Picture Book Pick: Trixie's Back -- and Better Than Ever!

It may seem to many that I am being paid by Mo Willems to promote his books -- sadly, this is not true. I am such a big fan, though -- along with my 7 year old who is a HUGE fan -- that I can hardly help myself. That said, you and your girls MUST read Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity.

My 7 year old immediately pulled it off the shelf when we were at Barnes and Noble the other day, made me squeeze my bottom into one of their teeny Adirondack chairs -- and ordered me to read it with her.

That's what I love about Mo Willems and my darling daughter who is blossoming as an early reader -- she likes to read Trixie's lines and I get to be everyone else.

As we sat, my hips wedged into the tiny chair, we were thrilled to see that Trixie was back -- bigger and better and heading to Pre-K, with her beloved Knuffle Bunny, of course. We chuckled as Trixie argues with her classmate Sonja -- who happens to bring a Knuffle Bunny impostor! We laughed as Trixie realizes in the wee hours of the morning that she is sleeping with the wrong Knuffle Bunny! And we all out guffawed as Trixie refuses to budge until her dear Dad solves the problem.

Willems' illustrations are fantastic as usual -- superimposed over actual photographs. And the subject matter couldn't be more appropriate for girls who still cling to Blankies, Lovies, Wubbies, or in my 7 year old's case, Bear. My own sweet girl felt Trixie's pain, and hugged her Bear a little closer that night.

Your girls will love this picture book -- and so will you. Enjoy Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity -- and have a wonderful weekend!

A Great Series: The All-of-a-Kind Family Books

During a crazy, busy week at my house, where I'm trying to be a good mom, freelance writer, blogger, short-order cook, laundry maid, chauffeur and half-way decent wife (oh, and my seven year old wants me to sew the arm back on her favorite bear -- I guess that makes me a bear surgeon?) -- I am going to instead revert back to my childhood and share one of my favorite series of books ever written. They are the All-of-a-kind Family books, by Sydney Taylor.

Written by the author to share her childhood memories with her own daughter, these books tell the story of a turn-of-the-century Jewish family on New York's Lower East Side. The sisters in the book, Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie, live in a tight knit family full of love and tradition.

Girls will enjoy getting to know the family members and reading the funny and sometimes touching stories of their lives. As a girl, I loved the fact that the sisters all seemed to have radically different personalities, not unlike me and my own siblings (and not unlike the two little girls that I call my own). But still -- they all helped each other, loved each other and, most of all, laughed together -- like family is meant to do.

The books describe in detail the different elements of Jewish traditions and celebrations, a part that I particularly enjoyed -- as well as the rich exposition of everyday life in turn of the century New York City. In the first book, for example, we see the family face illness, take a trip to the beach, celebrate the fourth of July -- they even add another family member -- and needless to say all of these events were handled just a little differently 100 years ago!

Enjoy this series of books with your girls -- start with All-of-a-kind Family and move on to the others -- this is a great series for independent readers ages 9-13, but also fun for family read aloud. I can't think of a better way to spend time together!

Now if you'll excuse me ... I've got a teddy bear prepped for surgery.

For an Exceptionordinarily Good Time: Meet Clarice Bean

Picture this: Two girls, ages 7 and 9, sitting at the kitchen table eating ice cream (two different flavors, mind you, since these two girls have no food preferences in common). Then imagine Dad, filling the dishwasher with dinner dishes and Mom, sitting with the girls, an open book in her hands. Mom is reading, and her entire family is utterly cracking up. I'm talking about ice-cream-coming-out-of-nose laughter. Why?

Because Mom (who is me, by the way) is reading the latest Clarice Bean middle grade novel by the fabulous, creative and hilarious Lauren Child. Clarice Bean, Don't Look Now, released only a month ago, arrived at our house via Amazon a few weeks back. Since then, I've been reading the girls a few chapters a night -- chapters with titles like "Never Eat a Polar Bear's Liver -- No Matter How Hungry You Are".

The cast of characters in this book is fantastic, starting with Clarice herself, a British tween with lots of spunk, who is stuck in the middle of a pretty typical nutty family. Her parents are frustrated, her older brother is moody, sister Marcie is a diva and little brother Minal Cricket (you've got to love these names) is a pest. Add to that Granddad, family dog Cement, the fact that Clarice's best friend has moved away and Clarice is now forced to play tour guide to the new girl in class -- and you've got all the right ingredients for a memorable middle grade novel.

Here's a taste of Clarice Bean's life:

"When I go upstairs ... there is an actual live worm on my pillow. To get my revenge, I put Minal's pajamas in the toilet and flush it.

This causes another flood, which makes Mom utterly livid.

Then Dad calls and says he will not be coming home from work for the foreseeable next few hours due to his boss Mr. Thorncliff making him work too hard.

Mom says she is at her wits' end and has had enough of this house and she's not feeling too crazy about some of the people who live in it either."

This scene brought on a raging case of the giggles when I read it aloud to my girls. Why? Maybe because this kind of thing goes on in our house slightly more often than not? And I'm guessing we're not alone....

The best thing about the Clarice Bean books is that they take a look at real life as seen from the eyes of a kid -- and its not all gut-busting humor. Clarice's reaction to her best friend moving away was particularly poignant to our family, who recently faced a heart-wrenching relocation. She must deal with worries, difficult teachers, bullies, making new friends, and even a home renovation.

Although I love this latest book, you may want to start with the first book, Utterly Me, Clarice Bean and move on to Clarice Bean Spells Trouble, which will introduce you properly to this utterly unforgettable series

So, do your girls a favor, and read the Clarice Bean books with them -- because the greatest books for girls are the ones that can bring a family together -- and make ice cream come out of their nose!

As Clarice would say -- have a exceptionordinary weekend!

Robert McCloskey and Some Great Books for Girls

If you are in search of great picture books for girls, give Caldecott Medal -winning Robert McCloskey a try. His classic stories feature curious, sweet characters who are portrayed through detailed illustrations and lyric prose that is perfect for read aloud.

Start with Blueberries for Sal, with beautiful illustrations that are tinted a deep blue. Adorable Sal spends goes blueberry picking with her mother -- only to inadvertently end up trailing a mama bear who is out with her cub doing the very same thing.

Both Sal and the cub are so engrossed in eating their juicy treasures that they don't even realize the mix-up. It's a funny story with a satisfying ending -- a tribute to girls who love adventure -- and filling their tummies!

My personal favorite McCloskey book is One Morning in Maine, the perfect book for girls who happen to be losing their teeth! Sal again makes an appearance as an older girl whose loose tooth disappears in a sandy pile of clams. Now she has nothing to make a wish on (ah, the good old days, when the Tooth Fairy didn't have to dig in the bottom of her purse for four quarters!)

After a futile search, Sal finds a gull feather and realizes that, like her tooth, the gull has lost something that will grow back. She decides to make a wish on the gull's lost feather.

The rest of the morning is spent running errands with her father and her cute baby sister, Jane in their quaint Maine village. You'll get plenty of warm fuzzies meeting the characters who inhabit the town -- hearkening back to a Norman Rockwell-like era.

You'll love it -- and your girls will love it too -- especially when Sal's wish comes true. Enjoy these two great books for girls by Robert McCloskey -- whose stories and illustrations are just utterly charming (he also wrote the timeless classic Make Way for Ducklings -- definitely worth a read!)

Much Ado About A Great Book for Girls

I'm fairly certain that when I was ten I had no idea what a scrotum was ....

Paying attention yet?

Lots of people paid attention when The Higher Power of Luckyby Susan Patron, won the Newbery Award for 2007. On the first page of this novel, the word is used to describe a snake-bite injury to a dog. The story is overheard by the book's heroine Lucky Trimble, who happens to be listening in on an AA meeting. The use of this word by Patron (herself a school librarian) caused quite a stir in the children's book world.

With references to male parts AND alcoholism, you may be wondering if this is the right book for your girl reader. Well, if you want my opinion (which I hope you do) -- I say go for it.

This middle grade novel (ideal for 9-12 year olds) fits in the realistic fiction genre (for all those school reading programs) and is a sweet story with a cast of endearing, quirky characters. The amusing menagerie of characters -- citizens of Hard Pan, California -- are not the best part of the book, however.

The best part is the story -- the plight of Lucky to come to terms with her mother's death (hit by lightning) and find her "Higher Power" (a term she's learned -- along with scrotum -- from eavesdropping at AA).

Lucky becomes convinced that her guardian, Brigitte, is about to desert her, and she isn't sure what to do. She prepares to run away and spare herself the heartache of being left by yet another mother.

Who wouldn't love a girl who owns a dog named HMS Beagle and packs a "survival" kit that contains, among other things -- "a brand new tooth brush from a teeth cleaning, ... still in its original wrapper so that if she started to lose heart ... she could get out a beautiful never used toothbrush and make herself feel better."

Of course, all is made right at the end of the book and Lucky does indeed discover her higher power. As books for girls go, this one is a must-read ... and well-deserving of the prestigious Newbery Medal.

Do your girl a favor and don't worry about the brief anatomy lesson that caused such a brouhaha when the book won the prize -- what will stay with them is a sweet, courageous soul named Lucky and her search for the true meaning of love and family.

Enjoy this great book for girls -- and have a great Monday!

Quiet Books Before a Not-So-Quiet Weekend

As I sit at my laptop and count down the minutes until the girls get out of school for the weekend, I am soaking up the quiet.

After a summer of non-stop noise, I relish the hush that falls over the house when I get back from morning drop off. I am able to work on writing assignments, balance the checkbook, do some laundry, go for a walk, eat lunch, and write for fun (to me -- that's fiction).

I know very well that in just a few hours there will be screaming, conspiring giggles, pounding footsteps up the stairs and questions. "Mom, can I ... have a popsicle, can I watch TV, can I keep this snake I just found?"

We all need our quiet time -- am I right? Even children need something non-narcotic to lull them into a relaxed state. I advocate using books for this purpose.

One of my favorite "quiet" sleepy-time books that I read to my girls for years is the classic The Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown. This is a perfect book for all girls who still appreciate read aloud books. The rhyme is rolling and charming, the illustrations, by Felicia Bond, are so adorable -- your girls will love to scan the pages for little suprises.

Now that my girls are older (and have read The Big Red Barn about a million times) they prefer picture story books like Fancy That by Esther Hershenhorn. This book, about a limner (painter of portraits) named Pip enthralls my girls every time we open it up.

The story tells a vivid tale of life in the mid-1800s (through gorgeous illustrations by Megan Lloyd) -- but it also weaves a story of determination, finding one's calling and family love.

Sounds like a lot for a picture book, but Hershenhorn and Lloyd have done such a fantastic job of layering this story and its illustrations -- and my girls delight in discovering all the patterns that occur throughout the pictures and text.

Pip and his sisters are left at the end realizing that siblings are a true gift (sometimes I like to reiterate that once or twice when I finish reading), and when I put my girls to bed, they are smiling and hopefully, maybe thinking that they've got it pretty good.

I hope you have some quiet time this weekend -- I know I probably won't -- but that's OK. As my own mother keeps reminding me -- someday they'll go off to college and there won't be noise after school.

That's the kind of quiet time that I'm more than willing to wait for....

Realistic Fiction Book Pick: Island of the Blue Dolphins

Well, the carpets were clean ... for about two hours. Then the kids came home from school and I could almost see the fluffed-up off-white glow of the dirt-free carpet fibers begin to disappear.

Oh well. And the living room and dining room still look like Fred Sanford's junk shop -- but the good news is that I keep finding great books for girls that had been all but forgotten in the packed bookcases.

Today's Pick: One of my own childhood favorites -- Island of the Blue Dolphinsby Scott O'Dell. This 1961 winner of the Newbery Award for outstanding children's book is one of those timeless masterpieces that speaks volumes about human determination and survival -- and specifically sings to girls of their own ability to rise above their circumstances.

This is the story of Karana, a young Aleut girl whose entire village inadvertently leave her and her brother alone on their native island. When tragedy strikes and her brother is killed -- Karana must fend for herself and learn to survive.

I first read this book when I was ten, and vividly remember putting myself in Karana's shoes. She faces hunger, she needs shelter, she encounters danger and adventure throughout the book. I could picture in my mind her vibrant skirt made of comorant feathers and her hut with a pointed-spike fence surrounding it.

Most of all, I felt her loneliness -- it was real, and a little scary. O'Dell does a beautiful job of showing the reader Karana's interaction with the nature on the island, including her touching friendship with a wild dog.

I think that a main character like this shows girls the God-given strength that we all possess -- to survive when all odds are against us. Whether it be standing up to injustice or coping with divorce, dealing with insecurity or feelings of loneliness -- our girls need to be reminded that they are strong.

Any book that does that -- and is spectacularly written to boot -- is a book worth recommending. Enjoy reading Island of the Blue Dolphins-- a great book for girls!

If your girls are looking for specific genres for school reading programs, this is a great choice for realistic fiction.

Books, Books, Everywhere! Part II: Discover the Bugs

Tomorrow is Wednesday and the carpet man cometh -- I am still clearing out the top floor in anticipation of the event. If you told me 20 years ago that I would be Christmas-Eve-excited about getting my carpets cleaned I would have laughed out loud!

The books downstairs are no longer in piles -- my 7 year old (God bless her) hunted through them last night and now they are spread out all over the dining room -- a virtual carpet of books. Scattered within the books, though, I notice the Bug magazines.

When my girls were babies, my mom bought them a subscription to Babybug, a fantastic publication that features short poems, songs and illustrations on tough card-stock paper --custom made for babies and toddlers.

As they moved out of the baby years, they began to receive Ladybug, the next step up in this series of magazines. Ladybug appeals to the slightly older child (and emergent reader), with whimsical illustrations, a continuing series in every issue, crafts and poems.

Now the girls read Spider, the Carus publishing magazine made for 6-9 year olds -- perfect for my kiddos.

Through the years in our house, these magazines have been collected and dragged everywhere from the doctor's office to the beach -- and have been invaluable on long road trips.

When the girls were too young to read the words, these magazines were a great excuse for me to sit down with them for some quiet time. Now they are more inclined to read them on their own, curled up on the sofa or before lights out at bedtime. The best thing about these magazines is that they will grow with your girls -- with first-rate titles all the way through the high school years.

I consider these publications top-knotch -- with consistently quality material -- kind of kiddie literary magazines. And these three titles are just the tip of the iceberg -- check out the Cricket website to preview issues of many others -- including Click and Ask. And don't let the price of a yearly subcription throw you off -- you'll find that any Cricket magazine is worth every penny.

Give these great magazines a try -- and enjoy reading them with your girls!

Books, Books, Everywhere! Part I: The Board Book Years

Today my living room looks like the children's section of the library has exploded inside of it.

We are having our upstairs carpets cleaned on Wednesday and are taking this opportunity to purge all Happy Meal toys, broken toys and toys that haven't been touched since Christmas 2002.

And we're weeding through books. Emptying out five bookcases, we see what a collection we've amassed over the years since our first daughter was born. So now all of these books are piled high downstairs while my husband moves the bookshelves out of the girls' rooms -- hopefully enabling the carpet guys to nail any lurking dust mites.

AND while hubby's doing the heavy lifting, I've got the task of deciding which books need to go bye-bye. This has proved harder than I thought.

It's an inherited problem -- I grew up in a house where, even during lean years -- there were always books. These books were proudly displayed in over-stuffed bookcases -- reading material that ranged from the Warren Commission Report on the assassination of JFK to my great-grandmother's time-worn cookbooks. As a result, I think it's in my blood to feel funny about actually getting rid of books.

But still -- there are quite a few that my girls no longer read -- and many which they were never crazy about to begin with. I start with those -- make a pile to donate -- and then I stumble on some baby board books.

I find Do You Know New?, by Jean Marzollo, a book that I read over and over again to both of my girls, even as infants. The cute rhyme scheme and the mirrored page at the end were irresistible to both of them.

I can still feel their wiggling little selves in my lap. I'd read: "Do you know blue?" Then I'd ask them the color of the sky and they'd point to the page with chubby toddler fingers and say "Boo!"

Another great book series that my girls enjoyed was the "My First" series by DK Publishing. These are a type of first dictionary -- introducing the concept that every object has a word to go along with it -- an early reading lesson. Plus the pictures are stimulating and colorful and my girls loved pointing to them as I'd call out the corresponding word.

And they liked to chew on them too. Answer me this -- how's a mom supposed to get rid of a book that has her baby's teeth marks etched in the corners? -- even if that baby is now 9 years old?

Nope, sorry, can't do it -- maybe next time we have the carpets cleaned. But not today.

Historical Fiction Pick: A Friendship for Today

School's back in -- and for many girls that means finding books of different genres as specified by their teacher.

This can be a difficult choice -- my own 4th grader has to read one realistic fiction book and one biography this month. Already she's stressing about possible book selections. So for my own peace of mind and yours -- in the next few weeks, I'll be recommending books from many genres that your girls should enjoy. AND hopefully these recommendations will help them fulfill classroom reading requirements with no stress.

Let's start with A Friendship For Today, by Patricia McKissack. This book would qualify as either realistic fiction or historical fiction, and is a fast-paced, thoughtful story recommended for 9 year olds through middle school age.

The setting is 1954, in the St. Louis suburb of Kirkland. Young Rosemary has always attended a "colored" school in her neighborhood. But as she prepares to enter 6th grade she finds herself affected by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that will desegregate public schools. Her school will be closed down and she will be sent to one of the traditionally white public schools.

In the midst of this turmoil in her life, she must deal with her parent's crumbling marriage, her best friend J.J. being stricken with polio, and racist white neighbors, especially her arch-nemesis, Grace.

When Rosemary finds herself the lone African-American in her new classroom, readers can feel her alienation. When she is seated next to Grace, her frustration and anger boil over.

McKissack weaves a fine story here -- one where we see that not every situation in life is ideal or fair. Rosemary's parents do split up, and J.J. returns from the hospital in a leg brace, but through it all, she perseveres, holds her head high and convincingly forms a true friendship with Grace.

This book addresses many important issues from the 50s that are still relevant today. The fight for civil rights, medical advances to eradicate disease, divorce, and growing pains are all aspects of life that kids face on a daily basis.

This story is a great book for girls -- entertaining, realistic, a real joy to read-- and they will learn about a part of American history that should never be forgotten.

Have a great weekend!

Family, Friends and Fun in the Year of the Dog

Here's another one... one of those books that every girl should read. The Year of the Dog, by Grace Lin, is the story a young Taiwanese-American girl who feels that she doesn't fit in anywhere.

Inside of her tight-knit, traditional Taiwanese family, she is known as Pacy. At school, they call her Grace. She doesn't go to school with any other kids of Asian descent, until the arrival of Melody. With Melody's help, Grace begins to see that she can embrace both her heritage and her life outside of her family.

But even within her own culture, Grace is caught in the middle between Chinese and Taiwanese divisions. When she attends a camp for Taiwanese families and is treated by some girls as an outcast, her pain is almost too much to bear.

Despite her inner conflict, Grace begins to discover herself -- she realizes her love of art and writing, forges a bond with Melody as well as her other school friends, and understands the rich love that bubbles over within her family. The reader can see Grace grow and learn and truly blossom.

The story is helped along by tales that Grace's immigrant mother tells her of her own childhood, which are very poignant and sweet. These stories help Grace, and the reader, see that while we all face self-doubt and adversity, we must strive to rise above it.

I want my girls to rise above adversity and nay-sayers and understand their own self-worth -- don't you? Give your girls a copy of The Year of the Dog for a wonderful example of how to be true to themselves -- and appreciate everything that they have. And be prepared to laugh -- especially during the Science Fair scene!

I read this aloud to my girls, and they loved it -- but it's also great for independent reader from 3rd grade on up.

On a side note, the author of this fantastic book, Grace Lin, lost her husband, Robert, to cancer last week. According to her website, the best way to send condolences is to donate to the Jimmy Fund (the Dana Farber Cancer Institute) or to participate in the Robert's Snow for Cancer's Cure auction, an event orchestrated by Grace and Robert in 2004.

My deepest sympathies to Grace and her family.

Amelia Bedelia Will Tickle Your Funny Bone, Literally

As a kid, I loved to follow the misadventures of Amelia Bedelia, the hapless maid who takes every instruction she is given literally. Today's emergent and early readers can still enjoy the comic mishaps of this silly character in the series of books by the late Peggy Parish.

Early readers will build confidence as they work their way through these books, which are recommended for grades 1-3. Who wouldn't love discovering all the ways that Amelia can twist the words of her employers? Drawing the drapes, dusting the furniture, trimming the tree -- Amelia translates each request in her own special, hilarious way.

As a writer, I love these books because they introduce young readers to the complexities of language -- and in their own way, get these readers to "think outside of the box". Hmm.. wonder how Amelia would "think outside of the box."

As a read aloud, these books also work, and even my 9 year old will occasionally pick up one of her sister's Amelia Bedelia books, just for a good laugh. Give these classic early readers a try -- your girls won't be disappointed.

I hope everyone had a good holiday weekend, it was a rainy one in Houston -- perfect reading weather!