Audiobooks - we love them!

Here is a list of the books on CD that my boys (age 5 and 7) have enjoyed in the last six months of so. Audio books are what they wind down with before bed.

Wind in the Willows

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes

Pinky Pye by Eleanor Estes

Freddy the Detective by Walter R. Brooks

Half Magic by Edward Eager

The Borrowers by Mary Norton

A Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Alice in Wonderland

Frindle by Andrew Clements

Chronicles of Narnia (Magician's Nephew; Lion, Witch & Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; Voyage of Dawn Treader) by C.S. LewisThe

Humphrey - we love you!

My boys like rodents. We have 2 guinea pigs and they are our only pets. My youngest son has several rodent stuffed animals. His favourites are Hammy (a hamster puppet) and Squeaky (a mouse puppet).

When I discovered the Humphrey books by Betty G. Birney, it was love at first squeak. :)

Here is a list - note: you don't need to read them in order.
1. The World According to Humphrey
2. Friendship According to Humphrey
3. Trouble According to Humphrey
4. Surprises According to Humphrey


5. Adventures According to Humphrey = my personal favourite. The audio version has excerpts from Treasure Island included.
6. Summer According to Humphrey

Why do I (and my boys) love the Humphrey books?
- they are funny
- they have positive messages
- the situations in the books are ones that my boys can relate to. Humphrey is the classroom pet in maybe a grade 2 or grade 3 classroom.
- they also come in audio versions
- they contain lots of vocabulary words

I've even started talking like Humphrey - these books are good good good!

Reading level: 4

Reviving and Changing!

I decided to revive this blog and change it!

I'm going to post mini reviews and lists of good quality children's books. My sons are both advanced readers and it can be difficult to find books for them. I hope to help other parents find good books!

This week's books from the library

Bedtime for Frances (re-read) by Russell Hoban
Doctor De Soto by William Steig
Our Marching Band by Lloyd Moss
Midnight on the Moon (Magic Treehouse) by Mary Pope Osborne - my son reads through these books so fast! He finished the Lions book in less than a day.

Some books from Paperback Swap

I love PaperbackSwap.com
You mail out books you don't want, receive points, create a wish list and receive the books you do want. Check it out!

I recently got this gem for my son. I can Draw Animals.

I have some others coming soon:
Giant Steps for Little People by Kenneth Taylor
Usborne Book of Christmas Carols

I haven't update for a while

so this list will be long. These are our recent library reads.

Pinocchio (re-read) by Carlo Carllodi
The Very First Easter (re-read) by Paul Maier
What Makes Me Happy by Catherine Anholt
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond
Corduroy Lost and Found by B.G. Hennessy
Ed Emberley's Picture Pie: A Circle Drawing Book- we LOVE this book!
Over In the Ocean by Marianne Berkes
The Bear's Toothache by David McPhail
The Solar System by Paul Sipieri
Easy Street by Rita Gray
Because a little bug went ka-choo! by Rosetta Stone
Thank you Bear by Greg Foley
Put me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire
What's in a Box by Kelly Boivin
You Can't Take a Balloon into the Metropolitan Museum by Jacqueline Weitzman

Some gems from the used book store

My oldest is currently *very* interested in space, specifically the planets. So I found something to nurture that.
All About Space - Scholastic First Encyclopedia

He also enjoys tracing so drawing books are fun.
Usborne Drawing Fun: Fun with Pencils


And, I love old Golden books so I added to the collection.
When Bunny Grows Up
A Day in the Jungle