What have you been reading??

 

We don’t have a specific list we are going by or anything… we just love to read in this house. I was just curious to see what we could accomplish in one summer without over doing and driving the kids nuts. What better way to keep track than sharing with you??

So far Hunter has read:

• Magic Tree House Hallows Eve
  
• Magic Tree House Carnival at Candlelight 
  
• 39 Clues Book 4
  
• 39 Clues Book 5
  
• 39 Clues Book 6
  
• 39 Clues Book 7
  
• 39 Clues Book 8
  
• Percy Jackson The Lightening Thief
  
• How to train your dragon Book 2
  
• 
  

So far I have read to the girls:

• Princess Ellie   Book 1
  
• Princess Ellie   Book 2
  
• Princess Ellie   Book 3
  
• Princess Ellie   Book 4  
  
• Rainbow Fairy’s Book 4
  

Rachel is also reading any Level 1 and 2 books in the library she can find. Her reading has improved greatly over the summer.

Do your kids love to read?? What have they been reading, and what is their favorite book? We will check back at the end of the summer and let you know any others we read…

Now we are off the the Library to pick up some more books!

 

How to get your kids to Embrace Summer Reading??

Reading has never really been a huge issue for our family…my kids LOVE to read. However, for some its hard to get them to read in the summer. For the smaller kids I CAN READ! is a great way to start. Two of my youngest girls are just learning to read. One just finished Kindergarten, and the I CAN READ! books are the best ones for her to get excited about reading. Even for my youngest who is about to start Kindergarten, they offer the best of both worlds. The pictures to keep them stimulated, and the small words to help her learn to read. Where do your kids fall??
Do your kids hate to read?? Or just not happy they have to read, since school is out? Here is a list of things that help us with reading in the summer…

• Look for incentive programs, like at bookstores. My oldest is working towards getting a free book from all the bookstores near us.
  
• Check your local library for incentives as well. Ours offers a weekly drawing for free books.
  
• Local Restaurants sometimes offer free food for kids who read so many books.
  
• With my oldest, we read a certain book, and when we finish we watch the movie to compare.
  
• Find different places to read, such as the park, beach, etc.
  
• Subscribe to a magazine for each child to have something special for them to read.
  
• We always have one book, that we read together each week. By taking turns reading and having that time together all my kids love this.
  
• Be an example, when you ask them to read…set aside a few minutes for you to be able to read as well.
  
• Have fun with reading… do activities around the book you are reading!
  

I hope this helps with some ideas for reading… Speaking of reading. We are off to the library this morning to pick up some more books. Hope you all have a fabulous time reading!!!

A bit about I CAN READ!

The number one beginner reader series in the country, I Can Read!, is the open door to a child’s adventure with the most beloved characters in the history of children’s literature. It is the premiere and proven series for encouraging young readers from early reading together to advanced reading alone. The series debuted in 1957with the introduction of a familiar favorite, Little Bear. It was one of the first ever easy-to-read books that children could read independently, and has been in print ever since. Now with more than 6 million I Can Read! books sold, including 200 titles, I Can Read! books is the best series to take children step by step into the wonderful world of reading on their own.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Fall Into Reading…How I did:

 

Ok, now for the list of books I said I’d read…

1. Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
2. The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
3. What Matters most by Melody Carlson
4. Limelight by Melody Carlson
5. The Boneman’s Daughter by Ted Dekker
6. Thirsty by Tracey Bateman
7. Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah
8. Between Sister by Kristen Hannah
9. Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
10. Blood Sisters by Melody Carlson
11. The Scrapbook by Peggy Baker
12. Scrap Everything by Leslie Gould
13. Peeing in Peace by Beth Feldman
14. Because I said so by Dawn Meehan
15. Life’s a Beach by Claire Cook
16. Holly’s Inbox by Holly Denham
17. Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Picoult
18. Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
19. White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner
20. True Blue by David Baldacci

Now aside from my 20 books I wanted to read… I’ also wanted to work on a couple of series with my kids. With my son I was going to read “39 Clues Series” with him…

1. Maze of Bones
2. Wright In Time Arizona by Lisa M.Cottrell-Bentley

and with my daughters we were going to work on the “Tinkerbelle Series” of books.

Now here is the list of books I read besides the ones I listed…

• Tell me something true by Leila Cobo
• Wisdom Hunter
• Shadow Government
• Take your best Shot
• A Field Guide to Burying your parents by Liz Palmer
• Girl talk by Gigi Garner
• Leaving Carolina by Tammy Leigh

 

As you can see… I didn’t quite get all the books read that I wanted too. However, I think I made a pretty darn good dent in them. The others are still on a list, and will be read. With birthdays, and holidays things got a bit crazy and disorganized around here! I had a great time with this challenge though, and hope to participate in another one! I didn’t provide a review of the book here, but if anyone wants to know about a book just leave me a message and I will get back to you with my thoughts!

Happy Reading Everyone!!!

 

The Well-Behaved Child by John Rosemond

Book Description

A parenting book!

The biggest frustration felt by today's parents is in the area of discipline. Family psychologist, best-selling author, and parenting expert John Rosemond uses his thirty-six years of professional experience working with families to develop the quintessential "how to" book for parents. Rosemond's step-by-step program, based on biblical principles, traditional parenting approaches, and common sense, covers a wide range of discipline problems applicable to children from toddler to teen.

Sections include:

* Essential Discipline Principles
* Essential Discipline Tools
* Perplexing Problems and Simple Solutions
* Not Your Everyday Problems
* General Questions and Answers 

I thought this Book:

was interesting.. I’m not always a firm believer that everything you read is going to work. However, my kids have do nothing but fight with each other, be jealous of each other, and just all around whine. Which in the end results in us not spending large amounts of quality family time together, cause it always ends in disaster. So with that being said, I needed to read this book to see what I could come up with for answers. I was inspired by some of the peoples personal stories of trials with their own children, that I am anxious to try some of them out. I am going to start one this weekend. If your struggling and need help or different views on how to discipline your child, I really think you should take the time to read this book. I thought I would be disappointed in this book, but it turned out it inspired me not to give up.

Buy this book:

You can purchase this book straight from Thomas Nelson Here…. or from Amazon Here…

I want to thank Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Book Basket:

 

This week we have a small list. Its weird going to the library with just one child now… (have I mentioned this already) Sage really enjoys being the only one to go with me though. Its her special thing to look forward to each week. Here is our list this week:

• Ladybug Girl by David Solman and Jacky Davis: Its about a little girl that likes to dress up… She is bored so her and her dog are on a mission to find something to do.
  
• Princess Fidgety Feet by Pat Posner: This one is about a Princess that loves to play soccer but isn’t allowed, so her friend is trying to teach her moves… She then get the nickname Princess Fidgety Feet!
  
• Toot & Puddle The Great Cheese Chase by Holly Hobbie: This is based on the Noggin Show Toot & Puddle, my two girls have recently found this show, and seem to really enjoy it. Its about two pigs and the adventures they have. Great for the younger school crowd!
  
• My Little Girl by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas: I have to admit, I snagged this book, because I love Tim McGraw, and his song My Little Girl! Its about a Dad and Daughters Big Day together! It is very cute, and I think a prefect book for a daddy to read to his daughter’s!
  
• 39 Clues, The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan: My son is currently reading this book. Its the 1st in a so far 6 book series with more to come I’m sure! He enjoys it so far. Its a mystery book… About the Cahill Family and how they find clues around the world to become the most powerful family in history.
  

There is our rather small list for us! Haven’t had much time for reading this week, with school, dance, scouts, Sage sick, and a cold going around our house! We should be back full swing next week. Happy Reading everyone!

Library Summer Programs:

 

I know, I’m a bit late with this, but life has been a bit hectic around here.. For those of you that have children who love to read, I encourage you to go out to your local library and see what programs they have to offer. Some have summer reading programs where you read some many books and get a prize… others may have different forms of incentives.

Our local library had a really nice program for the kids this summer. They had a 6 week program where the kids had to read either 5 picture books, or 1 book of at least 100pgs. My girls of course were eager to start this right away. They reward for reading that many? There was a weekly drawing at the story time, and one child was chosen to win a book, and stuffed animal. For example, they had “Dr.Suess cat in the Hat, with a Cat in the Hat stuffed animal”.  A few weeks into the program my daughter Rachel got chosen… She was beyond excited. I was hoping she would chose the Cat in the Hat to go with our Dr.Suess Collection. (Hunter has the Sam I am, and Yurtle the Turtle stuffed animals) However, she decided to go with “Polar Bear, Polar Bear what do you hear?” which is a great choice as well. Ever since I read the girls that, they take out the book, and read it to themselves. So very cute!!!!

Our library also offered a couple extra summer events. Like a Dog show, Magic Show, Mad Science Show, and a reptile show. We only made it to two of these events. They were both very good though, and the girls enjoyed them. At these shows, you also could fill out a paper saying what you have read, and possibly win another prize. Some kids won, games, books, crafts, and such. Of course my lucky child Rachel won again, (making Sage very sad) and she chose a “How to make Funny People” book.

She has had lots fun, learning to draw with this. Then at the last show they also gave away free books, so both girls got a book. One chose “Horton Hears a Who”, and the other got a “Junie B Jones” book.

So, beyond having a great time reading lots of new, exciting, and funny books this summer.. We also won a few! Be sure to check out what your local library has to offer. We love our library!!!

Earn a free book??

 

Check out Barnes and Nobles Summer Reading Program!

Kids can earn a free book when reading this summer. What is better incentive than that??

Here's How It Works:

1. Kids read any eight (8) books of their own choosing.
2. Kids use the Summer Reading Journal to tell us their favorite part of each book. A parent/guardian signs the journal when it's complete. You can also get a Spanish-language Reading Journal.
3. Children bring their completed Reading Journal to a Barnes & Noble store between May 26th & September 7th, 2009.
4. We'll give them a coupon for a FREE book! They choose from a list of exceptional paperback titles.*

* Eligible books will be listed on the coupon. Choices must be made from available stock. No special orders. Limit of one (1) form per school-age child (grades 1-6), please. Incomplete forms will be ineligible for free books.

Its a good way to keep the kids reading over the summer. Good luck and have fun!

Book Basket:

This week’s Book Basket is full of new adventures…

• Big day on the river by Sarah Wilson: this was an ok book, but didn’t really keep the interest of my children.
  
• Armadily Chili by Helen Ketleman: this was a very cute book and my kids loved it. I think the name was the best part for them. It also taught them that sharing was important. Great for kids 3-6 we think!
  
• Princess K.I.M. & the lie that grew by Maryann Cocoa-Leffler: My girls loved this book. It was a great book to teach how one little lie can turn into a huge one. Good lesson!
  
• Big Kicks by Bob Kolar: this particular book taught the kids how being different isn’t a bad thing… very cute book about a bear and a soccer team.
  
• Maggie’s Monkey’s by Linda Sanders Wells: very cute book about a imaginary monkey in a refrigerator. My girls again really loved this book, cause it was cute. But also taught them to use their imagination! Good for kids 3-6yrs old.

We will not be posting next week..as I am going on a short vacation next Thursday so we are not getting any books from the library for a couple weeks.
Looking for more Book ideas, also check out Happy Housewife’s Blog.

Book Basket

This weeks book basket included:

• Eliza’s Kindergarten Surprise by Alice McGinty: This was a very cute book about a girl starting Kindergarten...I think it shows them how to think of Mommy as always being there. My 5 yr old really liked it since she starts school in the fall.
  
  
• Late for School by Stephanie Calmenson: My 4yr old loved this book the best. Since it is simple, and easy for her to memorize, she can read it alone…which boost confidence!
  
  
• Pigs in the Pantry by Amy Axelrod: A funny book, that shows how a recipe works... Got a lot of giggles out of this one. More for Ages 2-4
  
  
• Read all about it by Laura and Jenna Bush: We thought this book was ok, encourages kids to read, and they learn that imagination can bring a book to life.
  
  
• The Ugly Vegetables by Grace Lin: This was a neat story to show how people come from different backgrounds, but can learn about each other.
  
  
• The Butterfly by Anna Milbourne: Is such a cute book about how caterpillars become butterflies! My kids thought it was really neat, and it explained it in a way they could understand.
• The dark, dark night by M.Christina Bulter: Shows kids how things can be mistaken in the dark.. Very cute book for Ages 2-4 yr

Be sure to check back with Happy Housewife’s blog to see what others are reading as well. :)

What do a mouse and soup have in common?

You might remember me talking about The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Di Camillo last month, as Hunter and I were reading it. Hunter is in first grade, so his reading level was not up there yet to read it on his own, but we enjoyed reading it together. This book had us on the edge of our seats begging for more at all times. We LOVED it! I enjoyed how the story was being told to you in the "Dear Reader" style, and they would even ask you questions at the end of each chapter to keep you involved. Hunter enjoyed that feature as well, since he would usually answer them!

This book is at a reading level for ages 9-12 , with 272 wonderful pages. You might remember the author from Newbery Honor book .... Because of Winn-Dixie.



Its an inspiring story about a mouse named Despereaux Tilling, a rat named Chiaroscuro, a princess named Pea, some soup, and a spool of thread. I know you have to be asking yourself how can soup play a major role in a book? Well, go pick yourself up a copy of this wonderful book and find out!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

What better way to prepare the kids for Christmas and get them to behave??? We have been reading the book Santa Claus is Coming to Town, that Nana & Papa were so kind to pick up for us. Its like a 60pg book, so I have been spreading it over a few nights. The kids are really enjoying it... and when we finish it we are going to watch the movie! :)


We also have a Christmas Eve tradition were we buy a new Christmas themed book, and read it on that night.... I will post what book we chose soon. We also used to go to my mom's on Christmas Eve for the day to make cookies, play in the snow, play games, and open presents with that part of the family... It was a great time! We are going to really miss it this year... :(
Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? We would love to hear about them!

Was it boring??

I was reading some emails this afternoon, while Hunter and Andy were taking a walk. Sage was in the living room reading books out loud. Which I love, cause I can hear her making up parts of the story, and her creativity to keep going. She got kinda quiet after a little while.... so I called to her, and there was no answer. I decided to go check on her, since quiet usually means bad things. Nope, she had fallen asleep while reading her book. :) So cute! I just had to share. She loves a good book!