Good Winter Reads!

This past week flew by like a whirl wind even though we weren't particularly busy. I guess the not particularly busy part is why I don't have any photos to share this week, and the flew by part is why I didn't get a chance to read any new books. None-the-less, I have compiled a list of books previously read that consist of winter subject matter. They range in date from 2008 to 2017, offering a selection of old and new for you to choose from.

I noticed that there was another book titled Red Sled when I was scouring amazon, and although I have not read this book, I think it would be interesting to read and compare the two.

In addition, while roaming around on Amazon, I also noticed two other books I haven't read that look interesting. I think I might have to make a suggestion to my children's librarian who generously ordered the last book I requested.

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 Literacy Musings Mondays for more great blogs as well as my personal website Fun With Aileen where you will find more on reading, writing, and my very own chapter and picture books. And finally, you can find me on twitter  @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

An Arctic Dream and A Really Tall Tale!

As we head into the last week of February, I look around and still see great piles of snow. This, of course, means lots of shoveling, lots of warm fires, lots of soup, and lots of seeds for our outside friends.

It also means a winter book and a really tall tale! The winter book I chose  to review is titled Polar Skater, and although it dates back to 2004, you can still get it through Bargain Books on Barnes and Noble's site for only $1.99. Quite thrifty for a book worthy of four to six year olds.

If you chose to read, Polar Skater, you will dream with a young girl who longs for a pair of skates. Once obtained, the true dreaming begins as she leaves the crowds behind and skates with the beasts of the arctic. An audience of seals, whales, snow geese and such, help her to embrace the freedom skating brings until it is time to once again join those she left behind on her skating journey.

The tall tale I chose,  an extreme tale if you wish, was about the ever so famous Pecos Bill. This particular story called Pecos Bill Tames A Colossal Cyclone, granted us insight into Pecos Bill's unfortunate ousting from his family's wagon and his subsequent rescue by a wolf pack. An emotion filled reunion with one of his long lost brothers, his training as a cowboy, and his wild ride on a cyclone are sure to further thrill the reader. And  the explanation of how the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon came to be, might even elicit a chuckle or two from the adult readers.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, the sequel, Return To Fern Valley, and the soon to be released Cooking In Fern Valley (fall 2015)! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

Christmas Is On It's Way...

Wow. Can you believe Christmas is just a few weeks away. Actually, this whole year just seems to have flown by quite rapidly. This past Sunday, Emily performed in her Christmas Pageant where she had a special part as one of the tap dancing wisemen. The show was spectacular and the only downside was that she wasn't feeling well that day. Blessedly, she didn't throw up until the very end of the program.

I simply cleaned up the floor in front of the bathroom, rinsed her off, and gave her a jacket to wear in lieu of her shirt. That's how we tough moms roll. We left immediately and missed the Christmas cookies, but I told her we would have plenty of cookies at our house once I started baking.

Now that her program is finished and I don't have to haul her to practices, I can actually relax for the next two weeks. Baking and reading will be the highlight of my weeks. And speaking of reading, my Monday post wouldn't be complete without a book review or two.

Since Christmas is quickly approaching and winter is setting in, I went with the Christmas/Winter theme when choosing my latest round of books. The first book I read was called One Mitten. The cover was so adorable, I just had to take this book home and find out what was inside. And, I wasn't disappointed. One Mitten is the story of a girl who has only one mitten who shares with us all of the things you can do with just one mitten until she accidentally finds the lost matching mitten. The story then continues by sharing what a girl can do with two mittens, and finally ends with more mittens and a friend. A perfect book for children five to eight and a reminder of what fun winter can be.

 

The second book I read was The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey,. and I almost cried at the beauty of this story. Jonathan Toomey is know 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 am definitely going to add 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. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my sequel, Return To Fern Valley! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.

The Unexpected Can Cure Cabin Fever

As many of you know, I live in a part of the country that has been experiencing an unusually cold and snow filled winter. So it is no surprise that extended periods of not being able to leave our home created feelings of cabin fever. Blessedly, this past weekend we had one beautiful, sunny, day where the temperature reached fifty degrees.

Since my husband had a small matter of business to take care of in a town about an hour and a half away, we decided to make a day of it. We started with a wonderful breakfast of French toast that my daughter claimed was fluffy just like she likes it. Then, I packed a picnic lunch for us to take along which included my delicious chicken salad sandwiches.

Our plan was to do some Geocaching after my husband had concluded his business. For those of you who might not be familiar with  Geocaching, it is basically a very large outdoor scavenger hunt. The caches, which very in size from micros to large containers which hold swag for trading, are found by using latitude and longitude coordinates. To learn m ore about geocaching you can visit the official Geocaching site.

Soon we set off on our adventure, and little did we know, what unexpected treasures we would find. The first unexpected treasure we found was a small country church with beautiful stained glass windows. And across the road, a herd of gorgeous Scottish Highlanders.

After we reached our destination and my husband concluded his business, we headed out to find our first cache. It was in a small cemetery. We admired the worn stones as we searched, and we thought about the lives of those who rested beneath our feet. Once we had found our cache, we had an in-the-car picnic. We found four caches altogether, we saw deer, soaring hawks, a deceased coyote, and learned a little bit about Ohio History. It was a splendid day full of unexpected moments that definitely helped cure our cabin fever.

Although the next day was once again overcast and left a dusting of snow on our yard and driveway, two more unexpected treasures presented themselves to me in the form of the books I read for this weeks review.

The first book I read was Three Pebbles And A Song by Eileen Spinelli. This book is a beautifully written story of a mouse family getting ready for winter's approach. Mama mouse, Papa mouse, and Moses's sister, Missy, all tell him he should be gathering warm things and food. But as Moses sings, dances, and juggles the day away, snow arrives before he can collect anything but three small pebbles. When Moses arrives at his home, Mama has gathered crumbs, Papa has gathered rags for their beds, and Missy has gathered raisons. The only one who hasn't brought anything of value home is Moses. Or has he?

 

The second book I read was Big Week  For Little Mouse by Eugenie Fernandes. The illustrations by Kim Fernandes alone would make this book worth reading. They are three dimensional clay works of art! The story itself was delightful to, however, as we followed the busy week Mouse has as she get's ready for her birthday party. It was unintentional that both of this weeks books were about mice, but if you love mice, then these books are definitely worth checking out.

 

 

 

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my soon to be released sequel, Return To Fern Valley, coming summer of 2014! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.



It's Still Cold...

I'm sure you are all aware that it is still EXTREMELY cold out there. So cold, in fact, that last week some unusual visitors showed up at our bird feeder to scavenge for seeds.

There weren't many seeds on the ground, so that afternoon I took a small bowl out and set it underneath the feeder just in case our friends came back. Only one duck came back the next day, but I enjoyed watching him fill his little belly. Unfortunately for him, a tiny squirrel that had helped himself to seeds earlier that morning was in a  less generous mood.

I watched the tiny squirrel hop across the yard, creep up our small tree so he could have a better view, and crawl back down again. What he did next totally took me by surprise though. That little squirrel charged that duck and leapt on him like some kind of a ferocious beast. Needless to say the duck was a bit surprised. Okay, he was a lot surprised. Until then, I had not realized how high a duck could jump straight up into the air. It was one of those moments where you really wish you had camcorder instantly in your hand.

Since school continued to be canceled, Emily and I filled our time with other things like baking rolls and playing boggle. And it goes with our saying that books were read!

In honor of the continued cold and snow, we read a delightful book called The Night The Moon Blew Kisses. Although no longer in print, this book is worth hunting down a used copy or seeing if your library owns it. Short, sweet, and beautifully written, it is the story of a grandmother and her grand-daughter taking a moonlit stroll. The grand-daughter blows the moon kisses and in return, the moon blows some back. The art work reminded me of Vincent Van Gogh's A Starry Night, dark but lovely.

We also read Birthday Pony.  Grandma Aggie bought Jane a Pony for her birthday. Unfortunately, the pony, named Popcorn, has been spoiled for far too long, and Jane can't get him to obey commands. Can lessons in good manners and riding skills help both to learn to enjoy the ride? Emily and I both enjoyed this simple story and think it would be great for kids in first through third.

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Join me next week for another exciting episode, same crazy time, same crazy channel. And feel free to drop by my personal website, Fun With Aileen, any day of the week for even more on reading, writing, my very own early grade chapter book, Fern Valley, and my soon to be released sequel, Return To Fern Valley, coming summer of 2014! I'm also on twitter @AileenWStewart if you want an extremely brief glimpse into my days.