Fakin' It

52 Weeks of Books: Week 5 - The Littlest Owl

Hi, I'm back. I know it has been forever since I posted but there have been a lot of life changes going on, most recently with my daughter and the loss of her hearing. I am doing this post more as a teaser, to let you know that I am still here. However, I do not plan on returning to blogging full time until summer when I will have a lot of great ideas for what I call "Mommy School." And as you can see my 52 weeks of books is not consecutive but in the end you will still have a year's worth of mommy recommended stories.

The story I have chosen this week is The Littlest Owl by Caroline Pitcher and it is in honor of my daughter L whose spirit reminds me of the main character of this inspiring little story.

I am a sucker for owls and this book has about the cutest ones I’ve ever seen. The Littlest Owl hatches late after his 3 other brothers and sisters. He is much smaller than the others too. But he is confident. Little Owl doesn’t care that he is different, he knows that if he keeps trying he will accomplish the things he wants. This is a wonderful story about perseverance and believing in one’s self... And now I am all teary eyed.

 

Thanks for sticking with me!

Becky

52 Weeks of Books: Week 4 - Our Abe Lincoln

Why do we sing the ABC's or 50 Nifty United States? It's because most people remember information presented in a song better than that which they've read or even heard spoken. My boys especially respond to music and when they were smaller I had a song for everything from bath time routine to table manners. I missed getting this out for President's Day but if you reference it next year maybe it can still come in handy.

The book Our Abe Lincoln presents simple yet accurate information on our 16th president to the tune of OLD GRAY MARE and will have you humming the tune long after you've closed the book.

Apparently you can buy the book with a CD. I have not heard the CD but it has gotten great reviews and contains about a 20 minute child-friendly narrative about Abraham Lincoln.

If you have a personal interest in Lincoln, I highly recommend Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly. It is the best history book I have ever read.

52 Weeks of Books: Week 3 - Love, Ruby Valentine

There are so many Valentine books out there but my favorite to read for this holiday is Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie Friedman!

I bet you can't guess what Ruby's favorite time of the year is! Yep, Valentine's Day. This is a sweet and silly story about a little girl who spends all this time preparing the most special Valentine cards and treats for her friends only to sleep through the Holiday. And even though the main character is a girl, the charm and humor is not lost on the boys. If you are going to read this book aloud, funny voices are a must! Enjoy.

52 Weeks of Books: Week 2 - Lon PoPo

Since last week we celebrated Chinese New Year, I thought we would continue with the Chinese theme this week. I chose the Caldecott Award Winner Lon PoPo, a Chinese Red Riding Hood written and illustrated by Ed Young. PoPo is Chinese for grandmother.

I can see why this won the Caldecott award as the illustrations really help create that erie atmosphere to fit the storyline. Maybe it is the artwork but I do find this book a little creepier than the original Little Red Riding Hood and probably would not read to a Kindergarten class. That being said, there are some funny parts too. The essential story line is that the mother of three Chinese children, leaves to take food to their sick grandmother. The wolf overhears the mother leaving and decides to dress up as the grandmother so that they will let him into their home.  The children fall for the trick at first but in the end, they outsmart that mean old wolf.

If you have time, it might be interesting to also read the award winning book Little Red Riding Hood retold and illustrated by Tina Scharthyman. This is the original version by the Grimm brothers and actually has the grandmother getting eaten and then saved by the woodsman. Compare and contrast not only the stories but the illustrations. Which author/illustrator does a better job of conveying the mood of the story?

I am starting another new series on my blog called The Pinterest Test. I have become completely obsessed with Pinterest! To motivate me to actually try the things that I've pinned, I am going to test them and give you my opinion on everything from recipes to crafts to cleaning tips. Be sure to check back soon.

52 Weeks of Books: Week One - Chinese New Year

I am starting a new series called 52 Weeks of Books. One of my favorite ways to volunteer in the classroom is as a guest reader. I have spent a lot of time in the local library asking the librarian for age appropriate, fun books. Now I volunteer in the school library and get just as excited as the kids to hear a new story. I plan to feature one book a week that will usually relate to the time of year and is appropriate to read to a kindergarten, first or second grade classroom.

 Week One - Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year falls at different times each year because it is based on lunar cycles. This year it happened to fall earlier than normal, the last week of January. My go-to book is and always has been My First Chinese New Year by Karen Katz.

The cover does look a little baby-ish but this is a great way to introduce Chinese New Year to young children. The pictures are bright and colorful. The simple text allows for older students to ask questions and think about their own family traditions.

As a special surprise I often bring in a little something that goes along with the book I am reading. I brought in little rubber lizards to my son's Kindergarten class two years ago and the kids still remember. With this book I bring in Chinese Red Envelopes. You can make your own, get them at the local Chinese grocery, or order them online.

Since it is tradition to fill the red envelopes with money, I will usually drop a few coins in each or those gold wrapped chocolate coins.

 Gong Xi Fa Cai!