Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

by Carol8 Comments
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh (Suggested reading level: Grades 3-5) To be honest, I don't know if I read this as a child or not. I don't remember it, but that doesn't really mean anything one way or the other. My memory truly is terrible. So when I sat down to read this with Amber (10), I knew the basic plot, but that's about it. Harriet is an eleven year old girl whose ambition is to be a writer, but in the meantime she's a spy. She has a spy route staked out and she regularly writes down everything, good and bad, about the people around her, neighbors and friends. She keeps all her information in her precious notebook. She is encouraged by her nanny, Ole Golly. Ole Golly says there is as many ways to live as there are people on the earth and I shouldn't go round with blinders but should see every way I can. (pg. 32) Of course when Harriet...
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Dreaming

by Carol9 Comments
A flock of crows swooped down and ate the caterpillars that contained small bits of Siri. Then whales somehow managed to eat the crows. And the whales were swallowed up by volcanoes and suddenly Siri, or at least bits of Siri, was in every creature and every geological feature on Earth. It was one hell of a good finish.  (pg. 143, The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill) I just started this book, but I believe Siri's dreams, like the excerpt above are going to figure prominently in the story. In my own story, dreams don't have much of an impact. I remember few of my dreams and those that I do are either fairly random or I can easily tell what happened recently to prompt them. What about you? Do you have vivid dreams? Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Play along. I cheated, but the rules are easy. Grab your current read, ...
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My weekend

by Carol13 Comments
We went Maple Sugaring this past Saturday at Oglebay in Wheeling, WV. It was a fun, interesting morning. We learned about maple sugaring techniques used by Native Americans, pioneers, and through modern times. It was a gorgeous morning for the walk along the trail to the different stations, and the event ended with a delicious pancake breakfast, featuring fresh maple syrup made from the sap of Oglebay's own trees. After that we headed down to Centre Market in Wheeling, home of my all-time favorite bookstore, The Paradox Bookstore. It's just stacked full of used books, all genres. I just love it there. I even love that old book smell, although Amber (10) did ask if she could wait outside on the stairs. David and I limited ourselves to one book each. Mine was Silent In The Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn, but I can't remember what David grabbed, some old short piratey novel. Update: David's book was A Sword for Mr Fitton by...
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Game Night – Caylus

by Carol1 Comment
Caylus Designer: William Attia Manufacturers: Ystari Games, Rio Grande Games Year: 2005 Players: 2 - 5 Time: 60 - 150 minutes Ages: 12 and up 2006 Spiel des Jahres winner, Special Award for Complex Game. This is a great worker-placement game. We've only played it twice, but it's one of those games you can just tell is going to be played over and over. The year is is 1289. King Philip the Fair has decided to have a new castle built in order to strengthen the kingdom's borders. Now Caylus is a humble village, but soon workers and craftsmen will be flocking to the town, attracted by the great prospects. Around the building site, a city is slowly rising up. The players are the master builders. By building the castle and developing the city around it, they earn prestige points and gain the King’s favor. When the castle is finished, the player who has earned the most prestige wins...
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