I’m Bored … So Read a Book
Hey SSDers, Misty here to share about one of my favorite topics … books. During the winter months, I love snuggling up with the kids, our cozy blankets, a warm drink and a pile of books. Here are some of our recent favorite reads.
Cooking with Henry and Elliebelly by Carolyn Parkhurst – Five year old Henry is putting on a cooking show. Today he is going to teach us to make raspberry, marshmallow, peanut-butter waffles. If only his spirited (and a tad pesky) two year old sister would stop interrupting. This tale is funny and absolutely adorable. We discovered it 2 years ago when the kids were the same age as the characters. Each member of family found ourselves in the story and could appreciate the humor. Now, two years later, the kids came across the book again at the library and had to reread it and ‘play’ the characters.
The Sea Monster by Christopher Wormell – Mya picked this one up at the library; Jamin adores it. A young boy and his dog go out to play with a toy boat at the beach while a lonely sea monster watches surreptitiously from behind the rocks and an old retired captain works on toy model boats in a cabin on the cliff above. The boy’s boat is washed out to sea. The boy swims out to retrieve it, only to find he can’t make it back to shore. The dog, the old man and the sea monster all play their own role in the boy’s rescue. It’s a beautifully written, well-told tale.
Thank You Bear by Greg E. Foley – Bear finds something he thinks is wonderful … until he faces the criticism of others, then he is not so sure. All is well when his good friend mouse thinks it is absolutely perfect. This book is simple and repetitive enough for the youngest of the toddler set, but the lesson is ageless.
I’m Bored by Christine Schneider – It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon and Charlie’s parents and big sister refuse to play with him. Armed with imagination, Charlie and his toys wage war on the forces of boredom. The kids and I could both relate to the characters in this adorable, cleverly illustrated tale.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst – My son could really relate to Alexander who’s day goes miserably, in part due to his own poor choices and in part due to mistreatment by others. Sometimes kids just need to know it’s ok to have a bad day – tomorrow will be better.
So there are a few books from our family bookshelf. How about your family? What are your favorite family read-alouds? Leave a note in the comments. I’m always looking for new discoveries. See you back here next month with more ideas for family-reading.
