Great Thanksgiving Read-Alouds

As Thanksgiving approaches, I went on a quest to find some great books that would spark interest in and learning about this American holiday. I used the wonderful tool that is the online libary catalog and reserved many books about Thanksgiving. We read through most of them last week, and I've culled the ones we enjoyed most and have listed them below:

• This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed is one of our favorites. It has rhyming text and shows 1 sleeping pilgrim, 2 giggling Wamanoag girls, etc., all the way up to 12 tables brimming with food and friends at the Thanksgiving feast. The illustrations are wonderful, and not only do they help the smallest ones to count up to twelve, there are various other things in the illustrations to find and count, including a tricky turkey on each page. We even counted all the pilgrims and Indians on the last page--146!
• Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation by Diane Stanley is narrated by a brother and sister who are taken back into time by their grandmother to experience the very first Thanksgiving Day. The story line really held the interest of my children, and the book is chock full of interesting details about the way the Pilgrims lived. In addition to the regular text, the illustrations also include those speech balloons (like in cartoons), which were a little awkward to read, but they contained such great tidbits of interesting information, I couldn't skip over them.
• The First Thanksgiving by Garnet Jackson is a wonderful introduction to the origins of this holiday. This nonfiction book is written in a simple but engaging style with pictures that my children really enjoyed. It is basic, simple, and thorough and would be a great way to start your Thanksgiving read-alouds.
• Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson was a learning experience for me. This book, with detailed and humorous pictures, tells the story of Sarah Hale, who persistently petitioned politicians and presidents (How's that for alliteration?) over forty years to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Sarah was an interesting woman who raised five children, was an editor of magazines, and the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." The book contains a nonfiction addendum at the back with more facts on Sarah's life, the history of Thanksgiving, and what life was like in 1863 (the year Thanksgiving became a national holiday). The theme of one person able to make a difference through persistence is something I am glad my children were exposed to in this book.

Happy Reading! Aren't you thankful for good books?

Tomes for Totes--Father's Day Edition

Are you looking for a great book for Father's Day? One that celebrates the bonds between fathers and sons? Look no further than You Can Do Anything, Daddy by Michael Rex.

My husband came back with this book on a trip to the library with the kids, and it has been my two-year-old son's favorite book for about a month now. He calls it his "pirate" book and asks for it to be read first at everytime bedtime reading session.

The simple story deals with a young boy who asks his father if he would rescue him if a band of pirates snatched him away. The father answers confidently that he would. The scenarios become increasingly dire (in the imagination of a young boy), and the father successfully meets each challenge with the reassurance that he would dare anything for his son. The ending turns on this situation with the young boy taking care of his father.

The pirates, gorillas, and robots from Mars hold the attention of any of the most adventurous boy, and the illustrations are humorous. My son identifies the young boy as himself and the father as "Daddy," a most heartwarming scenario for Father's Day.

Happy Reading!

William Steig--An Unexpected Find!

Tomes for Tots

A few months ago, my children begged to go to the library (isn't that music to any mother's ears?). In our rush to get out of the house, I forgot my notebook that has my spreadsheet of titles recommended by various experts in children's read-alouds (Aren't I organized--ahem, anal?) So, although we usually have a few books that Mommy picks out and some that are chosen by the kiddos, this visit resulted in books that were exclusively child-chosen.

In our cache of picture books, I expected to find mostly duds and perhaps one or two good reads. I pulled out one book, which I wasn't particularly interested in, but which my daughter asked for and asked for again and again and again . . . .

As we first read the book, I wondered at my daughter's reading choices. Solomon, a rabbit, has the ability to change himself into a rusty nail. He first uses this ability to trick his friends and family and feels the rush of superiority in knowing something that they don't. He then finds a real use for his ability when he is kidnapped by a menacing cat with an even more menacing knife! Solomon changes himself into the rusty nail but returns to his true self too quickly; as the cat heads back toward him, he must change back into the nail, which saves him from being eaten, but the cat now knows his magic trick. He takes Solomon back to his house, where he cages him and waits for him to turn back into a delectable bunny. Frustrated at never being able to catch Solomon in his true form, the cat nails Solomon into his house. Finally, when the house burns, Solomon is able to change back into a rabbit and is joyfully reunited with his family.

I asked myself what it was that my daughter found enjoyable in this book. I recognized that the magic was a great pull for her as well as the joyful reunion with the family at the end. I also saw that the book's style did not condescend to children but had great vocabulary and sentence structure. I looked back at my handy-dandy spreadsheet and saw that William Steig (although not this particular book) was recommended by every book on children's literature I had consulted.

Although I didn't care for Solomon and the Rusty Nail, I decided to try others of William Steig's books. Spreadsheet in hand, we've checked out Amos & Boris from the library, along with Dr. DeSoto, The Amazing Bone, and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Dr. DeSoto is delightful and also deals with the theme of outwitting a villain. Amos & Boris is reminiscent of the Aesop's fable of the lion and the mouse, but instead involves a mouse and a whale. The Amazing Bone and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble both have very similar plots to Solomon and the Rusty Nail but are without the darkness that makes reading that book uncomfortable for me. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is my favorite so far, and my daughter said last night that she wished that we owned this book. If you want to delve into William Steig's world, this is the book I would start with.

We are looking forward to discovering some of William Steig's other books: Brave Irene, Abel's Island, and Shrek are on the top of our list.

Happy Reading!

Tomes for Tots

Lately I've been thinking about adding poetry to our read-alouds. We've already been through that wonderful collection of Mother Goose nursery rhymes illustrated by Rosemary Wells, but I didn't think my children were ready for any of my poetry anthologies from college, either. Although Shel Silverstein is often touted as a poet who grabs young readers' attention, I'm not a big fan. I wanted a collection of poems that captured the innocence of youth, had imagery that would capture the imagination of preschoolers and contained meter and rhyme scheme that would expose Emily Anne and Will to the wonders of poetry.

Enter A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, recommended in several sources, including . These poems, first written in 1885 by the author of Treasure Island, are relatively short, most short enough to hold the attention of a four-year-old and two-year-old. The poems are charmingly old-fashioned but contain the never outmoded joy of imagination.
Honey for a Child's Heart

We have had great weather lately and have enjoyed the spring-like temperatures on our screened porch, which is an idyllic setting for poetry reading. After about four poems, it was idyllic no more, as my children began to get restless. Becoming attuned to the nuances of poetry, though, is not an instant process, and reading even just a few poems once every week or two will help them to develop an ear for the magic of language.

Here were some of our favorite poems. Emily Anne's favorite was "The Land of Counterpane" because she recognized it from a Little Bear episode. "Bed in Summer" was certainly one poem with which they could identify, and I, too, can remember feeling the injustice of having to try to go to sleep while it is still light outside. "Block City" inpsired a request to get out the wooden blocks and to see what kind of a village we could construct. We also liked "The Land of Storybooks," and I find myself in the midst of this glorious weather wishing for winter so that we could read "Picture Books in Winter" by a cozy fire.

Happy Reading!

Elsie Dinsmore

Tomes for Tots

This week we went to a play date organized by our local home educators association. As I was pulling out packages of goldfish and juice boxes for snack time, another mother caught sight of the book that I had brought along in the vain hope of reading while my children were happily playing independently on the playground equipment.

"Oh, you're reading Elsie Dinsmore!" she said. "Aren't those books wonderful?"

"Oh, yes," I agreed. In fact, this was a book that I would stay up late that night to finish and pull out whenever I could the next day to revisit passages.

Elsie is a girl who is currently living with her grandfather and step-grandmother. Her mother died shortly after Elsie is born, and Elsie has never met her father, who at the encouragement of his father (the grandfather with which Elsie is now living) had left for Europe and has never seen Elsie. Because Mr. Dinsmore, Sr. never approved of his son's union with Elsie's mother, Elsie is slighted within the home, particularly by Mrs. Dinsmore and Arthur, her son.

It is how Elsie deals with the many slights and disappointments that is intriguing in this book. Having been brought up by her religious nanny Chloe, she has a staunch faith that is surprising in a child so young. Indeed, in parts, Elsie's conviction and repentance seem almost too good to be true, but she is a model for those of us struggling to live out the Christian life. The way that Scripture is applied to real-life incidents and hopes and disappointments is a true lesson.

One of the main struggles in Elsie's life is dealing with her dashed hopes of being warmly accepted by her father upon his return from Europe. Poisoned by his father's prejudices, he is cold toward his daughter who desperately and pitifully yearns for his affection. Even after there is a rewarding reconciliation between the two, the fact that her father is not saved dims Elsie's pleasure in the father-daughter relationship.

The English teacher struggles within me as I feel the need to note that this book is not great literature. Its message is too didactic, and the characters tend to be melodramatic in the goodness of Elsie and the villainy of Miss Day, the governess, and, at times, Arthur and Elsie's father. This melodrama and didacticism can be accounted for, but not excused, by the Victorian era in which it was first written by Martha Finley.

Still, it is an entertaining read, and its message of relying on God's Word is important. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. Life of Faith has updated the Elsie books and has created additional series based on other characters and has created dolls to match a la American Girl (The book that I am reviewing is the original text, not the updated version). If, in this age of Bratz dolls, you are looking for a Christian role model for your daughter, step into Elsie's life.


Happy Reading!

The Bronze Bow

Tomes for Tots

Historical fiction with Christianity as its theme, The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare is a gem of a book. The 1962 Newberry Award winner deals with conflicting loyalties, making sacrifices, overcoming prejudices and anger, and finally submitting those feelings to Christ.

Daniel is a young Jewish boy whose parents have been killed by the Roman oppressors. Fleeing an abusive situation as the apprentice of a cruel blacksmith, he is taken into the band of Rosh, a zealot and an outlaw who says that he is taking from the rich in order to build up an army to fight the Romans. This aim appeals to Daniel and his consuming revenge for his parents' deaths.

Daniel has left in his village his elderly grandmother and his sister Leah, who was traumatized by her parents' deaths and never leaves the house. When their grandmother dies, Daniel must make a tough decision of whether to abandon his rebel life or to abandon his helpless sister.

Adding to the intrigue of this book is Daniel's unlikely relationship with Joel and his sister Malthace. Joel, expected to become a famous scribe or rabbi, is also taken in by the romantic notion of Rosh and his vengeance on their oppressors. The three of them form a band whose symbol is the bronze bow, taken from Psalm 18:34: He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. More people are added to the band as the action intensifies throughout the book.

Interwoven throughout the incidents in Daniel's life are his encounters with Jesus, some taken from scripture and some fictionalized. This book does an excellent job of allowing one to see and feel what Galilee must have been like when Jesus walked there, and also shows how his teachings were revolutionary in a way different from what most Jews would have anticipated.

I would recommend this book for tweens or teenagers (there is violence); I myself enjoyed it and never found myself thinking that I was reading a book written for children. The Bronze Bow would make an excellent read-aloud and should spark some great discussion on what Jesus means to us.

Happy Reading!

Tomes for Tots--Second Edition

Today's second edition of Tomes for Tots will again feature an adult book about reading and a children's book: Reading Magic: Why Reading Aloud to Our Children Will Change Their Lives Forever by Mem Fox and Fancy Nancy: Bonjour, Butterfly by Jane O'Connor.

You may recognize the author of Reading Magic as the Australian author of many children's books. One of our favorites is Time for Bed, a book that I would recite from memory in a soft voice to lull my children to sleep. We would still have to (and still do) read it in the daytime for the beautiful animal pictures. What I didn't know about Mem Fox was that she has such a passion for reading aloud to children and that she was an Associate Professor of Literacy Studies for twenty-four years. This book is a parent-friendly volume of fifteen chapters, that focuses on the need for making time to read to our children, the three components of reading, and how to read aloud. Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book that sums up the magic of reading aloud to our children:

As we share the words and pictures, the ideas and viewpoints, the rhythms and rhymes, the pain and comfort, and the hopes and fears and big issues of life that we encounter together in the pages of a book, we connect through minds and hearts with our children and bond closely in a secret society associated with the books we have shared. The fire of literacy is created by the emotional sparks between a child, a book, and the person reading. It isn’t achieved by the book alone, nor by the child alone, nor by the adult who’s reading aloud—it’s the relationship winding between all three, bringing them together in easy harmony (10).

This insistence on the emotional nature of reading aloud, the unabashed passion for reading aloud to make a tremendous difference in a child's academic achievement, the solid advice on the three components of reading, and the how-to glimpses of Mem's own read-aloud sessions made this an informative and enjoyable book. I must admit that as much as I enjoyed this book, there was one section that gave me pause.

We should not suddenly become teachers of our children. We must be ourselves. . . . We absolutely must not attempt to teach our children formally before they start school. For parents to teach their own preschool children is the last straw. Teaching is the flip side of what works. Teaching before school kills the fun. Preschool children like their parents to be parents, not teachers. The roles are quite different, and it’s precisely the laid-back, hang-loose, let’s-have-fun, relaxed-and-comfortable role of a parent that is so powerful in helping children first to love reading and then be able to read by themselves (53-55).

When I first read these words, I felt my chest tighten in apprehension as I feared that the author might be writing a diatribe against homeschooling. However, as I finished reading the section and the book, I realized that she was not attacking homeschooling but the attitude that we all sometimes take toward learning to read. Too often we look at learning to read as a process that must be mastered in a particular formula, and too often we transmit our own anxiety to our children so that reading does not happen naturally as the result of being saturated in print and read-alouds but by a hard, dry, scholarly approach.

Another of the parts of the book that I loved was the chapter entitled "And Do It Like This," which, without intimidation, showed parents how to master the art of reading aloud. Imagine my glee when I found that on Mem Fox's website, she reads aloud this chapter, giving a real-life example of exactly what this is. Now admittedly, we may not all have Mem's charming Australian accent, but we can learn to use our own voices to capture our children's attentention.

Turning toward the children's book today, Bonjour Butterfly is the latest in the Fancy Nancy series. Fancy Nancy is very popular at our house. Of course, Nancy's utter fanciness--boas, canopies, French phrases--appeals to Emily Anne (and, I must admit, to me). However, there is a sweet solid underpinning of lessons learned, larger than frills and frippery, that makes even my husband a fan of these books.

Bonjour Butterfly is, of course, about butterflies. Nancy and her friend Bree love butterflies and are over the moon about Bree's butterfly-themed birthday party that is coming up soon. Unfortunately, Nancy soon discovers that the party is the same day as her grandparents' fiftieth anniversary celebration. The pouting that ensues in the next few pages is so real to life! Just as the other Nancy books do, though, this book ends with a renewed appreciation for family. It also ends with a trip to a butterfly garden, making the book a great introduction to a butterfly unit study (Check out this site with lots of information on butterflies and a bibliography of fiction and nonfiction butterfly books suitable for kindergartners!).

Happy Reading!