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Where The Wild Things Are

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Where The Wild Things Are            Story and Pictures by:  Maurice Sendak           Caldecott Award Winner

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

 

Where The Wild Things Are is another classic which appears on every book list.  In our story, Max  works through his feelings by engaging in a fantasy about amazing monsters.  In the end, he returns back to the reality and safety of his room and a warm supper waiting for him.  This is a great book to allow children to express their feelings and expand their imaginations.

 

 

 

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I Am Enough

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

I Am Enough            By:  Grace Byers            Illustrations by:  Keturah A. Bobo

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

 

I Am Enough is an amazing inspirational book, and should be read to children over and over.  It is actually a great book for any age.  The author, Grace Byers, uses common words to describe what we aspire to be:  “Like the sun, I’m here to shine.  Like the voice, I’m here to sing.  Like the bird, I’m here to fly and soar high over everything”.  The illustrations are beyond beautiful and perfect for this exceptional book.

 

 

 

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The Rainbow Fish

Dear Reader,

The Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Rainbow Fish              By:  Marcus Pfister

Ages:  Preschool through First Grade

 

 

Rainbow Fish is another classic and a must read for children.  Rainbow Fish was the most beautiful fish in the sea, but didn’t have any friends until he decided to share his shiny scales with the other fish.  This beautiful book is the ultimate story of giving and friendship.

 

 

 

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Scribble Stones

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Scribble Stones            By:  Diane Alber

Ages:  Preschool through First Grade

 

In this delightful story, Stone just knew that he would some day bring happiness and that is exactly what happened.  He started as a paper weight and eventually became a scribble stone that brought joy to many.  Scribble stones have become popular the world over as people create and place them throughout neighborhoods for others to find.  On the last page of this wonderful book, the author gives the reader information on how to create scribble stones.  What a great family project!

 

 

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that to along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day            By:  Judith Viorst            Illustrated by:  Ray Cruz

Ages  Preschool through Third Grade

 

All of us have had bad days and we must remember that children do, too.  In this classic story, Alexander had a whopping terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.  It is important that children know that you can have a very bad day, and life does go on.  You don’t have to move to Australia which is what Alexander wanted to do.  This book is on every list of “must reads” for children.  It was also made into a movie!

 

 

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The Wonderful Things You Will Be

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

The Wonderful Things You Will Be               By:  Emily Winfield Martin

Ages:  Toddlers through Kindergarten

 

This is an absolutely beautiful book that is a perfect bedtime story!  It celebrates the love that parents have for their children and all of the hopes that they have for their future.   It is done in rhyming verse and the illustrations are amazing.  This was a New York Times bestseller and is a must have.  The Wonderful Things You Will Be would be a perfect gift for new parents.

 

 

 

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Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site            By:  Sherri Duskey Rinker            Illustrated by:  Tom Lichtenheld

Ages:  Toddler through Kindergarten

 

This delightful book is about big machines at a construction site as they prepare to end their busy day.  Children will love hearing about all of these tough trucks.  The rhyming verse is very soothing and makes it a perfect read for bedtime.

 

 

 

 

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The Other Side

Dear Reader,

I am diverging from our normal book presentations to share this amazing book with you.  These are extraordinary times in our history and I felt a need to be a very small part of it.  Please include The Other Side on your must read list.

The Other Side            By:  Jacqueline Woodson               Illustrated by:  E. B. Lewis

Ages:  Birth through 100

I first read The Other Side right after it was first published in 2001.  I remembered crying the first time that I read it and I cried again when I revisited the story this week.  I cried because of how little progress has been made to tear down the fence that separates us.  On the 10th anniversary of the book, the author Jacqueline Woodson expresses the same feeling, but still speaks of hope that the fence will finally come down.  For the first time, I share that hope!  This is not a book just for children, it is a book for all of us.  As Clover and Annie sit on the fence, they imagine a fenceless world.  Let’s work together and make sure that this promise comes true for them and all of us!

This is the last page of this wonderful book:  “Someday somebody’s going to come along and knock this old fence down,”  Annie said.  And I nodded, “Yeah,”  I said.  “Someday.”

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The Red Racer

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

The Red Racer            By:  Audrey Wood

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

 

In this delightful story, Nona really wants the Deluxe Red Racer to replace her old bicycle.  Her parents feel that it is too expensive, so Nona begins to have wicked thoughts in order to get a new bike.  In the end, it all works out and Nona learns a valuable lesson.  This book has a great story and provides the opportunity for a lot of conversation.   It also shows the power of family and community.

 

 

 

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Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind

Dear Reader,

This Blog is designed for the parents, grandparents and caregivers of young children.  Each post will highlight a great book that all children should hear, with tips to enrich beginning reading skills.  You will also find fun recipes that go along with each story.  Enjoy reading and cooking with the children in your life.

*Read to the children in your life every day.  You are giving them a gift that will last a lifetime!

Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind             By:  Jessica Hische

Ages:  Toddler through First Grade

 

This book has beautiful pictures, but more importantly, it has a great message.  It is never too early to teach our children about the importance of kindness, patience, honesty, etc.  This book does it all at this very important time in our history.  This amazing book provides the opportunity to teach life long lessons.  Read, enjoy and reflect!

 

 

 

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