Here's Emma with our favorite book from the week:
We have almost finished our first shelf at the library!!! WOO HOO!!!
By "first shelf" I don't mean an entire row across a bookshelf. I mean one section of one row of one bookshelf. But, hey! We have to celebrate every milestone. :)
Emma continues to love her story time, and we read a couple books every day. Honestly, I would check out more than 10 every week, except that it's hard to juggle 10 books (which are heavier than you might think!) and a baby while walking from the library out to my car. Maybe one day I will have one of those crates on wheels... hahaha!!!
Our Weekly Favorite:
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Title: Miss Nelson is Missing!
Author: Harry Allard
Illustrator: James Marshall
Rating: 5 stars
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Summary:
"The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spitballs stuck to the ceiling. Paper planes whizzing through the air. They were the worst-behaved class in the whole school.
So begins this quirky classic, first published in 1977 and still relevant today as a lighthearted reminder to show our appreciation to those we value. The students don't proffer a shred of respect for their good-natured teacher Miss Nelson, but when the witchy substitute Miss Viola Swamp appears on the scene, they start to regret their own wicked ways. James Marshall's scritchy, cartoonish full-color ink and wash illustrations are hilarious. A back-to-school perennial!
Why I Loved it:
- The illustrations are very funny!
- The ending lends itself to some great questions for your little reader- Do you think Miss Nelson and Viola Swamp are the same person? How do you know? Interestingly, most of the clues lie in the illustrations.
- It's classic! I think we've all read this book and loved it. It's so special to share a book with your child that you read yourself as a child.
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Title: Painted Words
Author/Illustrator: Aliki
Rating: 4 stars
This book was actually two stories (flip the book over and turn it upside down to read the other story.) It was very thought-provoking, taking the point of view of a girl who is starting at a school where no one speaks her language. I would love to read this again with Emma when she's old enough to understand the perspective of someone in this position.
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Title: Miss Nelson is Back
Author: Harry Allard
Illustrator: James Marshall
Rating: 3 stars
The sequel is never as good as the original. Unfortunately, this is true of the "Miss Nelson" series as well. It's worth a read, but its value comes from having the first beloved characters as Miss Nelson is Missing, not from a stunning plot.
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Title: Every-Day Dress-Up
Author/Illustrator: Selina Alko
Rating: 3 stars
I love the idea of this book. The message is positive: Little girls have so many notable women to look up to and dress up like. However, I wish that message had been presented in a more intriguing way. I did like the pictures, though.
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Title: We Are Best Friends
Author/Illustrator: Aliki
Rating: 3 stars
I thought this book was average. I liked the topic, and found it very relatable to something that a child might actually go through. I wasn't, however, blown away.
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Title: Starlight Goes to Town
Author: Harry Allard
Illustrator: George Booth
Rating: 2 stars
This book was a little bit amusing, but I found it to be more ridiculous than anything, and not in a good way.
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Title: The Acrobat
Author/Illustrator: Alborozo
Rating: 1 star
This book wasn't interesting, funny, or meaningful in any way.
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Title: One More Time, Mama
Author: Sue Alexander
Illustrator: David Soman
Rating: 1 star
The pictures in this book were beautiful, but the storyline was a little bit too simple for me to find interesting.
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