Summer Reading

In case you've been watching my Goodreads widget on the side, you'll notice that I finally finished The Book Thief! I don't know why it took me so long. I guess that shows how busy we've been this summer b/c usually I read a book in a couple days. If it takes me weeks or over a month (!) to read a book, to me it's usually a sign that it's not a very good book! However, I really liked this book. The fact that it's narrated by Death makes it very interesting. I loved the characters and found myself in tears a few times. Great book.

My kids have been enjoying books this summer too, though not as much as I'd like. We did make it to the library a week or two ago, so they've had a nice big stack to read and believe me, we've read them often! There are a few I can't wait to take back. But there are a few they really love, so I thought I would share them and recommend them for any of you who have kids or just love children's lit.



A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon. We already love many of his books. If you have read Parts, Duck on a Bike, or Alice The Fairy (one of my favorites) then you know he has a talent for writing children's books and has a unique style of illustration. This one is very cute. I love the fact that the main character loves lima beans but she's afraid to tell anyone b/c everyone knows you're not supposed to like lima beans!



The Acrobat & the Angel by Mark Shannon, and illustrated by David Shannon. Based on a French folk tale during the time of the plague, a young boy named Pequele loses his parents and grandmother and comes to live at a monestary. It's about his love of acrobatics and a miracle that happens. I didn't expect my kids to like this one, but something about it draws them in. Austin even said, "Mom, this is a really good book."



Lastly, The Crocodile Blues by Coleman Polhemus. Again, I didn't expect my kids to love this one so much. The whole book is in 4 colors: blue, black, white and yellow. The illustrations are very simple and there are no words at all. Ok, a few sound effects are written in, like "crack" "zoom", "thump" or "clap". It's very cute. Olivia has made me read it 100 times. She likes to remind me that you have to use your imagination since there's no words.

Anyway, thought you might want to check out these cute books at your library. Also, I love giving books for birthdays, so if you have a child you need to buy for soon, you might want to consider these options. Enjoy!