Recording our Reading again

 

Cricket and I did read this summer, I promise. I just did a horrible job of keeping up with it all. Here is what we read this week, that I haven't already reviewed.

To go with Expedition Earth:

Dora's World Adventure by Nick Jr
I used this book to kick off our geography study, and Cricket was ambivalent. The story was familiar, since she's seen the episode it's based on and she was to busy being excited about her new school room to focus on me reading it to her. 

How I Learned Geography by: Uri Shulevitz
This book started a little abruptly, and the content seemed a little advanced for Cricket. She really enjoyed the pictures though and I liked the underlying message of how imagination and knowledge can transport you.
 
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry
This was a decent book for our study of Brazil, but with the lesson I think it would actually be better for a Earth Day study or something similar. It was well written and the images were gorgeous, which is all that saved the book for Cricket. I think it was a little too long and too much of a "message" for her. I would recommend it for an older elementary child.
 
Pleasure Books:
What Bunny Loves by: Cyndy Szekeres
This is one of Cricket's new favorite books, that I picked up for free at the library. It's a cute little easy reader with the repeating words of bunny and love, since it's all about What Bunny Loves. Like most easy readers there isn't much content, but it's currently a winner for us. 


The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule by: Mike Berenstain
Cricket was also familiar with this story because I have it as an app on my phone, but I found the actual book at a consignment sale and she was thrilled. She really liked the book, which was longer than the story in the app. I liked that sister worked through understanding the golden rule in a way that was understandable even by my little one. 


Mudkin by: Stephen Gammel
This book just grossed me out, heaps and gobs of mud everywhere just isn't my cup of tea. Which made it difficult for me to look through the book with Cricket with out saying Yuck to every page. I think this was even more difficult for me due to the lack of text. By the way, this is great for building imaginations and creating stories on your own, I just personally didn't like it.

The Little Little Girl with the Big Big Voice by: Kristen Balouch
This was a cute easy book to read with simple repeating words. Cricket really adored this book, she thought it was great that the little little girl ended up making friends with a lion that roared as loud as her.

Not All Princesses Dress In Pink by: Jane Yolen
 I loved that this book not only showed little girls wearing a variety of colors and things (such as soccer cleats and breast plates), but it had the girls doing a variety of tasks. The girls "princesses" were riding bikes, defending themselves, break dancing, and more. It was a good example of all the things that a little girl could be. Cricket enjoyed it too, and she identified with some of the independent princesses!

Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure by: Doreen Cronin
Cricket liked the counting book, and especially the countdown counting at the end. It was a good counting book, but I think I prefer the original book Click, Clack, Moo.

Junkyard Wonders by: Patricia Polacco
I simply love this book. In it, a certain classroom is referred to as the junkyard by the rest of the students. The teacher helps the Junkyard kids to become and realize themselves as Wonders. If I could change one thing about the book I would remove the word retard, I totally understand why it was included, but I just feel strongly about never using it. I highly recommend the book, but possibly to a slightly older child, it was right on the edge of being too much for Cricket.
*If you would like more info about why the "R" word should be eliminated this is a great website

Bedtime Books (That we haven't already counted):

The Berenstain Bears' Really Big Pet Show by Jan and Mike Berenstain
Aristocats by Disney

**We also started reading chapter books again, and we picked back up with Annie and Jack's adventures in the Magic Treehouse. We are currently working on reading book number 5 in the series. **

That makes 173 books total so far for 2011. I highly recommend joining in at the Read to Me Picture Book Challenge.

You should also see what others are reading this week at Mouse Grows Mouse Learns.