Category Archives: Favorites

Favorite First Day of School Book!

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This post is a flash from the past.  It was originally published in 2011.

The Kissing Hand is an old favorite to read at the start of the school year.  Little Chester Raccoon is hesitant to leave his mother’s side and go to school.  She assures him that he will love school once he is busy playing with new toys, new books, and new friends.  She also shares a special secret that has been in their family for years – the kissing hand.  The kissing hand allows a little love from home to be with Chester at all times and gives him the confidence he needs to tackle his first day of school.  Quite simply a heartwarming story that provides true comfort to little ones and perhaps a few Mommies and Daddies too

The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments: Awesome Things To Do With Your Parents, Babysitters and Other Adults – Rachel Miller, Holly Homer, and Jamie Harrington

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Our little lady loves science, and we have had a number of science experiment books over the years.  This one is by far our favorite.  First, the layout of the book is terrific.  Experiments are divided into four sections: Kitchen Chemistry, Physics and Making Things Move, Exploring the World, and The Human Body.  Each experiment focuses on a specific science question and includes preparation and experiment time guidelines as well as a supply listing.  Supplies are traditionally things one would already have in their home or are easily found at the grocery store.  Experiment instructions, outcome details, and explanation as to why the experiment works are included for each experiment as well as fun related facts.  The 101 Coolest Simple Science Experiments: Awesome Things to Do With Your Parents, Babysitters, and Other Adults is a great resource for indoor summer fun when it is just too hot to be outside. 

Way Back Wednesday ~ The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate – Jacqueline Kelly

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This post was originally published on September 21, 2016.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is a favorite at our home.  It is a beautifully written book that explores a scientific question (Why the yellow grasshoppers in her backyard are bigger than the green ones?) and the development of a close relationship between Calpurnia (Callie) and her grandfather.  Our daughter has read and re-read this one.  It is simply terrific!

Story Thieves – James Riley

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Book Thieves is a great fantasy adventure tale.  Many a book lover has dreamed of having the ability to jump into a story he was reading.  Book Thieves lets us find out what happens when someone really does jump into the story!  This is the first book in the series and was a constant companion for our daughter for a couple of days.  She read it every free moment that she had. 

Wayback Wednesday ~ The Hundred Dresses – Eleanor Estes

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My daughter and I read this book together a couple of years ago, and we are still talking about it.

The Hundred Dresses tells a thought provoking tale about peer pressure.  Although written in the 1940’s it is sadly still highly relevant.  It is a short book, but there is great depth to this story.  I chose to partner read it with our daughter.  It served as the catalyst for some excellent discussion about friends and friendship.  Even as an adult I found the story compelling and haunting.  It really sticks with you.

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay – Susan Hood

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I first became aware of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay from an episode of 60 Minutes.  This uplifting and inspirational children’s book shares the story of that very special orchestra which is composed of instruments made from recycled trash.  Ada’s Violin is beautifully written and illustrated.  After reading it, I highly recommend watching one of the videos of the orchestra online. 

Way Back Wednesday ~ Echo – Pam Muñoz Ryan

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Looking for a terrific book for a tween mother/daughter summer book club?  Echo would be a terrific option!  This post was originally published on 11/09/16.

Echo was another favorite for our daughter as she read the nominated books for the Texas Bluebonnet Award.  The book is a bit larger than most nominated works (592 pages), but the length did not dissuade her as a reader.  She truly could not put this one down.  I found her reading it every time she had a chance as well as a number of times she really needed to be doing other things.  Echo is beautifully written and provides a considerable degree of depth and complexity for the reader.  Using three stand alone historical fiction stories that focus on the need to be brave, the author expertly interweaves them together using the musical ability of the children and a harmonica as a special link.  This book lends itself for discussion and would make a great text for a mother/daughter book club.