BUY A BOOK FOR EVERYONE.... "I'm not really a reader." Oh, yeah. Well, at our house, everyone gets a book as part of their Christmas joy. When our daughter married, her husband was not a reader. When our son married, his wife was a'somewhat' reader. For the first few years our son-in-law received sports books. I don't know if he ever looked at them. For the first few years our daughter-in-law received cook books which I know she looked at. Then she became easier to buy for. Now she is one of the easy ones; she reads a lot and receives not just cookbooks anymore. Can't wait to give her this year's find. Our son-in-law will now receive and read gardening, sports, and some history books. I think we've made progress. Love my in-law children.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Anna Casey's Place in the World....She deserves a special place.
Anna Casey's Place in the World by Adrian Fogelin is a soft and gentle story about a subject that is often times not a soft and gently subject---foster care and the reasons for the need for it. This book is not harsh, does not point fingers. It simply tells a lovely story that is sometimes funny, sometimes sad.
The two main characters, unrelated, have been placed in the foster care of a first time foster mother. A recipe for disaster? No, here it becomes a recipe for caring and sharing and helping each other and the new foster mother through the steps of parenting.
Ed is ten, a frightened little boy who tries without much success to hide his feelings through faked toughness and indifference. Anna Casey is an adventurous, inquisitive twelve-year-old who desperately wants a place to belong. Anna has lived with many different family members, until at last, she has run out of relatives. Ed has lived with his very irresponsible mother and whoever the current boyfriend might be. Ms. Dupree, a third character, is a new 'parent' whose heart is in the right place but who has very little idea how to be a 'mother' or even a friend to these two, but she tries. She runs a business from her home--matching lonely hearts. Her's, perhaps, is one of the loneliest.
Through adventures and misadventures the two youngsters are thrown together and become unlikely allies. They meet and befriend a homeless veteran and an eccentric neighbor who has a pet spider, all types of specimens, and a penchant for picking up neighborhood trash. She is also very likable, someone you might want in your neighborhood. They also meet the neighborhood kids, among them Jemmie and Cass, the main characters from Fogelin's wonderful Crossing Jordan, for Eb and Anna are lucky enough to have landed in their neighborhood. The two girls, along with the boys from the neighborhood, help Eb and Anna start to feel somewhat 'at home'.
Then, of course, change comes along. It is all around as wishes seem to be coming true for all, but will they be for the best? We hope so, we can mentally write it that way for ourselves, but I guess we will have to read the next book from this neighborhood and see if we can find the answer. I don't know!
I have purchased this book for one of my ten-year-old granddaughters for Christmas, along with Crossing Jordan, for the other 10-year-old granddaughter. I hope they like Eb and Anna and Cass and Jemmie as much as I do.
From Peachtree Publishing, available at book stores and on line through
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anna+casey%27s+place+in+the+world&sprefix=anna+casey%2Cstripbooks%2C227
The two main characters, unrelated, have been placed in the foster care of a first time foster mother. A recipe for disaster? No, here it becomes a recipe for caring and sharing and helping each other and the new foster mother through the steps of parenting.
Ed is ten, a frightened little boy who tries without much success to hide his feelings through faked toughness and indifference. Anna Casey is an adventurous, inquisitive twelve-year-old who desperately wants a place to belong. Anna has lived with many different family members, until at last, she has run out of relatives. Ed has lived with his very irresponsible mother and whoever the current boyfriend might be. Ms. Dupree, a third character, is a new 'parent' whose heart is in the right place but who has very little idea how to be a 'mother' or even a friend to these two, but she tries. She runs a business from her home--matching lonely hearts. Her's, perhaps, is one of the loneliest.
Through adventures and misadventures the two youngsters are thrown together and become unlikely allies. They meet and befriend a homeless veteran and an eccentric neighbor who has a pet spider, all types of specimens, and a penchant for picking up neighborhood trash. She is also very likable, someone you might want in your neighborhood. They also meet the neighborhood kids, among them Jemmie and Cass, the main characters from Fogelin's wonderful Crossing Jordan, for Eb and Anna are lucky enough to have landed in their neighborhood. The two girls, along with the boys from the neighborhood, help Eb and Anna start to feel somewhat 'at home'.
Then, of course, change comes along. It is all around as wishes seem to be coming true for all, but will they be for the best? We hope so, we can mentally write it that way for ourselves, but I guess we will have to read the next book from this neighborhood and see if we can find the answer. I don't know!
I have purchased this book for one of my ten-year-old granddaughters for Christmas, along with Crossing Jordan, for the other 10-year-old granddaughter. I hope they like Eb and Anna and Cass and Jemmie as much as I do.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anna+casey%27s+place+in+the+world&sprefix=anna+casey%2Cstripbooks%2C227
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Thanks John,,, John Grisham that is.
Everything at my house has stopped while I indulge myself in John Grisham's latest book, Sycamore Row. Thanks, John for getting back to the good stuff. I've missed you.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Little Golden Books Revisited....how refreshing.
Couldn't resist posting this from Diana Muldrow.
Her blog is Books I Buy and Why: http://booksibuyandwhy.blogspot.com/
Her most recent blog is "Everything I need to know I learned from Golden Books. As the mother of a five year old, she is revisiting these lovely books. and applying lessons to adulthood. Check out her blog and her book. If nothing else, read the description of the book on Amazon.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17190361-everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-from-a-little-golden-book
Her blog is Books I Buy and Why: http://booksibuyandwhy.blogspot.com/
Her most recent blog is "Everything I need to know I learned from Golden Books. As the mother of a five year old, she is revisiting these lovely books. and applying lessons to adulthood. Check out her blog and her book. If nothing else, read the description of the book on Amazon.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17190361-everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-from-a-little-golden-book
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thanks Judy Blume.......
Grandson AJ and granddaughter Jamie spent the day with us. After AJ prepared and served us brunch, cooking is his hobby and he makes great pancakes, we had 'reading' hour. AJ is 8 and Jamie 10 both are involved in a reading contest at school. Luckily, both read a lot and have always been read to by the adults in the family....a real must for creating lifelong readers among our young! These two, and our other grandchildren are all on their way to being lifelong readers. When today's reading hour was over, they both kept on reading. Yea!
Jamie stretched out on the sofa with President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston, was no doubt reading. AJ first sat in a chair with legs thrown over one arm. Then he was on the floor upside down with feet and legs supported by an upholstered coffee table. Finally, as I was beginning to wonder if he was really reading, he was on his knees leaning over that upholstered coffee table when he started snickering then laughing out loud. His laughing went on for a while. I asked what was so funny, and he said 'just this book.'
Judy Blume, who had first worked her magic on their mother 38 years ago, was again working her magic. Thanks Judy Blume.
Jamie stretched out on the sofa with President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston, was no doubt reading. AJ first sat in a chair with legs thrown over one arm. Then he was on the floor upside down with feet and legs supported by an upholstered coffee table. Finally, as I was beginning to wonder if he was really reading, he was on his knees leaning over that upholstered coffee table when he started snickering then laughing out loud. His laughing went on for a while. I asked what was so funny, and he said 'just this book.'
Judy Blume, who had first worked her magic on their mother 38 years ago, was again working her magic. Thanks Judy Blume.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Teen blog hop....join in...win.
Check out this blog hop for free books and great information about authors and their books.
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Monday, October 14, 2013
The Trees Have Hearts....imaginary friends from Nature fill a little girl's life.
"When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile." (Unknown)
This is clearly the underlying message of this book. After we see the importance of her imaginary friends, the trees and the wind, the main character, a lovely little girl, must move away and leave them. She is heartbroken. She feels that she has reason to cry, but these friends embrace her as only they can and help her understand that life has more beauty than sadness.
The Trees Have Hearts, full of imagery and symbolism, is a lovely story that many children in today's society can relate to and understand. A little girl is happy in her home, a beautiful home with a lovely garden in which the trees become the girl's friends and offer her companionship, comfort, and a sense of security. The little girl is full of happiness. After a summer vacation she learns that she and her family must move. She is, as most young children would be, devastated. She does not want to leave her home and her garden friends. Her friends, the trees, each with a special gift for companionship, offers her comfort and healing words that help her see the wonder of moving as a growing period and new adventure. Even the gentle Old Wind is the girl's friend and he,too, helps her when she needs him.
The book is beautifully illustrated with garden pictures full of color and light. Each tree has her own personality and look. This is clearly shown.
My only complaint would be that the story is too long and too demanding of a young reader. An older reader could beautifully read the book with a youngster and have some wonderful discussions.
The author is Mrs. D. (Olga D'Agostino).
The illustrator is Juli Hasagawa.
The book is a winner of the Mom's Choice Award.
I read the ebook version.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Trees-Have-Hearts-Mrs/dp/1469134799
This is clearly the underlying message of this book. After we see the importance of her imaginary friends, the trees and the wind, the main character, a lovely little girl, must move away and leave them. She is heartbroken. She feels that she has reason to cry, but these friends embrace her as only they can and help her understand that life has more beauty than sadness.
The Trees Have Hearts, full of imagery and symbolism, is a lovely story that many children in today's society can relate to and understand. A little girl is happy in her home, a beautiful home with a lovely garden in which the trees become the girl's friends and offer her companionship, comfort, and a sense of security. The little girl is full of happiness. After a summer vacation she learns that she and her family must move. She is, as most young children would be, devastated. She does not want to leave her home and her garden friends. Her friends, the trees, each with a special gift for companionship, offers her comfort and healing words that help her see the wonder of moving as a growing period and new adventure. Even the gentle Old Wind is the girl's friend and he,too, helps her when she needs him.
The book is beautifully illustrated with garden pictures full of color and light. Each tree has her own personality and look. This is clearly shown.
My only complaint would be that the story is too long and too demanding of a young reader. An older reader could beautifully read the book with a youngster and have some wonderful discussions.
The author is Mrs. D. (Olga D'Agostino).
The illustrator is Juli Hasagawa.
The book is a winner of the Mom's Choice Award.
I read the ebook version.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Trees-Have-Hearts-Mrs/dp/1469134799
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