Kid Reads | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

It's been awhile since I did a post on a kid book but with summer approaching, I've been trying to find some good books to take with us as we go overseas.  We've recently discovered Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.  These were written in the '50s and remain a timeless classic.  She lives in an upside-down house, smells like cookies, has magic in her hump, and can cure any ailment.  In the vein of Pippi Longstocking - its definitely an enjoyable read.  I'm still looking for books to take with us on our travels?  What are some of your favorite reads for 4 and 8 year olds?  I'm also curious, would you recommend letting your kids use kindle or ipad to read?

Kid Reads | Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss books are a favorite in our family and is often one of the selected bedtime stories.  L has been on a Dr. Seuss binge lately.  We have been reading The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Hop on Pop, Yertle the Turtle, and The Sneetches - our current fave.  L really likes the zany illustrations, the nonsensical characters, and the rhyming scheme that Dr. Seuss stories have.  I like them for all of the above but also enjoy how they touch on moral issues in a fun and engaging way.  In particular, I love the message in The Sneetches  -  about how discrimination and prejudice is just plain silly.   There are some other stories in this book with great lessons about compromise, individuality, and overcoming the fear of the unknown.   All in all, a captivating read and definitely one that will remain in our repertoire of bedtime stories.

Kid Reads | Dorrie's Back!!

On Mondays my daughter's class goes to the school library for a little bit of story time and to check out their books for the week.  This week she came home with "Dorrie and the Blue Witch".   Seeing that book brought back a lot of memories.  I loved the Dorrie books as a child!!  It makes me smile seeing my daughter pore through the book with the same delight I did growing up.  I had forgotten all about Dorrie and Gink but am thrilled that through my daughter they are now back.

Kid Reads | Judging a book by it's cover

I love giving books and getting books. Given the time of year, I've been on the hunt for chapter books to read to my own voracious beginner reader and am thrilled to discover two great books. The first is NICOLAS by Rene Goscinny, a collection of 19 escapades of a mischievous schoolboy and his friends.  It was originally published in French in 1959 and is now available in English with wonderful illustrations by Sempe.  The second is MY FATHER'S DRAGON by Ruth Stiles Gannet, adventures of Elmer Elevator on Island of Tangerina and Wild Island.  Both these books caught my eye at my daughter's schools book fair because of the feel of their heirloom quality cloth cover and illustrations.  I know you're not supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but with these two, I just couldn't help myself ... it also helps that both these stories are classics that never get old.  I can't wait to give these to my daughter and to starting reading them to her.