Books for different ages and reading levels.

Books For Babies! These are books my babies have loved! Books they grab and love to interact with. These are the books I keep in my car when we are going to be driving for an hour. They are the books that make it into the airplane bag. If you are looking for a book to give as a baby shower present- click HERE.
Books are always the perfect fit- that they won't out grow too fast!




Story Time ideas for Preschoolers! Click HERE






Story time Ideas for Beginning Readers!
k-1 reading level books. This group of books are good for those just beginning to read.




Book Club Outlines and Book Reviews for Independent Readers!
Reading level of 2-3 grade.
This stage is able to read short chapter books on their own.




Book Club Outlines and Book Reviews for Confident Readers!
Reading Level of 4th grade or higher.
These books tend to be longer chapter books.

Rare Sighting- Summer Reading!

We just got back from a 3 week road-trip. (From Utah, through  Canada- down through New York to Maryland (where I grew up) and then back to Utah!!)

The first day we were home- the kids rushed outside. Connected with friends, had a huge squirt gun fight with the neighbors and then slept soundly in their own comfortable beds.




This is what they looked like day two! I was shocked. They were reading without my nagging  motivational speeches. lol

AMAZING.

The son laying down is reading Harry Potter: Chamber of Secrets.
The other picked up a book he read before Summer of the Woods by Steven Smith.

While visiting cousins- my boys were introduced to an avid 11 year old coin collector! We didn't know this cousin was so interested, knowledgeable about coins. We came back to grandmas house after a day of touring Washington DC, and my sons took the coins out of their pockets to show him. (From the Metro we had gotten $1 coins as change- and this third son of mine had an old Susan B Anthony.) My nephew (their cousin) grabbed his coin collecting book and they learned it was valued at $60!

Well- needless -to -say that really sparked the interest of my sons. We've been checking our pocket change the rest of the trip. Coin collecting is so cool- it's like a treasure hunt with our own American money!! Summer of the Woods is about two brothers who find a rare Indian Head penny, that leads their summer vacation into a 60 year old mystery of a stolen coin collection in their town.

(You can click here to read our book club about it.) Even though he has read it before- he admitted he didn't remember much, and wasn't that interested. NOW that he is hooked on collecting coins... he wants to read it again! lol


Other Summer Reading ideas:
Calendar Mysteries Series- I am currently hosting a summer book club for my 8 year old with this series. Click HERE to see our book club activities.

Million Dollar Series by Dan Gutman is a really fun series for kids who love sports. Each book is centered around one sport; Million Dollar Shot (Basketball), Million Dollar Goal (hockey), Million Dollar Putt (golf). My second son did this entire series with his book club when he was in grade school. Book Club activities are pretty easy- simple play that sport!


If you have any family vacations planned- try finding a book that relates!
With our recent trip, I brought along a fun series called Capital Mysteries.


If you are having a Stay-cation this summer, Weird School is a funny series we did last year.

Books for Older boys that my sons have loved include:

Hatchet and Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen

If your kids have fallen in-love with the HOW To Train Your Dragon Movies- we did a few of these books as a book club, before the movies were made. (The movies don't follow the books faithfully- so it might be a fun book club to compare and contrast!)

Hope this list helps you find some great books your child will enjoy reading~!

Summer 2014 Book club!

It is officially Summer where we live.

My youngest son, who is now 8 years old,

 was eager to get his book club started!

As part of our summer book club-

 we are going to be reading a cute series

 by Ron Roy, is called The Calendar Club.

Each book is based around a month.

 

Todays book club is based on the book May Magic.

You should click HERE- so see specifically what we did.

 

If you browse around my blog-site you will notice a few things.

 

1. Hopefully it is not too confusing to navigate.
This is a "blog-site" = 3 blogs (with same template) linked together by buttons

It has some perks and some draw-backs...

 But here are a few tips:

*use side bar buttons to find where you want to go

*at the end of each post are "tags" that you can click to narrow your search
* look at our ABC list (under our header) of all the books we've read with our book clubs.
(story times are not included in this list.)

 

2. There is no set method as to how I set up a book club.

every year I seem to organize it a little different.

 

It depends on the child.

 

Some of my sons wanted their book club to be BOYS only!
One son didn't care- he had boy and girl friends.

One son only wanted to read books-based -on- movies.

(That was a fun book club. EASY Peasy to host!)

 

Sometimes book clubs were held during the school year- when that made more sense.

Now I hold book clubs in the summer.

 

Some book clubs were twice a month.

Others were once a month.

A few times I have held book clubs- only around school holidays.

 

Some books clubs were super organized. (Always the first Friday of every month.)

Some book clubs were "fly-by-the-seat of my pants". (Read the book- date/time TBA each time.)

 

Some book clubs I have each child read the same book.

Other book clubs we each read one book from a series.

 

Some book clubs I provided all the books.

Some book clubs we all ordered the same set (series) from Scholastics.

 

My point is- book clubs are flexible!

Hopefully you have seen that- if you have browsed the book club outline posts.

 

You can create a book club that works for YOU.

 

Don't want a bunch of rowdy kids at your house?

Meet at the park, or some location that relates to the book you just read.

 

Don't feel creative enough to come up with activities?

browse this blog and get ideas

or have a movie- book club. (read the book, watch the movie- EASY!)

 

 

 

It's Summer!
Don't let having a summer book club be one of those things that you

could-a and should-a organized.

 

I am actually feeling pretty lax this summer about book club.

In the past I have held a book club for each of my sons- that was hectic!

This summer I just have one!

 

It's easy- OH and before I forget...

my sons are all reluctant readers.

They love their book clubs regardless of the fact they hate to read~!

 

 

Can you relate?

I have four sons.

All of them - reluctant readers.

 

I feel like it is a never ending task- trying to encourage them to read.

 

Like that Greek tragic character who spends his eternities pushing a boulder up a hill...

 You know that guy? When he is close to the top- he stumbles

 and the rock rolls/tumbles down the hill only to have the task start again. 

 

If I am lucky- I find a series that one of my sons gets hooked on.

He'll read the whole series! I feel, for a month or so, satisfied that "Finally! He has realized the joy, magic, satisfaction of reading!" But then the series is over and back to square one.

 

 It's okay.

 I mean, like I have said before, this is my "mommy mission".

And if you knew me, in person, you would know..

I'm  pretty tenacious.

 

Having illiterate children- just isn't acceptable.

 

{partly- because I HATED to read when I was a child and now I can see how being a poor reader really made schooling and other aspects of my life harder. But more importantly- NOW I love to read! It is something that can be learned!}

 

So - my current up hill battle? My second grader.

We held book club last summer and that really motivated him- yay!

(See what we did- by clicking HERE)

 

But there is no time during the school year to have book club.

He has now fallen in a rut.

Chapter books are just too daunting.

Nothing keeps his interest.

 

Every night was like pulling teeth to get him to read!

 

So- we have gone back to picture books.

 

 

I have decided (long ago) it is better that he reads-- regardless of what he reads.

He likes picture books.

He likes the satisfaction of finishing one, two , or three in one sitting.

He likes the pictures- who doesn't?

 

So while this may seem like a step backwards.. (regressing to picture books from chapter books)..

It's not. What is important is that kids read! And that they enjoy reading!

 

A cute series my second grader loves is..." The Night Before..." there are a few.

The Night Before Christmas,

The Night Before Easter,

The Night Before Halloween,

The Night Before St. Patrick's Day

The Night Before Summer Vacation...

 

I just wanted to share.

Don't give up on your reluctant reader!

It's a up hill battle - worth fighting.

Resolution Update

At the beginning of January I shared- I wanted to start cooking as a family- even if it was just once a week. Actually- I want my sons to learn how to cook... and I thought this would be a fun way to teach them.


January- I tried to record what we ate. Because I easily get in slumps and ruts. I thought it would be interesting to see what we actually eat.

Simple enough. Here is what we ate in January!

Jan1- Taco salad - We cooked this as a family, boys tolerated this experience.
Jan2- Wasabi restaurant Inspired marinade Chicken
Jan3- BBQ sandwiches
Jan4-Crockpot Chicken served over noodles
Jan5-Orange Glazed pork-chops with scallop potatoes- We cooked this together. My boys were not excited to peel potatoes. They resisted a bit. But I held strong, with my husband by my side.

Jan6-Left Overs: Chicken with noodles
Jan7-Left Over chicken: re-seasoned with curry= Crepeville inspired Curry Chicken Crepes
Jan8- Left over pork, with left over peppers from taco salad=  Pork/Apple Salad
Jan9-Tomato Soup with Kneaders Ends/bag of bread
Jan10- Pancakes for dinner
Jan11-Hamburger Helper (did I just type that!) Yes it is true. I'm not too proud to admit it.
Jan12-Chicken Cord on Bleu
Jan13- Bean soup and sausage- tasted okay on day one
Jan 14 Left over: Bean Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches- soup tasted great on day 2
Jan15- Cheese crusted chicken with broccoli
Jan16-Curry chicken crepes
Jan17-(Carrot soup w/rolls)- but we call it IRON MAN SOUP- so the kids will eat it. lol
Jan18-Chicken Pot Pies with Rice OR Chili and Rice (each person got to pick)
Jan19- Navaho Tacos- we cooked this as a family, at this point my husband is totally on board! He agrees cooking together is fun! Older boys are still complaining, but the youngest is a natural sue-chief! He loves helping in the kitchen now!

(Can you feel the "disgust" from my second son? He feels like he is wasting precious fleeting moments of freedom left in a Sunday night? With school tomorrow! How can I ask anything of him! lol)

Jan20-Mac-n-cheese and Smoking Apple restaurant inspired Corn Bread
Jan21- Pizza
Jan22- grilled cheese- (I've got sick boys- and this is what they want??)
Jan23-Cheese quesadillas (Still sick, still craving cheese?)
Jan24- Chicken Vesuvio (crock pot meal)- I am sick now... ugh, but dinner must still be served!

Missed the last 6 days of the month- I was sick! And it was pretty much YOYO. (Your On Your Own.) I think the boys ate a lot of cereal.

The three meals in blue, were from a cook book called, Six Ingredients or Less by Carlean Johnson.
They were delicious and easy peasy! I think I will be pulling more recipes from this cook book.

Book Review: Summer of the Woods by Steven K. Smith

Summer of the Woods

I became acquainted with Steven Smith- through twitter. He's a dad of three boys and an author! After reading the teaser introducing his first book,

 I thought," this might be a book my boys would love! I've got to get my hands on it!"

 

"When ten-year-old Derek and eight year old Sam moved with their family to Virginia, they have no idea what adventures the summer will bring. As the brothers explore their creaky old house and the deep surrounding woods, they uncover the mystery of a valuable coin collection stolen from the local museum sixty years earlier. Join the boys as they spend their  summer running from danger and searching the woods, secret caves, rushing waters, and hidden passageways for treasure and the rare 1877 Indian Head cent coin!"

 

 I contacted Steven and asked to review his book, Summer of the Woods.

He graciously sent copies for my son's book club!

To see ideas you can use for a book club- based on this book. Visit my book club outline pages. or click HERE.

Happy Reading!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!

 

I love the beginning of things... be a New Year, the beginning of a new school year, Mondays- the start of a new work week and even MORNINGS- the beginning of a new day!

I have been thinking about goals and resolutions a lot.
Blogging really motivates me to stay on-top of my goals.
One of the reasons, I have persisted in hosting book clubs for my sons... is because I have held myself accountable to this blog! To YOU! (I mean- yes all the benefits my sons have gained from hosting a book club are wonderful. And really that should be reward enough. But I knew it would be a labor of love- that sometimes they might not appreciate. I like having all these activities documented and posted- so when I hit those blue moments as a mom- and feel like a failure... I can scroll my blog and get a boost. It helps me not wallow in slumps.)

So I hope this doesn't annoy anyone- but I am going to be adding another feature up on the menu bar- "A Minute for Mom"

Here is where I am going to post about just ME things I am working on. Not at all related to books, book clubs, reading tips, preschool, etc. I've got some amazing goals for 2014 and I want to track them. Since I know from experience that blogging really keeps me motivated- I will be tracking my progress in this new section: Minute for Mom

Sorry about the lighting of this picture- this is a wall at my doctors office! I thought it was amazing!
I really love it. Especially the letters that aren't really letters: A-C-L-O-T-U-V

Really cute- and might be fun in someone's preschool.