Birthdays and books

Hooray! We have two birthdays coming up, which means I get to choose books for my kids (or I get to choose books for my mom to buy for my kids...).

The good news is, Flannery and Lucy both wanted books from their Baba (my mom) for their birthdays (with only a little encouragement from me—I'm very hands off...).

And the good news is, the books have arrived.

And the bad news is we may have broken into a few of the boxes a little early. Hopefully my mom won't read this post, but Flannery is getting nine books for her birthday, and it is better to spreeeeeaaaaaad them out then just get them all on the same day.

Don't you think? (And I'm very careful to attribute each book every time we read it to the giver of the book. So there is no question that these are birthday books. Even if it isn't the official day yet. I promise.)

We've read three of Flannery's books so far and we LOVE them. Plus we found a few excellent ones at the library this week, so get ready for a GREAT library list.

The Orphan: A Cinderella Story from Greece by Anthony Manna (another fabulous fairytale retelling by the same people who wrote Mr. Semolina Semolinus—and it has lots of words. Lots. And they're great.)
Ella's Big Chance: A Jazz-age Cinderella by Shirley Hughes (beautifully written—if you want your kids to be smart, read them this book!)
Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies
King Jack and the Dragon by Peter Bently (This is so well done!)
Me... Jane by Patrick McDonnell
Little Treasures: Endearments from Around the World by Jacqueline K. Ogburne
Clever Jack Takes the Cake by Candace Fleming
Oh No, George by Chris Haughton
The Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth
Over in the Ocean by Jennifer Ward (these are versions of Over in the Meadow—one of our favorite songs)
Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward
Way Out in the Desert by Jennifer Ward 

Changing things up—and fairytales make you smarter

This may be because my face and neck and hands are one puffy, itchy mess and I woke up this morning unable to fully open both eyes. This may be because poison oak is flowing through my bloodstream and it is making me reckless. This may be because I like to change my mind on a regular basis about everything. But I am going to change my weekly schedule (if you knew I even had one).

In the interest of trying to appeal to kids of both genders about all sorts of books, I am no longer going to divide up my recommendations by gender.

Monday's post will be on a writing or reading topic that will help you with your kids (at least that's the goal).

Tuesday's post will be about picture books (still).

Wednesday's post will be about books for that tough age—six to nine or so—where kids are in such different places, some willing to read book seven of Harry Potter, some wanting nothing more than Henry and Mudge.

Thursday's post will be middle grade recommendations (for kids eight to twelvish).

Friday's post will be on two things: a YA or adult pick and a nonfiction pick for the whole family to devour and discuss. There are such great nonfiction books out there about such interesting things, I can't ignore it any longer, or just stick it in the picture book recommendations.

Today I am going to toss out there a few graphic novels for kids ages six to nine. And okay, they are graphic novels with a theme and a subtle purpose. To make our kids smarter.

Really, these graphic novels are pretty advanced in terms of text. Definitely for fourth grade and up. But these are exactly the sorts of books that will get younger kids interested in reading more difficult words. They can pour over the pictures and as they pour over the pictures, they will notice the words. They will. They will find them interesting (they will!) and before you know it, your second grader will be reading text most would label as too difficult. But so many people ignore these sorts of books because there are too many pictures. Oh, the irony.

Pictures are not a bad thing!!! So here you go. These are books to pick up at the library and just leave around and see what happens. (Put a golden ticket inside and really see what happens!)


Wonderland by Tommy Kovac (Alice in Wonderland like you've never seen it!)


The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower
(there are more Oz books in this format if your child likes them!)

And the following fairytale graphic novels are all done by Graphic Spin:




And Shannon Hale has two rip-roaring adventures for Rapunzel. Again, these are not easy reads, but Shaemus, my boy who doesn't like animals, likes mysteries and spookiness but really doesn't, will read these again and again. We even broke the library's copy of Calamity Jack.



If you are asking yourself, Why fairytales? here is the answer. It comes from Albert Einstein:

"If you want your children to be intelligent read them fairytales and if you want them to be more intelligent read them more fairytales."