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

Room on the Broom            By:  Julia Donaldson             Illustrated by:  Axel Scheffler

Ages:  Toddlers through First Grade

Room on the Broom is one of our favorite Halloween stories.  The book is done in rhyming text and tells a great story about a very nice witch and the many friends that she makes along the way.  In the end, her friends save the day.  Children will enjoy the colorful illustrations.  This book also provides the opportunity to review rhyming words.

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

The Hallo-Wiener           By:  Dav Pilkey

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

This is a Halloween story that has been around awhile, but is a great read-a-loud for the season.  In this classic story, Oscar, a wiener dog, gets made fun of by his friends.  It even gets worse when his mother buys a hot dog bun for Oscar to wear on Halloween.  In the end, Oscar saves the day and becomes the hero.  This is a great story to foster comprehension as well as vocabulary development.

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

Scary, Scary Halloween          By:  Eve Bunting          Illustrated by:  Jan Brett

Ages:  Preschool through First Grade

It’s that time of year when apples, candy corn and pumpkins can be found everywhere.  It’s time for Halloween and this is a book that can’t be missed.  In this story, it is Halloween night and there are green eyes hiding, as ghosts, witches and goblins roam the streets.  It will be fun for children to see all of the costumes and guess who is hiding in the night.  This is a great book to expand vocabulary, but more importantly, it is just a fun Halloween story.

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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!

Leaf Man              By:  Lois Ehlert

Ages:  Toddlers through First Grade

This beautiful book is a wonderful way to bring in the fall season.  The illustrations and colors are a perfect expression of autumn.  This story is about the Leaf Man and the places that the wind takes him.  Children will love looking at the pictures and finding what is hidden.  The child can read the repetitive text along with the reader.   It also gives the reader the opportunity to present directions such as north, south, etc.  Most importantly, this book is just fun.

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

Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm           By:  Joy Cowley          Illustrated by:  Elizabeth Fuller

Ages:  Toddlers through First Grade

The Mrs. Wishy-Washy books are among our favorites and Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm is one of the best.  In this story, the cow, pig and duck get really tired of being scrubbed in the tub and run away to the city.  They soon realize that the farm is a great place and that being scrubbed by Mrs. Wishy-Washy isn’t such a bad thing.  This book is not only a good story, but is also done in rhyming text with some repetition, which is great for early literacy development.

Continue reading Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm

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!

Enemy Pie           By:  Derek Munson           Illustrated by:  Tara Calahan King

Ages:  Kindergarten through Second Grade

The new boy, Jeremy, who has not been very friendly, has moved into the neighborhood and has ruined summer.  He is now on the enemy list, but Dad knows how to take care of enemies.  He will make Enemy Pie.  What could possibly be in Enemy Pie and how does it work?  This delightful story is about the difficulty and rewards of making new friends.  This is a great story to foster discussion about friendship and to just enjoy.

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

Ricky, the Rock That Couldn’t Roll           By:  Jay Miletsky            Illustrated by:  Erin Wozniak

Ages:  Preschool through Second Grade

This amazing book is now one of our favorites.  Children will love the story line and adults will enjoy the humor in the comments made by Ricky’s friends.  This is a story of true friendship and problem solving at its finest.  It also explores the importance of perseverance and determination.  Children will encounter new vocabulary such as knoll, physique, dejected, etc., within the rhyming verse of the story.  The illustrator has done an amazing job of bringing Ricky and his rock friends to life.  This is a must read!

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