Phantom Tollbooth Turns 50

I read The Phantom Tollbooth aloud to Ben a number of years back, and although he enjoyed it at the tender age of 8 or so (sheesh Mom!), he didn't always understand the subtleties of humor and irony within.  This year, at age 13, he read it again for himself and came to me quite frequently to tell me just how witty he thought this or that passage was.  He really, really loved it!   He just needed to be a little older to get it.  And speaking of being a little older, this year, 2011, marks the 50th anniversary of The Phantom Tollbooth and in celebration there is a wonderful new hardback edition to be had!  You can read a little bit more about it over at Brainpickings.    

Swallows And Amazons Forever!

We finally finished up Swallows and Amazons a couple weeks back. I'm not sure how long it took us to read it, I know it really stretched out. It was the kind of book that was best savored at a leisurely pace, though. We read it a chapter at a time at bedtimes and it was always satisfying. Each chapter was so thick with sophisticated language and pure good old-fashioned kid adventure that we always agreed to let the the story "sit" at just one chapter a night. I think we all got a chance to really get to know the characters that way, and to savor the storyline.

In this first book of Arthur Ransome's series about childhood adventure and imagination, we were introduced to the Swallows, a family of children on vacation who are set free with a small sailboat to camp on an island near their summer retreat home. They soon encounter and befriend the Amazons who are two sisters also with their own sailboat. The land of imagination they then share is the focus of the book. The appeal of the fun the children have comes not from it being extraordinary in any way, rather it is the fact that this fun is so real. Their games and their plans are so absolutely child-like and beautifully true, that you cannot help but be carried back to your own childhood memories of friends, forts and make-believe. That time in your life when anything seemed possible.

Enchanting. Charming. Joyful. Just some of the words I would use to describe this book. Now the boys want me to buy the next book in the series. Especially Will. I think he loved this book the most.

Traction Man Is Here

We made a trip to the library today for story time and to pick up a few new picture books to read at home. The big favorite with everyone today is a re-run around our house, but one that had been forgotten for awhile. Traction Man is Here is an hilarious look at the adventures of a generic Action Figure and his side-kick pet Scrubbing Brush. My favorite act of heroism of TM has to be "Guarding The Toast". Go check it out.

Written by Mini Grey in such a beautifully snarky way, I think I may just need to own this one. Also look for a second book-Traction Man Meets Turbo Dog. I'm requesting it for myself, I mean, Charlie right now! I intend to investigate other titles by this author as well.

BONUS!!!

Here is a super-cool printable Traction Man Paper Doll..er..I mean Action Figure to enhance your reading pleasure.

Real and Imagined

The Invention of Hugo Cabret-this was quite a unique book, full of imagination and great writing. Parts of the story were told only with illustrations, which I loved.

From Amazon:

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

Ben read this before I did and had this to say-

I liked the illustrations and how well they actually filled in big parts of the story. It was a great book. My favorite "side-track" was finding out about Georges Melies who wrote the first science fiction film in 1902, A Trip To The Moon. I wanted to find out if he was real or just a made-up character in the book. It was fun to find out he was real. You can see his film here.

Roxaboxen

How in the world did I miss reading this book until now? Don't you just love finding a new treasure when you think you've already seen it all? Roxaboxen by Alice Mclerran is that treasure for me. I stumbled across it at Amazon while looking for something completely different and decided to order it on a whim. I am so completely not disappointed!

The idea of the book is simple imaginary play. The kind of play I remember as a child when I spent my summer hours completely outdoors building forts, playing tag and exploring the neighborhood with friends. The kind of play that is in such decline for kiddos today.

In the story, Roxaboxen is an imaginary town created by Marion, her sisters and their friends. It becomes an important place in their childhoods which lived on into their adult lives. Based on real kids and real events. Sweetly simple.

See Dick And Jane Wish They Were This Cool

On a recent library trip I impulse- grabbed this book by Lane Smith from a display shelf.

I am constantly judging books by their covers and this one had me thinking "Man, that looks funny!". Let me tell ya. I was right. It is juvenile humor with a certain sophistication. It is Dick and Jane had they skipped the frontal lobotomies. It is a dry wit that leaves you thirsting for more. (and luckily there is another!) It is entertainment for the whole family. Well, for most "whole families", I guess. One Amazon reviewer gave it only one star calling it " A recipe for insolence and irony". I say, Bring it on!

The Happy Hocky Family is really quite happy despite their little mishaps and mischievous scenarios, from Baby's balloon popping to a fatal trip to the zoo (for the dog). Ahh, childhood! A time of such simple joys! Our favorite was the gentle treatment of Grandma when confronting her overbearing perfume. Without causing her any undue embarrassment, the children employ the help of a magic monkey to get her to "OPEN the WINDOW WIDE". Who wouldn't want their child to read this? Respect for elders, Magic Monkeys, a Happy Family...who could ask for more? Insolence and irony my ass! I give it 5 stars!!

What William is Reading in 2009

An ongoing book list of William's independent reading in 2009. Favorites are starred.

1. The Spiderwick Chroinicles: The Field Guide (Holly Black)
2. Snow (Uri Shulevitz)
*3. The Time Warp Trio- Hey Kid Wanna Buy a Bridge? (John Scieszka-It rhymes with Fresca)
*4-13. Various Henry and Mudge titles. (Cynthia Rylant)
*14. The Happy Hocky Family Moves to the Country (Lane Smith)
15. Time For Kids Biographies- Henry Ford (Dina El Nabli)
16. Time Warp Trio-See You Later Galdiator (John Scieszka)
17. Owls in the Family (Farley Mowat)
18. A Picture Book of Helen Keller (David A. Adler)
*19. The Saturdays (Elizabeth Enright)
20. The Random House Book of Nursery Stories (Helen Craig)

Children's books for December-week 3

Jan Brett! One of my very favorite children's author/illustrators! I just get lost in her "border" stories and really love all the Scandinavian influence in her artwork. We have quite a collection of her books, and some have been around since Ben was just wee. The Night Before Christmas was my first Jan Brett illustrated book, and it is a sentimental favorite read every year before tucking the boys in on Christmas eve. This week though, we'll be reading a few of our other faves...

The Mitten- This was my second Jan Brett acquisition years ago. I found it in hardcover at a yard sale for a quarter. Yay for me! This is Jan Brett's take on a old folktale, originating in the Ukraine, in which an unbelievable load of animals find temporary shelter in a young boy's snow-white mitten. I especially love the illustration where hedgehog's "spines" poke through the knit of the mitten. What detail! And, because I owned another version of this story even before the Jan Brett one, we will read that too. Any Room For Me? by Loek Koopmans tells a similar tale of a woodcutter losing his mitten in the forest. The illustrations are soft and dreamy. We'll try to find some materials to make felted mitten ornaments to go along with this story. For Charlie I'll do a paper version that he can put animal pictures inside.

Christmas Trolls is one Will has always liked. Young Treva tells the tale of how she taught two mischievous and greedy trolls how to celebrate Christmas. Similarly themed Who's That Knocking On Christmas Eve? will be a perfect companion book. Here trolls come to steal the Christmas Eve meal, as they do every year. Only this time help arrives in the form of a young boy from Finnmark and his companion ice bear. How cool is that? The black icy night skies illustrated in this book are fantastic, and you can almost hear the frozen crunch of the snow. Check out the first line of the story. Brrrrr......

High above the arctic circle in the land of ice and snow, the northern lights shimmer in the night like a curtain of color hanging from the sky.

I'd like to try making some Scandinavian heart ornaments after reading these books. I've always loved Scandinavian designs and miss the days of shopping here when I lived nearby.

We can't let a Christmas season go by without reading Gingerbread Baby! In our family the title has been changed to "Baby Ginger", though, because that is what William dubbed it when he was small. Jan Brett's take on the Gingerbread Man tale, this book has young Matti cleverly catching "Baby Ginger" when Mother, Father, Farmer and Fox simply cannot. The lift-the-flap ending is a hit with littles. We will, of course, bake gingerbread men after this one. One of my favorite holiday rituals!

Children's Books For December -Week 2

Busy time of year, this advent season, no? I wanted to have these books planned out and posted before the week started but looks like that didn't happen. Better late than never!

We started off the week with Snowflake Bentley. by Mary Azarian. We love reading this one every year and I always say "We need to own this one!" So far I have not made good on that intention. This book is an biographical story of Wilson Bentley, lover of snow, photographer extraordinaire. The illustrations are woodcuts and their charm matches that of the story. The main story is on told on the larger part of the page, while extra detail is given on the sidebars, which makes this book span a variety of ages. We spent a lazy afternoon crafting our own snowflakes to decorate our windows.



We'd like to get W. A. Bentley's book of published snowflake pictures, Snow Crystals, and really enjoy some time marveling at these tiny puffs we take for granted as they fall to earth these winter days... when you see these photographs, you really begin to understand his obsession.

Millions of Snowflakes was Charlie's read on this day, as he didn't have as much interest in Snowflake Bentley. This one is in our permanent collection and is a super-simple, super-sweet rhyming book about the joy of falling flakes.

Next up this week, in anticipation of decorating our tree on the weekend (We find it more enjoyable to wait until the 3rd Sunday of Advent. No Thanksgiving tree for us) is Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree. This is a fun one and I'd like to add it to our collection someday. It's the story of a beautiful, albeit too tall, Christmas tree. See just how many more trees will grace the homes of others when the trimmings of Mr. Willowby's tree are "recycled". We made darling stacking paper trees to go along with this book. (H/T Bella Dia)

I like Winter by Lois Lenski is a new one for us this year and I love it! Ummm, can I just say I'd like to own this? It's a 1950's classic with sweet drawings and simple text. From sledding and skating to the birth of Jesus, the niceness of winter is visited in classic Lenski style. Perfect for Charlie and appreciated by all. Because this book is so sweet, we made these sweet and tasty gumdrop trees to decorate the table. The boys want them as part of their place settings so they can nibble at them after dinner. What the heck. Tis the season. (H/T Bella Dia.)

Next week...Jan Brett week! Yay!

Children's Books For December-Week 1

Imported from my now defunct book blog:

Every year at the beginning of advent I bring out the Christmas/winter themed books that have been carefully packed away for a year. They are well-loved friends, and a joy to revisit each season. Now that advent has begun, we will read a smattering of our books each week and add in a go-along activity whenever possible. For this week, we will be reading our collection of books about St. Nicholas, as his feast day falls on December 6th. I'll talk about those books a little bit here and post any activities we do on my other blog as we do them.


We'll start off by reading Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaola. This whimsical book focuses on the wonderful preparations that lead up to Christmas day. Here we find St. Nicholas in heaven providing guidance to the little country angels as they search for the perfect contribution to advent preparations. An idea from St. Nicholas provides what everyone has forgotten--starlight--as the angels pull a brilliant star across the sky and bring star candles for everyone to carry in the procession to the creche. The illustrations are classic dePaola folk-art style. We'll bake Stelline d'oro (Stars of gold) cookies after reading this one.

Tomorrow we'll read St. Nicholas by Ann Tompert. This one is beautifully illustrated and although it includes quite a bit of legend, the true story of his life and generosity are also made quite clear. A nice introduction to the life of this saint. We will be making ornaments to decorate Christmas trees that will be donated locally to families who might otherwise not have one.

Midweek we'll enjoy on of our very favorite stories The Miracle of St. Nicholas by Gloria Whelan. This is a gorgeous story of the people in a small Russian village who come together to create their own "miracle". For the first time since communist soldiers closed it 60 years earlier, the villagers are able to worship together at St. Nicholas Church. We will try our hand at painting mini icons of St. Nicholas after this reading.

Finally, on the eve of December 6th, we will read The Baker's Dozen-A Saint Nicholas Tale retold by Aaron Shepard. This book is beautifully illustrated and gives a great lesson in generosity. It is the tale of an honest baker who takes great care to give his customers exactly what they pay for, no more and no less. St. Nicholas, cloaked as an old woman, pays a visit to the baker to show him that giving more of yourself can result in great rewards. We'll do some baking again after this book, and make speculatius (German spice cookies) in the shape of Bishop Nicholas himself-just like in the book!

The book we will read thoughout Advent, one chapter at a time, is The Jesse Tree by Geraldine McCaughrean. Each chapter in this book is a short story explaining one of the symbols of the Jesse Tree.Clever tale of an instantly likable little boy and a gruff old woodworker.