James' Halloween Favorites

James loves reading books about Halloween this year.  These two in particular have been hits.  It has been really fun to watch James start to understand about Holidays a little more this year.  

The Little Critter book is read numerous times each day, and I think that I am going to have to find my other Little Critter books for him.  These seem to be just the right length for a 2.5 year old.  I think that the pictures are also really fun for him.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin is a great book to read if you have been visiting the Pumpkin Patches lately.  

Animals in Translation

This is our October book club book.  It was chosen because Temple Grandin wrote it and we thought that would be interesting.  I will be completely honest....  I only read about 50 pages.  I just could not get into this book.  It would be interesting if you were really interesting if you liked to read non-fiction books that are about animals.

I have decided that I only like parenting non-fiction books.  Otherwise give me the fiction books!  This book was just really dry.  I thought that the information was interesting it was just really hard to get into...

I'd say pass on this one...

Read:  Ha!  Tried to in September 2011
Pages:  372

Mockingjay

This is the last book in the Hunger Games series.  I loved this one so much.  Maybe even more than the first one.  There are some serious surprises in this story!  I don't really want to give anything away.  All I will day is READ.THESE.BOOKS!  My brother literally read the first one in less than 12 hours.

This is my very favorite book(s) that I have read in ages.  Easy to read, awesome story!

Read:  October 2011
Pages:  400

Catching Fire

Y'all this book was soooo good!  I had to wait about 5 days before I could get it this from my sister.  Again I read this book in two sittings.

This is book two in the Hunger Games series.  Spoiler alert!  Stop reading if you don't want to know anything....






Katniss had just won the Games and is about to go on the Victory Tour.  The Capitol is very worried about the districts since a number of them are on the brink of rebelling.  You will grow to love Katniss even more!

Read:  October 2011
Pages:  391

The Hunger Games

Oh my goodness!  I have read so many good books lately and am just so excited!  Y'all I read this book in literally 2 sittings.  Granted one of them kept me up until 2 AM!  So good that I did not peek ahead, just kept on reading.  I really wanted to read ahead, but I knew that would ruin the book for me.

Anyway, this book is set in the future.  North America has undergone numerous natural disasters and a new country has formed...  it consists of The Capitol and 12 districts.  The districts tried to revolt 70 something years ago.  Now each year the Capitol chooses a boy and girl (12-17 year old) from each district to compete in The Hunger Games.  The kids fight to the death in a huge arena.  This event is televised each year {almost like reality tv gone horribly wrong...}.  The main character Katniss is one of the contestants.

My recommendation is that you get in your car and get to the book store NOW!  I cannot wait to read the next two books!  My sister brought them over tonight!  And y'all read these quick, because they are going to be made into a movie!  :)

PS Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale?  Right now I am Team Peeta.

Read:  September 2011
Pages:  384

A Couple from the Bedtime Rotation

I cannot believe that it has taken me soooo long to write about these books.  They have both been apart of the Bedtime Routine {which used to be so much easier....  dang terrible twos!}  for quite some time.  

They are just like what they sound like.  The Daddy Book tells all about different sorts of things that daddies like to do while The Mommy Book tells all about different things mommies like to do.  

I just love Todd Parr and kids do, too!  The pictures are fun and bright and he is always so inclusive in his writing.  I  guess my love for him stems back to my more liberal pre-Mommy days.  Ha!

If you don't own any Todd Parr books, get some now!  One of my personal faves is The Underwear Book!  Early Elementary age kids love it!  

And that is officially the end of my list that I had going....  that means, gasp,  I am all caught up.  So now I just have to finish some books on my bookshelf!  I know you will be sitting on the edge of your seat.  I will try to read fast!  ;)

James Favorites from 2-2.5

I am going to go totally out of order and write first...  Hope you don't mind.  ;)

Right now James is very into trains, trucks, cars, and animals.  So most books that are read over and over in our house are about one of those.  That is really the key for getting kids of any age to read, I think.

Some hits are novelty sorts of books like lift-the flap books and any book that makes noise.  Some of his favorite include those shown below:

There are also quite a few non-novelty books that he likes read over and over!  Some are classics, some are fun songs!  Here they are:

There are quite a few that he still reads found here and here.  It's kinds crazy he has been reading some of these books for more than a year!  It's also crazy that I have more than 50 posts!  I guess I really like to read.  ;)