Happy Birthday Big Guy!

Look out, world! This handsome devil

 

 

turns seven years old today!

Some highlights of the last year (courtesy of Facebook status reports and photos):

 

MAY 2012

 

Left Kinder and started First grade!

JULY 2012

 

"When I am big like M., can I take Danica to the movies?"

 

 

SEPTEMBER 2012

 

"I like Danica. She's beautiful. If a bad guy comes and tries to hurt her, I will get my light saber and I will save her."

 

OCTOBER 2012

 

Christopher has been 'in character' as a visiting fireman for over an hour, now. His name is Mike Jones, and he is visiing from his fire station in Texas. He was asked to stay with us for 100 days because they thought we might have a lot of fires. Something to do with the kids in our house, apparently. There was a fire in the kitchen, and he had to rescue me. Then there was one in the living room. He came into the kitchen, shaking his head wearily, and said, "The fire in the living room is out, now. Do you have a bedroom, because I'm tired."

NOVEMBER 2012

 

C. volunteered to run for treasurer at 4H tonight. The leader reminded him, "you have to be good with numbers, are you good at numbers?" C. screwed up his face and asked, "What are numbers?" Maybe next year, honey.

 

***

 



Helpful...sometimes...in his own fashion...



Always ready to be goofy!



Don't even think about it!

DECEMBER 2012

 



C.: "They're singing that song! The one about the deer with the red nose!"

Me: "Uh-huh...and what was his name?"

C: "Ralph!"

 

You know, Ralph...Rudolph's red-neck cousin.

 

***



***

Christopher: "When I get married, I'm going to live alone."
Sheridan: "In the car?"
Me: "Probably sometimes."

JANUARY 2013

Playing with Christmas gifts:
 

The costumes, especially, were a big hit:





He has an AWESOME imagination!

MARCH 2013



He is also big and strong - he has spent hours stacking and rolling these so they can play with them:



He is not, however, into coloring:



APRIL 2013

When he plays, though, he does it full tilt:







MAY 2013

Happy Birthday, Big Guy!

People are looking at me! Maybe if I stare at these plastic swords, they will go away.
 

 



Gadget Girl by Suzanne Kamata

Like most bloggers, I occasionally get will-you-read-my-book e-mails from authors, agents, and/or publishers I have never heard of. Those always make me cringe. On the one hand, I completely understand how hard it is to get your work noticed, and how there could be many fantastic novels out there suffering from a lack of publicity, and how we should all support indie publishers and new talent. On the other hand, a lot of them are just...well...

 

...awful. And then, what do you do? Ann Rinaldi and Gary Paulsen couldn't care less whether I liked their latest books, but this fledgling author now has a personal connection with me, however tenuous. I rarely review things I didn't care for, and now the author/agent is e-mailing me weekly, asking if I have had the chance to finish it yet. I feel too much empathy to answer honestly, and we do this little dance of words for a while. Awkward. Painful.

 

Every once in a while, however, I take a chance on one: and, in this case, I am so glad I did!

978-193-684-6382

 

"Aiko Cassidy is fourteen and lives with her sculptor mother in a small Midwestern town. For most of her young life Aiko, who has cerebral palsy, has been her mother's muse. But now, she no longer wants to pose for the sculptures that have made her mother famous ?and have put food on the table. Aiko works hard on her own dream of becoming a great manga artist with a secret identity. When Aiko's mother invites her to Paris for a major exhibition of her work, Aiko at first resists. She'd much rather go to Japan, Manga Capital of the World, where she might be able to finally meet her father, the indigo farmer. When she gets to France, however, a hot waiter with a passion for manga and an interest in Aiko makes her wonder if being invisible is such a great thing after all. And a side trip to Lourdes, ridiculous as it seems to her, might just change her life."

 

Aiko is both unique and completely familiar. I am not an artist (I don't even like manga), not the child of a single parent, neither bicultural nor biracial, have no physical handicaps, and very definitely not a teenager, yet I had no problem identifying with her. There were so many trite directions this story could have gone off in, and Kamata deftly avoided each one. There were surprises, but no sudden, shocking twists to overshadow the heart of the story: a coming of age/self-awareness story that has not a syllable of preachiness to it.

 

This strikes me as one of those unique novels that adults can recomend with no qualms, and kids can enjoy despite being told to read it by an adult. The main audience is YA, but I would also add it to middle school libraries. I only had two minor 'complaints':

 

1. Although manga is not my 'thing', I was somewhat surprised not to see a few examples of Aiko's work splashed throughout the book. That may draw in more actual fans of manga. This should not be construed to mean the story needs the illustrations, it would just be a nice touch.

 

2. I am really, really hungry now, and want my own personal Raoul.

 

Gadget Girl is available in late May of this year, from Gemma Media. Thank-you to Ms. Kamata for the review copy!

Review: Picture Books for Mother's AND Father's Day

At first I wasn't sure about putting these books together in one post. Sure, a couple are about both parents, but don't Dads already get the shaft as it is? Think about it: Mother's Day happens in the spring, when kids are still in school, but teachers are happy to throw in an art project to keep them focused. Father's Day? Beginning of summer, when whoever takes care of the kids is scrambling with a schedule of swimming or daycamp or sports or, of course, summer reading program, and nobody thinks about a craft.

 

And then there are the sermons at church, as we were joking about in story time last week. For Mother's Day, pastors typically wax poetic about how awesome mothers are, and how they deserve our highest praise and respect. On Father's Day? The message is generally how dads are failing their kids, and need to step up their game. (Hint to such pastors: if the father is in church with his family, he probably doesn't need to hear this particular sermon. And, if by chance this is the first Sunday in ages his wife has been able to drag him in the doors, being attacked from the pulpit is not likely to result in a return visit. Just sayin'.)

 

As I thought about it further, however, I realized how many parents do double duty, fulfilling both "Mom" and "Dad" functions. Even in a two-parent household, you have those who have to be absent for long periods - and how about those families with two moms or two dads? Not to mention all the kids being raised by grandparents. I think we can handle mixing the titles in one post - feel free to come back to it again in June, or even in September for Grandparents' Day!

 

 

978-006-210-0092

 

With Stickers! So, you know, you can plaster them all over the furniture and Mom can think of you as she tries to scrape them off without damaging the finish.

 

Seriously, this is a cute story of Splat and his siblings making gifts for Mom and Dad "to show how much (they) loved them".  A rash of one-upsmanship turns into collaboration, which turns into a minor disaster involving seagulls (of course, what else?), and all is well in the end. Bonus: Each of the crafts made by the kittens is completely doable by kids of any age, and may prompt some creativity once you are done reading.


      
978-006-207-5475                                     978-006-207-5512

Question: why do all the other animals in Bear Country do animal things, but the Berenstains act like people? Just one of those ramblings my mind has gone on over the years.

Each of the books in this pair begins with listing some of the things Mama and Papa Bear do for their families - never a bad reminder. In each case, the cubs search for just the right gift to show their appreciation. For Mother's Day, it's a photo album, and for Father's Day, a set of coupons to get his chores completed by someone else (with a little help from him, as it turns out.) Traditional gifts kids can complete with help, and nice little stories to read together.



978-006-177-2030

Tiptoe Joe goes tiptoeing through the woods, inviting his friends, "come with me. I know something you should see!" His friends clomp, thud, and swish along, asking, "What's the secret? Let us know!" Since this is included in our Mother's/Father's Day post, you can probably guess the sweet secret at the end. Children may guess as well, and will probably memorize the repetitive text in no time at all. Warm, happy illustrations make this an excellent choice for lap reading or bedtimes. A natural segue into Mommy or Daddy's joy when their little one was born, and the friends they couldn't wait to tell.




978-006-053-1768

Yay for Grandmas! I shudder to think of the daycare struggles we would be going through if we didn't have Grandma to watch the kids. If your kids are sick, you can't take them to daycare. You can, however, take them to Grandma's, and know they will get plenty of attention and care. Daycare workers may sing to your child on his birthday, but they probably won't spend hours making a busy board for him, because they know how much he likes switches and latches. And, I have no doubt that, by and large, daycare workers love their charges: but, it just isn't the same as the connection between an imaginative youngster and a grandma with time to encourage that imagination. The latter is what is illustrated here, in Jean Craighead George's gentle words and Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher's soft, autumn-hued pictures. Highly recommended for libraries or to be given as a gift.

Thank-you to Harper Collins for all these review copies!

Review: Community Helper series from Millbrook

 

Millbrook Press sent us two titles from this series:

 

    

 

ISBN: 976-076-139-0251 and 978-076-139-0305 respectively

 

In each book of this series, which also includes construction workers, dentists, doctors, librarians, police officers, and teachers, and elementary school class visits/is visited by a person in that particular profession. In story form, with vocabulary sprinkled throughout, we learn about the duties, days, and tools of each one.

 

I was especially interested in the firefighter book because, in my other life, I are one. I was very pleased to see the firefighter immediately explain to the children that firefighters do more than fight fires - in fact, putting out fires may be the thing they do least often. That is certainly true in our department, where EMS calls and vehicle accidents make up most of our runs. (This may or may not remain true if we don't get some rain soon, but that's for another blog post).

 

The color and style of the illustrations put me in mind of Fisher Price toys, and as such I think will appeal to children quickly. Side bars give more information, and again, I was impressed with the very accurate details that are often left out of similar books. A page at the end gives simple instructions for making a fire escape plan. Well done!

 

Let's Meet a Veterinarian was just as fun and thorough. I have one minor quibble with an illustration - where it says a lizard can get a broken nail, the picture seems to show a broken tail. Otherwise, also very nicely done, and I am fascinated at the many ways Cale Atkinson has found to draw a human nose.

 

All of the books in this series appear to include a multicultural class, with great care taken to avoid gender stereotypes - fortunately, not in an obnoxious way. All include a glossary, index, and list of web sites and recommended books for further exploration. A solid addition to any elementary school classroom or library.

For more great titles, check out the Nonfiction Monday round-up at Booktalking.

 

Review: Stones for Grandpa, by Renee Londner and Martha Aviles

A coalition of local librarians is holding a program on diversity in libraries at our library today, (did I say the word 'library' enough?) and this little gem is one of the books I chose for our part of the display:

 

978-076-137-4954

 

One of the many positives of reading about a diverse group of people, is learning about sweet customs such as this. A year after the death of his grandfather, this young boy travels to the gravesite with his family, to observe two Jewish customs: the unveiling of his tombstone, and loved ones adding stones that represent special memories or places from his grandfather's life.

 

Death is always a difficult (but, all too often, necessary) subject to approach with young children, and this book does it well. Families from any faith will appreciate the gentle way Londner addresses the different feelings associated, while providing both words and actions that may offer comfort. While you feel the boy's sadness (and that of other characters), it is not a sad book, and may be enjoyed even by children who have not lost a loved one (just be prepared for the questions that will inevitably arise!) This is going to go to the top of my recommended reading list for the subject.

My only note is that I would have appreciated an author's note explaining the symbolism/purpose behind both customs. Thank-you to Kar-Ben Publishing for the review copy!

Review: Fancy Nancy Puppy Party by Jane O'Connor

We can never have too many Fancy Nancy books, can we?

 

 

978-006-208-6273

 

Not at the library, at any rate - especially not as Summer Reading registration approaches!

 

Birthday parties are loads of fun, and a party for dogs can only be more so, right? Despite the need for one of my favorite fancy words - "pandemonium" - everyone has a great time. We even get a little caution about what dogs shouldn't be eating slipped in with the vocabulary building.

 

Another fun read-together for Fancy Nancy afficionados (that's a fancy word for "fans"). Just be prepared for your reader to immediately want to plan a party for your pets! And, hey, it's almost summer - time to entertain a bit, anyway!

 

Thank-you to HarperCollins for the review copy.

SuperKids

I feel perfectly safe at home - I have my protectors!

 

 

On a serious-er note, this weekend the kids went to an Earth Day fair with Grandma. There was one of those bouncy slides, and C. and S. went up and down it several times - until the time S. went up, and didn't come down. Grandma looked up at the top and saw S. cowering in a ball as other, obnoxious kids, pushed in front of her repeatedly. My heart still hurts just thinking about it. My poor, sweet girl can run rings around other kids intellectually, but she crumbles when someone is mean to her.

 

Big brother to the rescue, though! He climbed back up, took her by the hand, and slid back down with her. Just, as I told him later, like a superhero. That's what every little girl needs:)