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Reading Roundup

The last two weeks have been very busy, very...um...full of small challenges and a few not so small ones. Thankfully, we have our local library as well as a home library full of places to escape to. 

Sometimes we escape together, sometimes we fly solo, but either way we've had some very good reads!

So here is the short list (no sarcasm intended, despite the length of this post. this really is the condensed version!) I will dispense with writing out each title and author, they can (mostly) clearly be seen in the pictures, just for the sake of expediency.

With Kitty Bitty:


We didn't utilize this audio-book as much as I had wanted to, only using it in the car a couple times. But going into this next week, I now know where both a portable cd player and a larger slightly less portable boombox are that I can either hook up ear phones to, or move to a place where her book won't disturb the big kids. So we are going to keep giving audio books a try.



Kit's favorite this round!




This one did not capture her like the "L" Sound Box did, but she did love the pictures of the iguanas.




She loved the pictures, but never once let me read the whole story to her! I thought it was an imaginative story with really nice artwork.



She liked this one better! The pictures are great. In fact even the big kids enjoyed it together, Zak did funny voices and had Grace collapsing in giggles. I don't think the story itself is that funny, but the pictures do lend themselves to some pretty funny ad-libs.



Together:


All of the kids really enjoyed this one multiple times. Kit loved the I Spy format and looking for the objects. The big kids and I just really enjoyed the different paintings and drawings. Below is my favorite.



I am all for reading the book before seeing the movie, so this crisp new copy of Paddington caught my eye at the library. I somehow missed reading this growing up, but my kids will not be able to say the same. Victor likes to sit in while we read this one because I do all the British accents, however, my apologies to any readers in the UK as I'm sure you would find my renditions appalling! We are looking forward to seeing it when it comes out on DVD as well.

We finished On the Banks of Plum Creek as well this week! We will finish Paddington first, though, before launching into Anne of Green Gables!

Grace was reading:


She waited patiently for about ten minutes for the Librarian to come back and help her find this book specifically. And this is at least the second time she has read it.  


I am completely cool with the kids rereading their favorites, but I also want them to keep exploring, so sort of an unspoken rule is that they get at least one book they have never read before as well.  She and I spent a very looooooong time perusing the juvenile section to find her a second novel, which she did not particularly want to get but I insisted urged her to get. After rejecting a multitude of recommendations, she decided these might be worth a try. They have not made a terribly big splash with her though. 

She is thoroughly enjoying being an independent reader, but she is not very adventurous in trying out new genres and titles. She says she likes books in a series, but each one I've pointed out so far has been met with a bit of blah. But we will land on the right one at some point! I might get some to read out loud to perhaps peak her interest in some she might otherwise overlook. Suggestions are welcome!

Zak Attack:


I had put this one in Zak's locker to eventually get to for school. He found it and read the whole thing in about two days. "It was really good." He commented, very nonchalantly. 


This historical graphic novel is one of a set of eight. The set was an addition to the kid's school supplies this year. I find these in the bathroom a lot. That is, in a very backwards way, a testament to their engaging qualities as good reads, because Zak is picky about his bathroom reading. Moving on now...


He must like it, he rechecked it out for another two weeks. He gave me a quick synopses, which, like many things, I managed to forget most of. But it has cool inventions and time travel and someone has to save the world, so sounds like a pretty cool adventure to me. 


He loves these. He owns several, always knows when the new ones are coming out, and rereads them constantly. If there is not one of these or a Ripley's Believe it or Not book in the library bag, then Zak either missed Library Day or he was kidnapped by aliens. Which he would now know what to do because he has been reading:


Another addition with this year's school purchases. Zak again finished it in under three days. He said it was awesome, but there were some pretty impractical, if not impossible, techniques he was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to make happen in the event of an emergency. Like making a tornado shelter in one's back yard. Out of a school bus. Because...yeah. 



So that was our book list of late. That does not include Victor's regular visits to multiple online news outlets, with with he kept me well informed about world and economic news by sending me random texts throughout each day such as:

India's trade deficit with China has climbed to more than $40 billion from $1 billion in 2001-2002.

And maps and graphs. 
And Darth Vader jokes.


We are, at the very least, eclectic. 

Happy weekend everyone!


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