Review: Born a Crime
“We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited.”
Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, is the king of smart comedy. He can tell a joke while skewering every political party, cultural group, and line of thought, and it’s only later that you realize there was more than a grain of truth in what he said. I couldn’t wait to read this book because I knew it would be good, and Noah did not disappoint. (more…)
What My Kids Are Reading: May 26, 2017
The 6-Year-Old
Batman’s Guide to Being Cool
From the publisher: “Are you ready to stalk the night, fight crime, defeat your greatest enemy, and find a crime fighting partner who is almost as awesome as you are? Are you ready to do something cool? If you answered “yes,” then this is the guide for you! Discover your inner cool with help from Batman, the coolest super hero in all of Gotham City and, yes, the universe.”
Have you noticed a theme? My 6-year-old still goes for TV and movie character-based books over any other books, and I’m ok with that! He gets excited to read them, and we all know that Batman is the coolest superhero, right? That particular book has large pictures with short descriptions, which works well for this age. I have a feeling we’ll be acquiring the next book, Robin’s Guide to Being Cooler, out in August!
The 8-Year-Old
I Am: Harriet Tubman
From the publisher: “A straightforward biography about Harriet Tubman’s struggles and success for both civil and women’s rights. With a forward-thinking attitude, Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and risked her life countless times to help free 70 others. She became monumental in both the civil rights movement and the women’s suffrage movement. Kids will be inspired by this icon’s tireless work to create a better America. This series features full-color illustrated covers, one-color illustrations throughout, a timeline, an introduction to the people you’ll meet in the book, maps, sidebars, and a top-ten list of important things to know about each hero.”
My 8-year-old did a school project on Harriet Tubman earlier this year (he chose her as his subject because he wanted to find out more about her spying contributions), and this was one of the biographies he read. He’s re-read it several more times since. The I Am series is excellent, and this one is no exception. It does not gloss over slavery and the Civil War, and we had to have some difficult conversations about that time period in America’s history. The information is presented in a simple, but interesting, way, and we both came away from it knowing more than before. I highly recommend this book and the entire series!
What We’re Reading Together
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
From the publisher: “Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That’s because he’s being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he’s really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.”
We are finishing up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone this week, and it has moved from the 8-year-old category to what we’re reading together! I made my older son wait until he was 8 to start the series, but now my 6-year-old sneaks up and sits with us to listen in on the story too, and I’m certainly not going to stop him. They are both absolutely loving it, and they would stay up until midnight reading it if I let them!
Review: Into the Water
“Some of them went into the water willingly and some didn’t . . . Nel Abbott went in fighting.”
Into the Water
What My Kids Are Reading: May 19, 2017
The 8-Year-Old
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
From the publisher: “Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That’s because he’s being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he’s really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.”
This is a big one. For both of us. I have been waiting for the day that one of my kids (because they WILL both read the books, whether they want to or not) is old enough to begin the Harry Potter series, and last week was the week. My 8-year-old has been begging me to let him, so I read the first page of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The 6-Year-Old
Calling All Master Builders!
From the publisher: “Who are the Master Builders? Do they have what it takes to stop an evil LEGO® tyrant from ending the LEGO world? This all-new Level 1 reader from DK’s levelled reading program follows the adventures of The LEGO® Movie, assembling in February 2014. DK Readers are a multi-level reading program guaranteed to capture a child’s interest while developing reading skills and general knowledge — compatible with the framework for teaching literacy.”
This one is a little tough for my 6-year-old to read (Vitruvius isn’t the easiest name to sound out) but he’s working through it! He loves the Lego Movie, so this book is perfect for him to practice sounding out more difficult words, and getting excited when he comes across words he already knows. And Benny the astronaut is in it, and who doesn’t love Benny?
What We’re Reading Together
Rumpelstiltskin
From the publisher and the New York Times Book Review: “Richly hued oil paintings complement a story simply and gracefully told. Children…love the story for its mystery, and its familiarity. Adults will find that, like most classic fairy tales, this one rewards periodic rethinking.”
This is such a classic tale that I often forget how much kids still love the story. I intended to just read this to my 6-year-old, but the 8-year-old ran over and said it’s one of his favorites! The version above is no longer available (since that was my copy as a kid, and we won’t discuss the publication date) but the newer version from 1996 looks beautiful.
[Top]Review: Ladder of Years
“See, I’ve always pictured life as one of those ladders you find on playground sliding boards-a sort of ladder years where you climb higher and higher, and then, oops! You fall over the edge and others move up behind you.”
Delia Grinstead: wife, mother, runaway. The basic plot of Anne Tyler’s Ladder of Years