Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl

by Carol8 Comments
Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl Amber, who was 8 at the time, and I read this story back in August of 2008 and adored it. It was a joy to read. Before you go out and see the movie, please take the time to read this classic children's book. To be honest, I'm a little leery of the movie, the ads remind me little of the actual story. This is a "garden tale" of farmer versus vermin, or vice versa. The farmers in this case are a vaguely criminal team of three stooges.  Whatever their prowess as poultry farmers, within these pages their sole objective is the extermination of our hero--the noble, the clever, the Fantastic Mr. Fox. In the end, Mr. Fox not only survives, but also helps the whole community of burrowing creatures live happily ever after....
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X Marks the Spot by Margaret Hall

by Carol1 Comment
X Marks the Spot: Mapping the World by Margaret Hall (Reading level: Ages 9-12) This book traces the history of cartography, map-making, from thousands of years ago with a photo of a clay map, to modern times, discussing GPS units.  Maps have been and still are important to travelers, traders and explorers. Navigation tools, like compasses, sextants, chronometers were also described. It was really interesting and I actually learned a lot. For example, I didn't know that Ptolemy was a.) a cartographer or b.) the first to put north at the top of the map. I didn't realize that the first aerial photographs used by mapmakers were taken from hot air balloons, even though it makes sense. The history is told simply with important words in bold and defined in a glossary. The photos of maps through the ages are fascinating. I also like the list at the back of books to read to learn more. This is a great book for middle...
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The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery

by Carol2 Comments
The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery, photographs by Nic Bishop Amber (9) loves animals and says she want to be a wildlife biologist. One problem I run into, though, is that it's hard to find good, interesting non-fiction animal or science books that are actually at her reading level. So many seem to be aimed at younger kids or teenagers. This one was perfect, though, one that we both learned from and enjoyed. The Snake Scientist is Bob Mason, a zoologist at Oregon State University. The book discusses his research projects at the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba, where in the spring over 18,000 red-sided garter nakes come out of their dens. For about six weeks each April and May, thousands of these harmless snakes awaken from eight months' sleep beneath the earth. They pour out of the pits like water—a river of writhing reptiles. At any of the three big dens here, you can see more snakes at a glance than...
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The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg

by Carol4 Comments
The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg I read this aloud with Amber (9) on Halloween night, but it really is perfect for any day in October. It's truly a magical book. A witch's brooms loses its power of flight suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving the witch to fall to the ground. A kindly widow takes her in. Once the witch heals, she flies off with another witch, leaving her old broom behind. The widow discovers there is still some magic left in the broom. She peeked in and saw something that made her heart jump. There was the broom, sweeping the floor all by itself. Unfortunately her neighbors are afraid of the broom and determined to destroy it. The widow and the broom out wit them in the end, though. The sepia-toned illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and the story is captivating, from the witch falling to the broom's abilities. And the bigoted neighbors are the real villains, not the witch. It makes the point that...
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The 13 Days of Halloween

by Carol4 Comments
The 13 Days of Halloween by Carol Greene, illustrated by Tim Raglan We've been reading some Halloween books at bedtime this week. I won this enchanting book at Lit*Chick. Thanks, Melanie! When it first showed up in the mail, Amber (9) immediately sat down  look through it. The cover must have caught her attention. I complained, jokingly, that she should wait for me to read it with her, but she, of course, said we could read it together later. We did read it the next night. She is one of those kids who will read books over and over and enjoy them every time. On the first day of Halloween, my good friend gave to me: a vulture in a dead tree. A ghastly ghoul gives his ghostly love a collection of perfectly creepy gifts, from broomsticks to cauldron, cats to bats. The repeating verse is almost impossible to read aloud without singing and the illustrations are the perfect compliment, eerie enough to...
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Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg

by Carol7 Comments
Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg I read this during the Read-a-Thon because I needed a Z title for the A-Z challenge. To be honest, I should have read it with Amber instead of on my own. I think I would have enjoyed it more that way. When I'm reading kids books aloud with her, I try to read it in an interesting way, which in turn makes it more exciting. Also, she's great about pointing out the details in the illustrations, that I usually rush right past. This is a sequel to Jumanji, but really covers little new ground. This time the game has a space theme, with robots and meteors and changes in gravity. The two brothers who play go from disliking each other to realizing they need to work together. At the end, thanks to some time travel, everything goes back to the way it was, but the brother has a different, more positive, attitude. I felt like it was...
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