What a Party

So far I've only posted books that I really love, so I thought it was time to change things up a bit. I've mentioned before that I like to randomly pull books from the shelf - I can be in and out of the library in 10 minutes if I absolutely have to. I'll admit it, I judge books by their covers. Especially children's books - the illustrations can make or break it for me.

In this case the illustrations were great - Keith Graves is very talented. It was the story that bothered me. I still can't quite put my finger on what irritated me and since I've already returned it to the library I can go back and look.

I guess it just didn't make much sense to me. It seemed...disjointed somehow. The book begins by talking about this great hut that Froggie lives in and how much he loves it. Then on the very next page he's on his way to his grandfather's birthday party and the only thing he cares about is the song that he's going to sing as a gift.

He FINALLY sings the dumb song and everyone goes home. Except that Froggie isn't ready to go home and his friend Rabbit has to patiently convince him to leave. The story left me wondering why in the world this little frog is living on his own when he acts like a two year old. Seriously? The party is over dude - hop on home. Everyone else has.

With that said, I must tell you that my kids loved this book - especially my two year old. Maybe he relates with the tantrum at the end? Simon asked for it every nap time which made me dread nap time. I never thought that would be possible.

The Golden Hour

This is one of those books that I randomly picked up from the bookshelf at the library. I find it strange how some books stand out more than others. The child in me still believes that books have the power to draw me to them - calling my name; it's the kind of magic that only exists in a library. Bookstores are wonderful, but in a library, I can take home any book I want; there are no price tags.

I loved this book from start to finish. It drew me in, and I never wanted to leave. Fortunately, I just checked Amazon and this is a series, with two more books to read! You can expect to see my review on them later on.

The story begins with Rowan and his little sister Nina who arrive in Owatannauk, Maine to spend a month of their summer vacation with Aunts Agatha and Gertrude. Neither one of them are thrilled at this prospect, especially since the Aunts seem to be a bit eccentric - Rowan is sure that Aunt Gertrude can read his mind.

Soon they meet two other children, Xavier and Xanthe, who are also visiting for the summer and they four of them become friends. Aunt Gertrude tells Rowan to explore the area - that is, everything except the Owatannauk Hotel. Fearing that it's haunted, Rowan nearly does stay away. Nina, Xavier and Xanthe have other plans, however, and they are suddenly dragged into an adventure filled with danger and excitement.

I considered reading this to Andrew because it's a fast-paced adventure, but a majority of the book happens during the French Revolution. That's probably a bit much for a 5 year old. I'm sure he would tell anyone who listed about the people who had their heads cut off, but they may or may not respond to that positively. I'll probably introduce my kids to this book when they reach Jr. High level.
I do have to say that this book increased my desire to learn more about Marie Antoinette and the French Revolution. It's a gory subject really, but fascinating all the same. I wish I could remember what we talked about in History class, but apparently I learned what I needed to pass the tests and then promptly forgot the rest. Maybe I can sit in on my children's history classes?

Doctor DeSoto

Doctor De Soto is a dentist who also happens to be a mouse.  He refuses to treat any animal who is dangerous to mice - can you blame him?  Until one day, when an extremely pitiful fox shows up on his doorstep;  Doctor De Soto and his wife, who is also his assistant, decide to let the poor fox in for treatment.  After a close call with the fox, they decide he's definitely not trustworthy - no matter how much pain he is in.  But they're not about to become a snack - the De Soto's come up with an ingenious plan to keep the fox from following through with his dastardly plans.  


This is a book that I remember from my childhood -  we even had it on tape and I listened to it countless times.  Before I ever had kids, I bought this book knowing that they would love it.  Of course, I was right - we read this one fairly often and the ending is my kids' favorite part - they repeat lines from it all the time. 

Ballet Shoes

I've wanted to read this book since I heard it mentioned on the movie "You've Got Mail" - that was quite some time ago. One day, while in the library, I happened to look at just the right spot on the shelf and saw it sitting there; I might have let a small squeal escape my lips. I grabbed it from the shelf and put in in my bag, amazed at my good luck. Someone else could have come along at just that moment, looking for this particular book, and I would have had to fight them for it! I did, however, make it home from the library without any unfortunate accidents. Can you imagine a fight in the library? Hushed and yet intense arguments - 'I found it first!' and, 'No you didn't - can't you see it's in my hands?' I wonder if the librarian would have kept her voice to a whisper as she tried to break up the fight...

Kathleen Kelly's recommendation did not disappoint - I loved this book! My 5 year old son wanted to read it with me, which was a little shocking - normally his interests revolve around video games and tormenting his brother. We only read one chapter each night, so it took some time to get through, and some of the language was hard for Andrew to grasp. Who am I kidding? I had to reread a few sentences here and there!

The book is set in England in the early 1930's and is about 3 orphan girls who were adopted by a man called Great Uncle Matthew. Affectionately called Gum by the girls, he is a geologist and found each of them while on different expeditions. While they are still young, Gum leaves on another expedition and doesn't return. The girls are cared for by their nanny and guardian, Silvia, but after a few years, they begin to run out of money.


Without giving away too many details, the girls eventually attend a school for dance and stage training. Each of the girls develop their own talents - but I'm not going to spoil the fun. Pick up a copy and read it for yourself - you'll be glad you did!