In My Indie Bookstore Reusable Canvas Tote Bag Meme...

We add books to our home library on a pretty much ongoing basis. I buy from our library's used bookstore, the monthly library sales, eBay, used bookstores, garage sales, Powells.com and probably other places I'm forgetting. My favorite place to buy books, however, is at the local independent bookstore, The Book Beat.

I was there today and I bought a beautiful hardcover copy of one of my all-time faves, Robert C. O'Brien's MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH. My boys love it as much as I do and our paperback copy is falling apart. As I see many rereads in its future, I figured it was time to invest in a hardcover.

I also bought a hardcover of THE CROW-GIRL by Brodil Bredsdorff. I borrowed THE CROW-GIRL and its sequel, EIDI: THE CHILDREN OF CROW COVE, from the library last year and was mesmerized; I decided I loved THE CROW-GIRL enough that I needed to own it. 

I also bought Kate Messner's newest book, MARTY McGUIRE, in paperback. BLESS YOU, oh publisher, for making this book simultaneously available in hardcover and paperback. Are publishers finally understanding that they will sell more books if they do this? I rarely shell out money for a hardcover I haven't already read and know that I love. This often means that instead of buying a book that has just been released, I patiently wait my turn at the library. If I end up loving the book, I'll buy a copy to keep and will often then buy more copies to give as gifts. (I pretty much only give books as presents.) If, however, a new book I've been eagerly anticipating is immediately available in paperback, I WILL BUY IT IMMEDIATELY instead of checking it out at the library. More money for you, publisher! 

While at The Book Beat, I also helped the bookseller fill several boxes full of books that will end up in my children's school's new library, via the Grandparents Day book sale. I put a hardcover of MARTY McGUIRE in one of the boxes because, of course, hardcovers last much longer than paperbacks when they are shared and loved by many children. I'm just so glad that both the hardcover AND the paperback were available. 

Hatcher's first review!

Yesterday Hatcher saw Toby and I working on Toby's Stink blog post, and he decided he wanted to get in on the action. (I'm sure it had everything to do with taking Toby's picture; Hatcher is a bit of a ham, I'm afraid.)


So I asked Hatcher to go to his room and bring me a book that he loves. He brought out I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track, written by Joshua Prince and illustrated by Macky Pamintuan. Here is what he said about it:

"It is funny like an ant on a track.* There are a lot of pages. The ant is so cute."

We first bought this book a few years ago when Toby was very into trains. The kids have always enjoyed it as it has a fun, rhythmic style and the language is playful. My husband, especially, is talented at reading it aloud.

*I know he is only 3 and I shouldn't read into this statement, but "funny like an ant on a track"??? Note to self: keep magnifying glass out of  Hatcher's reach.

"Get out your clothespin!" (Toby reviews the Stink Moody series, written by Megan McDonald & illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds)

As dictated to me by Toby:

"This is a series I really like. It's called Stink. There are six in the series so far including two Stink-o-pedias.

The Stink books are very easy for your kids to read by themselves because they have easy-to-read words and lots of pictures.

I like them because they are very, very, very funny, like when Stink was caught in his pajamas and he accidentally punched his best friend.

You should get out of your chair and get one of these books or you will turn into a bathtub." (howls with laughter)

Celebrating World Read Aloud Day

Max, Toby and I were laughing so hard and loudly tonight while we read the final chapter of HELLO, MRS. PIGGLE-WIGGLE by Betty Macdonald together that my husband and our youngest came in the room to find out what was going on. (I'm only "officially" reading the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books with Toby, but often Max will listen from his bed, pretending to read something else while he waits for his read aloud time. I unfortunately tried reading a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle book to Max when he was a little too young for the long chapters/too few pictures... he wasn't interested and for some reason I never tried again. I'm thrilled that he is surreptitiously listening along now, though, and enjoying them as much as Toby is.)

Anyway. Tonight Max decided to join us on Toby's bed while we read. I know I've already written a post on why I love to read aloud to my children even though they, especially Max, can read on their own. Since today is World Read Aloud Day, I thought it was worth it to share how much fun we had tonight. I'm sure we'll be calling each other "brave little Mounties" for weeks to come, and perhaps we'll start referring to Hatcher as Old-timer, after the baby in the chapter. I loved how we kept interrupting each other while we read if something struck us as funny or if we were reminded of a hilarious story and needed to share it. At one point Toby actually raised his hand and said, "Can you tell us a few more times when *we* were slow-pokey because we were in our imaginations?"

I know reading aloud to children is so much about turning them on to reading. I love it for that, sure, but I love it more for how it brings our family closer together.

Max and Percy Jackson

Before I type in what Max wrote, I just want to say how delighted I have been over the past few weeks watching Max inhale Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. You'd think I'd be miffed because this seems to support my friend Melody's opinion that Percy Jackson is far superior to Harry Potter (wrong! WRONG!), but I have put my own feelings aside and have just been enjoying watching Max cart the books everywhere so as not to miss an opportunity to read. He even finished THE LOST HERO, Riordan's first in the adjacent series to Percy Jackson, and is currently reading THE RED PYRAMID, Riordan's first in the Kane Chronicles series.

Max wrote the following, whereas in Toby's last post, Toby dictated and I transcribed:

"I recently read all the books in the Percy Jackson series. I thought they were awesome. Out of 1 to 10 I would rate them a 10.

I recommend these books to people who like Harry Potter, monsters, and Greek myths and gods.

The books really kept me going. There was always action, fighting, battles and funny comments.

They are about Percy Jackson going to Camp Half-Blood. He goes on adventures to save the world and other crazy stuff. He is 12 years old at the beginning of the series and has ADHD and dyslexia like all of the half-bloods. He has two friends, Annabeth and Grover, and that's all I'm going to tell you."

Toby and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle

"There are four Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books. I read the first one and the second one, and I'm still reading the third one. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has cures for kids that have some type of bad behavior. She is very, very kind to children and understands them. No matter if it is a bully or a heedless breaker, she can cure anything.

I like them because they are funny. Well, don't just stand there! Get a Piggle-Wiggle book!

You will know how to cure your child's behavior. If you are a child reading them, you'll not become one of these guys. That's it!"

An endeavor in book-banning...

After seeing me tear through THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy earlier this year (and watching JJ engrossed in it now), Max recently started lobbying for permission to read it. "Mom, I *like* hunting and fighting and stuff... that's why I'm reading the Narnia books!"

My first, automatic reaction was, "No way." Of course it was. THE HUNGER GAMES is heavy stuff; I put off reading it for months because I wasn't sure *I* could handle the subject matter. But then I actually considered it; I felt I owed it to him to think it through. Did I really want to discourage my child from *reading*? Something I had been trying to nurture pretty much since his birth? I am such a huge believer in children selecting their own reading material and the part that plays in them developing a life-long love of reading. If I were to stick to the "no way," would I be stifling that important self-selection? Would it make me (gulp) no better than your average book banner?

Then, yesterday, I noticed he was reading THE STRANGE CASE OF ORIGAMI YODA  instead of THE HORSE AND HIS BOY, which he had started devouring the night before.

Me: What gives?
Max, nonchalantly, not looking up from the book: Oh, I had to put it down.
Me: Really? Why? You seemed to really be enjoying the Chronicles.
Max, waving his hand dismissively: Sad part.

Yep. He's way too young for THE HUNGER GAMES. And, as his mom, that is more than okay for me to decide.