Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger (Roaring Brook Press, 2012) is full of lush illustrations celebrating the different colors of green, from forest green to pea green to faded green. Each page has a die-cut portion that looks on to a previous or subsequent page, thus emphasizing how different things (even “lime green” limes) are also
Time Out for Monsters by Jean Reidy and illustrated by Robert Neubecker (Disney Hyperion, 2012) is the story of a boy’s imagination. An unnamed boy is sent to his time-out chair, and he dreams of what would make his otherwise boring corner more exciting. On the top of his list is, of course, a monster, a
The Monsters’ Monster by Patrick McDonnell (Little Brown, 2012) is another book with adorable creatures who want to be monsters. Grouch, Grump, and Gloom ‘n’ Doom can’t decide who is the scariest monster, so they decide to make their own scary monster. But when their Frankenstein-like experiment succeeds, they find their monster is just as adorable
Spike, the Mixed-up Monster by Susan Hood and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Simon & Schuster, 2012) tells about a monster who wants to be scary. The problem is that Spike is an axolotl, a tiny Mexican salamander that really is not very scary. None of the other pond friends are afraid of him. When a
I mentioned last year that my son is a very creative child. He is regularly having imaginary adventures with his imaginary friends, and he constantly comes up with stories for me, stories he tells as if he’s surely experienced them. Given his intense interest in creative writing, I was seeking further instruction on how to
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing in Tender is the Night (published 1934) is impressive. He writes complex sentences with incredible fluidity and rich vocabulary. This seems to give each sentence, each paragraph, and therefore each page a sense of life. Reading Fitzgerald is an exercise in appreciating the complexities and the beauties of the English language.
Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M. Walker (Carolrhoda, 2009) is about what we can learn about a few early American settlers from their bones and burial. It is both a lesson in very early American history as well as a scientific exploration of forensic anthropology. Since I’m studying
I love good poetry anthologies for children or adults, and Read-Aloud Poems, edited by Glorya Hale (Black Dog and Levanthal, 2012) is a nice selection of poetry both classic and modern poems that parents and children can enjoy together. My son and I read a few poems each day for about a month, and he
Before I dove into the history of America with my homeschooling son, we did a general overview of the geography of the country. Although my son loves maps and would have had a great time pouring over maps of the states, I thought it would be more helpful to begin looking at the landforms of
Edna Pontellier is a 29-year-old mother of two in late nineteenth century Louisiana. As befits a woman in her station, she has maids to clean, cooks to prepare her food, and a nanny to care for her young ones. As Kate Chopin’s novella The Awakening (published 1889) begins, she is spending her summer vacation at
Neville by Norton Juster, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Schwartz and Wade, 2011) captures the frustration of moving into a new neighborhood as a young child. A new boy wonders about his new neighbors and wanders down his new sidewalk. When he reaches the corner, he starts calling for “Neville.” When other kids join him in
Homer by Elisha Cooper (Greenwillow, 2012) celebrates the peace that comes from the familiar, from home, by focusing on a dog who stays on his porch all day. Other dogs want Homer to come race with them, the children invite him to race on the beach with them, but Homer stays where he is and watches.
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