Here’s this week’s edition of The Books That Fill Our Shelves. Those who know me in real life will be surprised to learn that I read three ebooks this week. Yes, yes I did. I’m a huge fan of old-fashioned books and I never use my kindle but I used it this week, folks!
I’d love to hear what your family is reading this week. Be sure to check out my post on How to Start a Family Book Club. It’s a great way to keep those reading skills fresh during the summer months!
The Books that Fill Our Shelves
Cait recently finished:
A Parent’s Guide to Raising Lifelong Learners by Colleen Kessler
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Colleen Kessler has kids like mine, so she gets it. Not only does she get it, but she has a lot of tips, ideas, and resources for working with these kiddos. In this book, Colleen makes homeschooling four children seem like a piece of cake and she gives you oodles of practical tips for making your homeschool easier. The book is jam-packed with ideas and also includes links to helpful articles. Want to know the best part? I got this awesome e-book for free here.
iBlog: Everything You Need to Know About Blogging from 30 Top Bloggers
With the one year blog-iversary of My Little Poppies in sight, I sometimes still cannot believe that I have a blog. I’ve always considered myself a writer, however, I was never savvy with technology. I started this site on a whim, as a way to document our journey and to raise awareness of children like my son. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and I’m still awed and humbled that anyone reads my drivel. To be completely honest, there’s a lot about blogging that is completely over my head. I have resolved to learn more about the more technical aspects of online writing. This week, I devoured iBlog . I learned so much, folks! If you are suddenly, unexpectedly blogging for the interwebz, you might want to check out this useful read!
I don’t know about you guys, but I never get tired of reading about other homeschoolers. I am eternally fascinated by how other folks are doing this thing. It’s why I’m sort of obsessed with the A Day in the Life homeschool series that you find online. Everyone is so different in their approach and I’m always amazed by the creativity of others. I learn oodles each time I read about other homeschoolers. When I learned that iHomeschool Network, the makers of iBlog, had recently come out with a book on different approaches to homeschooling, I had to read it. The book did not disappoint, folks! Are you looking to learn more about different approaches to homeschooling from some of your favorite homeschool bloggers? Are you in need of new and creative resources? Look no further!
Devil in the White City: Murder, Madness, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
I’m a huge fan of nonfiction and Devil in the White City has been on my to-read list for years. Well, a few weeks ago, Schizz snagged this gem from the “free” pile at our town dump. I started it immediately. It’s a fascinating story of two men during the Chicago World’s Fair. One, an architect and planner, the other- a murderer. You won’t be believe the work and the drama involved in putting together the fair, folks. And the chilling accounts of the Fair’s serial killer? Unbelievable. I had to keep pausing to put it down because it was just so much to process- in a good way, folks!
The kids recently finished:
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
My kids have been obsessed with this book ever since we covered it a couple of weeks ago in our {virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies. Do your children love The Lorax? Then they are sure to love this book about a red-headed boy who changes an entire landscape and city with his curious garden.
The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
This week, we read The Most Magnificent Thing for our {virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies . What a gem, folks! Do you have a little perfectionist at home? This book is a perfect conversation starter. In this story, a young girl embarks on a quest to create- you guessed it- the most magnificent thing. She tries to create it- again and again- and each time the thing never matches the image that she has in her mind. She eventually reaches her threshold for frustration, throws a fit, and quits. Her dog convinces her to go for a walk and during the walk she starts to feel better. When she returns, she notices that all of her efforts have good parts and she combines all of the good parts to make the most magnificent thing.
Leo recently finished:
Leo is always reading a gazillion books so be sure to check out his Goodreads book log to see more, but here are two of his books from this past week.
Rags and Riches: Kids in the Time of Charles Dickens (Magic Treehouse series) by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce
When Leo first started reading, his first true love was the Magic Treehouse books. Lately, he has revisited many of the nonfiction companions, the Fact Trackers. This was one of the Fact Trackers that he read this week.
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary
We were on vacation this week and so Leo found some oldies but goodies at the place we were staying. This classic from Beverly Cleary was one of them. My children adore this book, folks. There’s something about the thought of Ralph riding a little motorcycle around the hotel room! There is an adorable audiobook available that made a long car ride fun.
T recently finished:
T recently finished:
T and Seuss love these books and I was never a Scooby-Doo fan. I’m not going to lie – I left these books up at my parents’ place so that I didn’t have to read them all the time. And now, T can read them to me! That made me like them so much more, listening to her sweet voice!
Seuss recently “read”:
Marvel: The Ultimate Character Guide
Seuss is obsessed with this book! He goes to sleep reading it and wakes up reading it. He packed it for vacation!
Cait is currently reading:
Quiet Kids: Help Your Introverted Child Succeed in an Extroverted World by Christine Fonseca
As an introvert who loved Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, I’m thoroughly enjoying this book on introverted children. If you are an introvert parenting introverts, this book is for you.
It’s so refreshing to read about asynchronous development from some of the best around. Loving this and savoring it.
Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
I just cracked it open last night. It’s been on my to-read list forever, folks!
The kids are currently reading:
Our current read aloud is a treasure! It’s not anything you can find at your library or purchase through Amazon, folks. It’s our very own Grandparent Journal. Click here to read more about how the whole thing happened, and stay tuned for a guest post I’m doing over at DoingGoodTogether.org!
And, for our STEAM-Filled month of May at the {virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies, we’ll be reading the following books.
Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty
Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty
Tell me, what are you reading?? Share here!
I’d love to add your favorites to my Goodreads list!
More Information on Our Book Club:
The {virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies is an awesome group of readers. It has been wonderful to connect with folks as book-obsessed as we are over here. If you would like to join in the fun, please join the Family Book Club @ My Little Poppies Facebook group. We cover one book every week and you can participate as much as you’d like. There’s no pressure! We share crafts, lessons, and other activities related to each book and by the week’s end we have an entire Pinterest board related to the text. That way, if you miss anything or if you have a crazy week (it happens to all of us), you can go back at your leisure and explore the book on your own time.
All of the books (and more!) from the {virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies can be found here:
All of the lessons, crafts, and activities based on each book can be found here, listed by title and author:
Visit Cait Fitz @ My Little Poppies’s profile on Pinterest.
