learning routines into your summer plans. Ideas are simple and flexible, so families can pick and choose the activities that work for their particular child and schedule. They provide opportunities to practice key literacy and math skills, and they leave plenty of time for lemonade stands and sand castles. Value $7  

Pink and Green Mama Crafts: Backyard FUN by MaryLea Harris of Pink and Green Mama:

Backyard FUN brings you 13 Art Lessons and Craftivities to create your own Backyard Fun Camp at home or in your classroom with step-by-step instructions, supply lists, and full color photos. The supplies for these fun and easy projects will come from your own art and craft stash, garage, hardware store, and recycling bin! Value $10  

Alphabet Crafts by Allison McDonald of No Time For Flash Cards:

Alphabet Crafts lets you create the alphabet from A-Z with fun crafts that promote more than just letter recognition. Kids will love making their own alphabet and forget that they are learning in the process. With 5 exclusive crafts never published on No Time For Flash Cards. Value $8  

Alphabet Games by Malia Hollowell of Playdough to Plato:

The Alphabet Mega Pack includes 12 hands-on games that teach children to recognize the names and sounds of letters - skills that are important for learning how to read. Each activity includes easy to follow parent instructions and helpful photos. The games are addictively fun for kids AND their families! Value $6

Raising a Creative Kid: Simple Strategies for Igniting and Nurturing that Creative Spark by Jillian Riley of A Mom with a Lesson Plan:

Raising a Creative Kid will help you raise a creative thinker by simply setting up a creative environment, using intentional language, and nurturing mistakes. This easy read is full tips and tricks that will help you transform your environment into a creativity growth center. Value $7.99

5 minute reading tricks for raising rockstar readers by Amy Mascott of teach mama:

Fifteen 5-minute reading tricks that cover everything from teaching names to what parents should say during read-alouds, from learning sight words to reading fluently. It’s about rolling out the red carpet for our rockstar readers. Now. Whomever you are, wherever you are, no matter how busy you are. Value $10  

Parenting with Positive Guidance: Building Discipline from the Inside Out by Amanda Morgan of Not Just Cute:

Parenting with Positive Guidance gives you the tools for understanding your child’s behavior and effectively teaching and guiding your child toward increased self-control while fostering a healthy parent-child relationship. 100+ pages of information you can start using today! Value $9  

Treasure Basket Play by Melitsa Avila of Raising Playful Tots:

Treasure Basket Play lets you learn step by step how to make your own natural sensory baby play activity with a Treasure Basket. Includes case studies and interview with a sensory play expert on using Treasure Baskets. Value $8.95  

Play Grow Learn Issue 2 by Christie Burnett of Childhood 101:

Issue 2 of Play Grow Learn is packed full of playful fun with 55 pages and over 100 activity ideas. Includes ideas for creating family stories with internationally acclaimed author Hazel Edwards, an exclusive full colour, printable sea themed bingo game, 12 pages of active and outdoor play ideas, recipes, art, literacy, creativity, construction, imaginative play, books and more! Value $4  

Spring Literacy and Math Activities and Games by Christine Lanyon of Scribble Doodle and Draw:

Spring Literacy and Math Activities and Games includes 15 fun learning center ideas. Skills worked on include, addition to 8, patterns, counting to 20, measurement, number sequencing, abc order, writing 3 letter words, rhyming, syllables, compound words and more. Value $8

Kind of a ridiculous amount of good stuff, eh? Click on the magic button below and it will all be in your inbox pretty much immediately. Oh, and tell a friend!