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What we’re reading

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Chet Gecko in The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse.

Jr. says “He’s a detective. And the book is really good. Chet Gecko if he finds Billy the Chameleon he gets a big piece of Stink Bug Pie. And Herman the Gila Monster is the bad guy.  A kid who likes mysteries would like this book.”

George’s Secret Key to the Universe

I always know that our read aloud is a good pick when 1. there is begging for one more chapter and 2. Jr. reads ahead of where we are at. We’re not through this book as a read aloud but already I am looking forward to adding it permanently to our shelves.  Jr. says, “I like the computer named Cosmos. I like all the science stuff that is on the special pages. I like the girl in the story (Annie). A kid who is interested in science would like this book”

Sea Dragons

I picked up two different books from this non-fiction series. They both have a wonderful collection of photographs of the subject. Simple yet still informative words. These are recommended by my Lil’B who at 5 prefers non-fiction.

Thanks for the audio suggestions! Now I have a new questions do you buy or borrow audiobooks? Our library has a nice selection but we’ve found more and more of them are scratched. It is quite frustrating to have to skip a chapter (or section) to get past the skip. On the other hand audiobooks are a tad expensive. I have tried librivox but found many of them to be just a bit to archaic in language to catch my children.

Sipping tea

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

I’m feeling a bit under the weather. Not enough to knock me down and place me in my snuggly bed. But enough. I’m curled up today with an audiobook while the boys are building a lego ship. I figure they will absorb something from my book and though it is above their heads the exposure is worth a lot. We are listening to the Canon by Natalie Angiers. I’ve listened to it once before but I enjoy it so I turned it on again.

I was trying to think of another non-fiction title that would interest me and still be appropriate for the boys. I may look into one of the many math/number related titles I’ve got on my list. Or perhaps I’ll pick up an audio of the Ten Most Beautiful Experiments. I quite enjoyed that one last year and wouldn’t mind hearing it.

What’s been on your reading list?

And finally just because I want to note it for myself I’ve reached the pattern on the Irish Hiking Hat. I expect that it will use the entirety of the skein I’m working from. It is a lovely wool and mohair blend. I am thrilled with how it is knitting up! It is from Brown Sheep Company which I also like because it is a regional yarn company near me.

The Ana Knitted Bandana continues to move forward but I am still concerned about not getting the length needed. My gauge isn’t off much from what’s required not more than half a stitch when laid flat but I am thinking that I may have to rip back and move up a needles size. Though I’m far enough along that I may just see where I end up at the end of the ball of yarn. Worse case frog and begin an again right?!

Adventures in Reading

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

I always knew that Jr finally making that leap to a full blown reader would make things more interesting. No more present lists in the open. Watching where I set down my world events magazine or taking care not to leave private information like passwords out. But I didn’t really think about the books themselves.

I have a habit of bringing into the house books that I’d like to review for upcoming topics. This year one of the many science topics we will talk about is reproduction as in where babies come from though we may leave the mechanics for a bit longer if no questions come up. But back to my story! Not all books on the basics of where babies come from are created equal. So I am taking opportunity now to review a few looking for one that will suit both my boys.

Well at least I was.

I was until I brought in Everybody has a belly button: Your life before you were born. and left it sit on my bedside table where it was to wait until I had a moment to look through it.

Cut to scene: The boys are sitting on my clothes hamper when I walk in my bedroom – - reading the Everybody book in complete silence. I suppose technically Jr was reading it and LilB was only looking at it. Keep in mind had I had opportunity to look at it first this wouldn’t have bothered me at all. But it was still unseen as to content to ME! I admit to a little mental freaking out.

But I needn’t have freaked out at all! That night the Everybody book made the request list for bedtime books. I was delighted to see that it was exactly what I was looking for in a beginner reproduction book. There were correct terms. Nicely done pastel pictures that were perfectly age appropriate in my opinion. The books skips very lightly over the mechanics using the egg cell and sperm cell but not identifying from whence they came (Or how they get “together”.) Instead this book focuses on the development of the baby itself. Birth is also an area where the author takes the light touch approach and doesn’t overwhelm the children with too much information. I was very pleased with the ability of the author to be informative and interesting with a graceful balance for the age group intended to read the book. I expect that we will be reading it again as LilB is quite interested in discussing babies. Jr to my delight remembered much of what we had talked about back when his brother was born.

Oh and for the record WOMB still wins because it sounds like room. Uterus (the word) they still don’t “like”. Aren’t kids grand?!