Christmas in July

This past week found me baking away even more then usual because at Farmers' Market we were having Christmas in July as well as a chef event sponsored by the Richland County Farm Bureau. The vendors decorated their spaces and the public voted on their favorites. Bobby brought me home some cardboard from work and I made a Bethlehem scene. Emily made a Christmas tree which turned out quite well.

The Christmas in July theme made me think of some of my favorite Christmas books. Books like A Star So Bright. Although published in 2006, this book is definitely worth looking for in your library or finding used on Amazon. A lovely nativity story told in well played rhyme, this book also features a cutout on each page that shows a star. When you reach the last page, the star actually lights up. 

There is also Together At Christmas. Together At Christmas shares this same idea. It is a story of ten cold mice who leave their huddle one at a time to find shelter from the storm. Each does indeed find a place of refuge, but in the end they realize something even more important then enjoying a cozy dwelling alone.

 And of course there is The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey. I almost cried at the beauty of this story. Jonathan Toomey is known to all the town folk as gloomy Toomey. Unbeknownst to them, Jonathan has lived through a calamity that has caused him unbearable grief. That is until the widow McDowell and her son once again show him the joy of Christmas. I have definitely added this to my list of best ever Christmas stories!

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. Also be sure to drop by and join the Literacy Musings Monday Blog Hop where you will find other great blogs, or my personal website, Fun With Aileen, where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own early grade Fern Valley chapter book series and my Quack and Daisy picture book series. And finally, you can find me on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days. 

Something Great For the Three to Eights

Although my daughter is past reading books in the three to eight age bracket, many of you still have children or grandchildren in this range. So with that in mind, here are four books worth considering.

My first book recommendation, The Miracle of Rain by Sherry Rossman, is a wonderful story for small children who might be afraid of rain storms. In The Miracle of Rain you and your special moppet can follow the adventures of Nora and her cat Molly as their friend Smickett the raccoon shows them that God has a purpose for even the loudest and scariest of rain storms. See how Nora is transformed from a fearful young girl into a fantastically happy one who dances to the rhythm of the rain with all the other special forest creatures.




My next recommendation is Ode to Icky by Maranda Russel. Ode to Icky is a well written, funny story of a girl and her very, very, very stinky cat; and it is chock full of amazing illustrations that bring the story to life right before your very eyes. I read with interest, wondering what the outcome of Candy's perfume experiment would be. The only flaw I found with this book was that the ending left me wanting more. I was left wondering what Candy felt and learned from the whole stinky perfume incident. All things considered, a great book for young ones seeking a good reading adventure.




My third recommendation for today is A King's Decree and the Brave Three by Jacey Verdicchio. Jacey Verdicchio has taken the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and has simplified it for the very young. Beautifully illustrated and Biblically accurate, A Kings Decree and the Brave Three is an excellent book that also comes with a free audio book download which allows the readers to listen to this lovely rhyming story as they silently read along.

And last but certainly not least, I recommend a book by Ohio Author Melissa Ivey Staehli titled I Love You to the Moon. I Love You to the Moon is a beautiful story of a parent's love for their child. The watercolor style illustrations lend an added warmth to the catchy rhymes, and the extra large print and simple sentences are perfect for beginning readers. The size of the print made me want to point to each word as I read, which strikes me as something a child would find useful when learning to read.




Signing off for now with wishes for a bright and beautiful day!