Happy Harvest Time!

The winds are blowing and the days are getting shorter. The noontime sun is warm, but a warm blanket sure feels good in the evening. Little House in the Big Woods begins with the Ingalls family getting ready for winter. The smell of hickory wafts through your imagination as you read about the makeshift smokehouse Pa builds. The colors of autumn are brilliant in your mind while you read about the colorful harvest the Ingalls bring in. The log cabin is cozy and comfortable.

But this isn't the whole book--this is the first chapter. The Big Woods is serially the first of the autobiographical novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She is undoubtedly one of my favorite authors, introduced to me by my sister, and her stories, while taking place over one hundred years ago, are just as vivid today. Garth William's drawings are now synonymous with the Little House series.



Why we like this book: I love fall, and this book, along with all the other Little House books, not only "bring the past to life," these books are written in an understandable way that one can visualize many of the details of life as a pioneers. It also makes me feel really, incredibly lazy. In a good way. :) This will definitely not be the only post about Little House books.

Welcome, Fall!

Autumn is a wonderful season, and reading books like Autumn Is For Apples to kids is something one can really enjoy about this season. Michelle Knudsen, the author, sums up a trip to the apple orchard with poetry and vivid illustrations (illustrations by Denise and Fernando).
"Apples are my favorite snack,
so juicy red and round--
I love how every tasty bite
comes with a crunchy sound!"

Why we like this book: Knudsen's verses make our mouths water just thinking about biting into an apple. If the thought of fall gives you the warm fuzzies--the warm days, cool nights, playing in the orchard, baking an apple pie--this is a book your family will love to read in the fall, year after year.

For the New Reader

Encouraging kids in reading is very important to me. A whole new world is opened up when a child learns to read. Today's post is for the early reader, and there will be more in the future. Old, New, Red, Blue by Melissa Lagonegro is part of the Step Into Reading books published by Random House. There are many "early reader" books and book groups out there, but this one is truly an "early reader" type of book. Not only are there favorite characters animating the text, but the author has used both rhyme and vocabulary concepts to enable the young reader to bridge the gap between simple decoding and understanding the print. The use of opposites and pairing the pictures with the print also assist with children making predictions about the words they read, and make the child more successful with reading the story as a whole.

This Train, by Paul Collicut, is a good example of how to increase reading fluency. The author uses repetitive texts ("This train is...."), to solidify word recognition. The author then inserts a new word or short phrase centered around concepts of a train and opposites, again, to expand on the common phrase. The art work further enhances these concepts.

Why we like these books: I like early reader books that really are "early readers." Having 3 boys in my house who like transportation also helped these books be favorites for us. Children learn to read in different ways--some learn through using phonics and some kids need more word-and-concept pairing. Both books use their illustrations to support the text and promote successful reading.

It's Fun to Run!

If you've ever considered yourself to have a bit of the "acting bug," this book will waken that feeling in you. It's nearly impossible to read this book and not use expressive speaking techniques that really make you sound like the storyteller. The Runaway Dinner, by Allan Ahlberg, is a wonderfully written story of the personification of a young boy's dinner. Melvin, the sausage, starts this marathon run by jumping off Banjo's plate, with side dishes, cutlery and condiments following. Let's not forget Banjo, himself and his parents close behind. Bruce Ingram's colorful illustrations are the perfect complement to the story, and the facial expressions on the characters capture their "alive" state.

Why we like this book: Well, like stated above, this is a story you will get involved in reading, and can even become quite breathless keeping up with the plot line! I brought this book to the "Mystery Reader"Day at my 3rd grader's class, and they were captivated. The kids love this story and laugh themselves silly at the names of all the characters. Try reading it with your best funny accent--it'll tickle the funny bone!

Mystery and Adventure---at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Okay, not the best picture, and I may change that. E. L. Konigsburg's book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, needs no changing. It's a modern classic, in my opinion. Claudia, the oldest child in her family decides that her parents need to be taught a lesson in appreciation. After all, she has many responsibilities around her house, and responsibility is one of the reasons why Claudia chooses her brother Jamie as her companion in her getaway plan. Follow Claudia and Jamie as they run away to New York City and discover a hidden mystery in the form of a statue at their new temporary home, the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why we love this book: Have you ever visited somewhere and thought to yourself, "well, if I was locked in, I could kind of enjoy myself here." That is one of the best things about this book. I love reading about how the kids live in the museum; how they eat and how they sleep. I found myself picturing myself as Claudia, complete with knee socks and a headband for my hair, pouring over details about the statue she loves so much. Jamie is a great companion: he entertains Claudia, but also gives her a sense of realism that keeps Claudia grounded when she's on a roll. This will someday be remade into a modern movie, and I just hope it's done well.

A New Adventure

Welcome to Read With Me! Here is a place where children's books rule, but you don't have to be a kid to enjoy them. If you, like me, love to browse the juvenile section of the library, get excited to find that wonderful story from your childhood at the local book fair, or if you're just trying to get some ideas for great things to read, feel free to drop in and read a few entries and check out the books!
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