Christmas Book Stacks 2009- Benjamin's Stack

There were so many good books on my list this year to give to the kids, but the two big Deal-Breakers, Time & Money, prevented me from filling out the stacks like I wanted to. The titles that did make the stacks were all big hits, though, so I have no regrets and no complaints. And those wish-listers just might show up this spring in someone's Birthday Book Stack.....

Ben's Stack

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

Ben requested this book some time ago and it was at the top of his Christmas list. When talk of getting a Wii came up this year, and it was made clear that there would not be much else under the tree if one came, he asked wide-eyed "But can I still get The Mysterious Benedict Society along with the Wii?" I must be doing something right. He has already kept his lights on too late into the night to read this daring new adventure of the Benedict Society kids. A side note: I really thought that dilemma was spelled with an "n". Dilemna. So convinced was I, that I had to ask the Google. Here's an interesting Blog bit about it at Grammarphobia. Huh. Who knew? Very odd indeed.

The Sorcerer's Companion-A Guide to the Magical World of Hary Potter by Allan Zola Kronzek and Elizabeth Kronzek


As Ben neared the end of the Seventh Harry Potter in mid-December, I knew he would be a bit melancholy about there being no more stories in the series. When I stumbled across this book, I knew it would fill that wizard shaped hole in his reading life. The Sorcerer's Companion takes a look at many of the creatures and customs in the Harry Potter series and connects them to their real-life origins from around the world. Ben thinks it is really cool that J.K didn't just make up things like the Grindylow and Hinkypunk . A great education in mythology, folklore and superstition as it relates to the H.P books.


The Time Machine by H.G.Wells


This was in a Scholastic book flyer for $1.00. I find that beyond the kindergarten/first grade years, Scholastic really pushes a lot of junk, so when I saw this I had to grab it. One dollar? Come on! The vocabulary is rich and the writing will be chewy, but I think Ben will really like it!


Merlin and the Making of the King by Margaret Hodges, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman


I found a copy of this book, in hardcover, brand new, at the library book sale. For twenty-five cents, people! A magnificiently illustrated version of popular Arthurian legend. A perfect addition to Ben's stack. Margaret Hodges and Trina Schart Hyman are both well respected around our house.

Motel of the Mysteries by David Macaulay


I remember reading this book with Ben when he was about 6 or so. I thought it was pure genius, but alas, at such a tender age, he did not get the concept of archeological satire. The premise of the book is that our civilization has finally and mysteriously died off, leaving archeologists from the 41st cenury to piece together our customs and habits from the remains of an excavated motel room. Their conclusions, though seemingly well drawn, are ridiculously off course. When I came across the book again at the Goodwill recently, I knew it was time for him to give it another try. Ben totally gets it now (yay!) and can appreciate the stumbling blocks faced in interpreting the past.