Everett's Learning to Read: Top 5

Everett has definitely become quite the little bookworm!  His favorite activity right now is to learn new words and how to spell them.  This makes storytime that much more fun :)

Although he's still in love with some books that I swear he'll never tire of (Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Napping House being two of them), we've been trying to get him some new books and tools that focus more on words and/or repetition to learn new words, sounds and spelling.  Some of the favorite we've tried out are:

1. Mouse Makes Words by Kathryn Heling : This book is a level one beginning readers title. Everett is still a bit rough on books with "real" pages, but he's getting better, so beginning reader books are worth the small investment.  The "story" is all about a mouse who loves changing around letters to make new words.  For example, substituting P for C changes "cup" into "pup," a great introduction into phonics!

2. Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen : If you've never read "Pout Pout Fish," you should pick up a copy and read through it next time you're at the book store.  It's a super cute story about a fish that believes all he can do is spread the "dreary-wearies" because of the way his lips pout all of the time.  That is until someone comes along and shows him that his lips are perfect for smooching!  There is a lot of repetition in this book and new undersea critters to learn... but the best part is, the ending gives a great excuse to cover your little one with smooches! :)

3. Now I'm Reading Pre-Reader: My World : I've been wanting to get Ev started on some phonics series books.  Everyone recommended the Bob Books, but this series seemed to be more colorful and exciting when I was showing Everett options.  This set includes 10 storybooks, a book for parents, and stickers.  Right now we're mostly reading the books for fun and going through some of the "words to know" in the back of the book.  We're not doing the official sticker program, because Ev's still a bit young.  But, the illustrations are cute and if Ev takes to them I just might have to pick up more of these phonics books!

4. Flash Kids Sight Words Flash Cards : The Easter Bunny brought Everett a few sets of flash cards this year including this sight words set.  We've had the LeapReader Junior Letter Flash Cards for a while now and he loves playing with them, so we upgraded to flash cards with words.  He is constantly asking Eric and I to do flash cards with him.  He likes to spell out the letters and then either sound out or ask what word it is. 

5. The Endless Reader App: Okay, so obviously this isn't a book, but this app is AWESOME.  It shows a word and then mixes up the letters so Everett has to put the letters back in the right order (they shadow what letter goes where so your child doesn't have to memorize spelling right away).  Then the app uses that word in a sentence and scrambles certain words to be put back into the sentence.  I downloaded the free sample (6 words) to see how Ev would like it... and he LOVED it.  There are several levels you can purchase, and I'm not going to lie, it's not a cheap app, but it has already helped Everett learn how to spell and read several words.  Plus, it's a great game for him to play if Eric and I have to get dinner ready or need Ev distracted for a few minutes.  I'm not sure if this app is available on Android, but we have it on our Apple products.

What books and tools have you used to help your little one learn to read?  There are so many things out there that it's almost overwhelming to choose the best products, but we've basically just been testing certain things and if they work, we'll stick to 'em!

I'm back!! And with some science-fiction reads!

I cannot believe I haven't actively posted since November!  Boo to that.  We've had a lot of things going on in our little family which hasn't allowed a lot of free time for blogging (or reading sadly).  I do miss reading and reviewing titles though and am going to try harder to post and share!  
As I'm sure some of you read on my Facebook page, Eric and I are expecting a little girl this June :)  Between getting ready for her arrival and Everett being a very energetic two year old, I probably still won't be able to blog nearly as much as I want, but I'm hoping to at least keep this more current than I have.

I thought I'd start with a post on a couple science-fiction titles I've enjoyed recently.  I've actually been on quite a sci-fi kick lately and have discovered a few awesome authors in the process.

First: For the month of March, my book club chose to read the book The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen.  

Overview of the book:  A young woman. A kingdom. An evil enemy.  A birthright foretold . . .
With the arrival of her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn is ascending to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling. Surrounded by enemies, including an evil sorceress possessed of dark magic, the young ruler stands little chance of success. But Kelsea possesses fearsome weapons of her own, including the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic. As an epic war draws near, Kelsea's quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny begins—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend...if she can survive.

When I started reading this book, I was confused why it was categorized general sci-fi rather than YA... then I kept reading and found out why.  It took me a while to get into the world that Johansen had set up (is this meant to be futuristic? In the past?... wasn't quite sure), but once I understood what was going on and the characters developed a bit, I really enjoyed this book.  I like that the reader can never quite be sure who is "good" and who is "bad," or who Kelsea can really trust.  This book definitely has some dark and somewhat graphic scenes, so I wouldn't recommend it for an immature audience.  However, I do like that that violence and the turmoil that the characters face is not necessarily out of the realm of reality.  Magic has its place in this book (and I think the second book will have even more), but the struggles and the emotions within the story are very human.  All in all, I would give this book 3.5/5 stars.  I am looking forward to reading the sequel The Invasion of the Tearling when it's released in June.

Second: One day while shelving books at work, I came across a cover/title that caught my eye: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.

Overview of the book:  Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.   Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London - but no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.
But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — trickier than they hoped. 

This book had me hooked from page one.  I don't know how V.E. (Victoria) Schwab does it, but her writing is addicting.  Not to mention the characters and world-building are incredible.  I'm almost afraid to say too much about this book, because I might end up going on and on and giving away too much.  I honestly think I'm just going to say, buy this book, read it, and then sit impatiently with me until next February when the sequel is due out.  Or better yet, get curious about V.E. Schwab like I did and pick up her YA books or her other sci-fi title Vicious.  I give this book 5/5 stars... no contest.

This month our book club is sticking to the sci-fi theme and reading The Martian by Andy Weir.  I'm not quite finished with it yet, but it will be included in my next round of reviews :)  

What are some good sci-fi books you've read?  Any that surprised you?

I hope you are all doing well, and it feels so good to post a short blog again!  Thank you for visiting and happy reading! :)

Everett's Top Five

So my little man hasn't been feeling all too well the past couple days.  Slight fever, super tired, not very hungry, and just not himself.  Therefore we've been doing a lot of quieter activities (aka reading!) while he gets better.

This prompted me to share a round of Ev's top five books since it's been a little while since he's picked :)

1. Colors (Sophie la girafe Series) by Dawn Sirett
We bought Ev this book quite a while ago.  He absolutely loved it when we first got it, but then took a break from it.  About a week or so ago he found it on one of his bookshelves and can't get enough of it!  It's a great book for little ones learning colors, first words and animals.

2. Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr.
We're huge fans of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! around here, so were pretty excited when we saw there's a number version.  The "story" isn't quite as cute as the original, but Everett loves it.  Since we're working on teaching him numbers to 100, it's a great book for him right now!  It counts 1-20 individually and then by 10's to 100.

3. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin
We own the slide-and-find version of this book and Everett loves to slide the door to see the next animal.  This book features endangered species, which he's too young to understand right now, but someday that will make for a great learning tool too.  For right now we've read it so many times that he has the animals memorized!

4. Duck and Goose, It's Time for Christmas! by Tad Hills
Duck and Goose are obviously a favorite of Ev's, and their holiday book is no exception.  I pulled it out this past week so he could fall in love with it just like last year :)  Duck and Goose are trying to figure out what time it is "time for snow angels? sledding?"... it's time for Christmas!  

5. Mr. Brown Can Moo by Dr. Seuss
This is a super cute book for learning sounds.  Everett enjoys tick-tocking like a clock and hooting like an owl as we turn pages.  We have the board book version which is shorter than the original, but works well for Everett's age.  For older kids, the hardcover version has more words and sounds :)





I cannot wait to really introduce all of our holiday books (we have quite a few stashed to give Ev throughout the holiday season... great after holiday sales last year mean lots of fun new books this year!)!  Have you and your little ones discovered any new favorites?  

I hope everyone is staying warm in the chilly weather we suddenly have!  Stay warm with cocoa, a blanket and a good book :)  Happy Reading!

The Fragile World by Paula Treick DeBoard Review

I am so glad that I randomly stumbled upon Paula Treick DeBoard's book The Mourning Hours last year, because now I know I will look forward to every one of her upcoming books :)

Her newest title The Fragile World released just over a week ago, and I could not wait to pick up a copy.  The Fragile World is the story of the Kaufman family, a happy family of four living in California.  The oldest child, Daniel, is a musical prodigy, talented, smart and beyond likable. Daniel's younger sister, Olivia, although slightly feeling she is living in his shadow, adores him and cannot blame everyone else for loving Daniel as much as they do.  When Daniel suddenly dies in a freak accident, the Kaufmans all experience grief in different ways, and the toll it takes on their family is immense.  Not only does Olivia become anxiety ridden and keep fear journals containing the millions of things that have potential to hurt her or the ones she loves, but her parents are forced to reevaluate their relationship as well.

Let me start by saying, Paula Treick DeBoard can write.  She develops her characters with startlingly real thoughts and emotions, forcing readers to question how they would react if they were in each of these character's shoes.  The book alternates between narrators from Olivia to Curtis, her father, which creates an interesting dynamic... getting the perspective of a troubled 16-year-old and her physics teacher father.  The two of them embark on a cross-country road trip, Curtis with a "plan" and Olivia struggling through her fears, but along for the ride.  As Curtis's plan unravels, their story becomes more dramatic and page-turning (I was up way past my bed time because I had to find out what happens next!).  What these characters go through, the moments, and memories Paula creates for them will change them forever.

I cannot wait to share this book with friends and family, and cannot think of anyone who would not enjoy The Fragile World.  It will pull at your heart-strings and remind you to be grateful for every second you have with those you love.  Thank you Paula Treick DeBoard for writing another incredible novel... if only I didn't have to wait another year for your next release!

Bye-Bye Halloween... Onto Thanksgiving and the Holidays!

I haven't taken a lot of time to read lately... since my husband and I both work in the retail world, we know that November through the beginning of January is pretty much one huge blur with not many days off as a family.  So, October is really a big family-time month for us.  

Me and my little pumpkin ready to Trick-or-Treat!

We had a wonderful Halloween (despite the cold weather) that included a trip to the bookstore, Trick-or-Treating and Everett's first viewing of Hocus Pocus (which he actually watched the majority of!).  We are still reading Halloween books to Everett since he loves them, but I also pulled out Five Silly Turkeys to add to the mix.  Slowly the Halloween books will be replaced with Christmas books!!! :)  I can't wait to share our Christmas favorites... but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves!

I did manage to finish the audio of Louise Penny's A Fatal Grace which is the second book in her Armand Gamache Series.  I liked it just as much as the first :)  The audiobooks are great, and the mysteries have such unique characters that it's easy to get lost in the world of Three Pines.  If you're a mystery reader and haven't discovered Louise Penny yet, be sure to pick up her books!

Now I need a new audiobook for the car.  I might do the third in the Gamache series or pick up the third in the Jim Butcher Dresden Files... however, I'm always up for suggestions.  I even thought about checking out all of the Harry Potter audiobooks from the library and listening to those again... 

What have you been reading or listening to?  Anything you're putting on your Christmas list already?  Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday and is finding some relaxing reading time tonight!  Happy Reading :)

Happy Halloween Eve!

I can't believe tomorrow is Halloween!!  This past week has been so busy, but tomorrow the boys and I are all home and will celebrate in style (despite the 20 degree weather that's being predicted... eww).  We haven't cemented anything in stone, but tomorrow will more than likely include bribing Everett into wearing his pumpkin costume, taking him to visit family and possibly a couple doors for trick-or-treating, coming home to hand out candy to our neighborhood trick-or-treaters, Halloween books before bed, and finally my husband and I watching Hocus Pocus eating the leftover candy and/or popcorn (I am obsessed with the movie Hocus Pocus, and my husband loves me so he tolerates it each year :)).  

As for Everett's Halloween treats... since Ev's still so young, we don't really give him candy.  He'll probably get a couple bites of chocolate, but other than that, Eric and I have gotten him some candy alternatives.  He got the book Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson about a week or so ago (that way he can enjoy it for longer than a night) and he absolutely loves it!  I thought the story might be a bit long for his attention span, but he sits through it every time.  He also got adorable Halloween pjs (okay two pairs skeleton & mummy themed) and some shirts that he's been wearing all month.  Tomorrow we'll top off his Halloween with a trip to the bookstore for a new book of his choice and a pumpkin cookie from Panera (his favorite treat!).

For me, I told myself I was going to attempt to read a couple spooky things this October, but after The Bird Box, I moved onto other books I've had on my to-read list that are not going to keep me up all night.  This past week was a HUGE new release Tuesday in my book.  Two of my favorite authors had books come out... 

1. My Patrick Rothfuss countdown finally commenced with the release of The Slow Regard of Silent Things.  A novella all about the character Auri... my favorite character from his Kingkiller Chronicles Series.  Patrick has also been posting about his upcoming Worldbuilders fundraiser, so be sure to check out the posts about his new novella and this event on his blog.

2. Paula Treick DeBoard's The Fragile World has also finally come out!  I read Paula's debut novel The Mourning Hours when it released in June of 2013 and knew I would read every book she wrote thereafter.  She's an amazing writer, and The Fragile World is no exception! I won't spoil anything review-wise until I'm completely done with the book, but don't worry, more details on how much I was blown away by this book soon!

Last Friday, Wisconsin author, Valerie Biel, also released her first novel into the world, Circle of Nine: Beltany, which I am reading and enjoying.  Circle of Nine: Beltany is a YA novel which incorporates Celtic lore into a modern teenager's life. I absolutely love books that include this kind of history, so when I saw the premise of this title, I had to read it!  Valerie will also be part of a really exciting event taking place at Barnes & Noble Appleton on December 14th.  Details to come on this event as well... but trust me if you're a YA lover, jot that date down and keep your afternoon (starting around 1:00) open :)

What are some of the books you have all been reading lately?  Any fun Halloween traditions  your family has every year?  I love hearing from you :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone and Happy Reading!! :)

October Book Club Picks

For the month of October, our book club attempts to pick a somewhat scary title to read.  

Last year, my choice fell on October and (after a lot of debating) I chose for us to read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.  I figured the majority of us had already read or seen the movie version of Shirley's classic The Haunting of Hill House, so I opted for a less popular title.  I actually didn't find this book all that "scary," it was more odd than anything.  It's the story of two sisters who live in their family's house where the majority of the family died due to arsenic poisoning.  The sisters have lived alone since this event, and have their routines and daily rituals, when suddenly a long lost cousin appears.  Now the truth of what happened and who is truly good and evil must be revealed.

This year one of our book-clubbers chose the book The Bird Box by Josh Malerman as our October selection.  Now, this book seemed creepy.  It's the story of a world where something is outside that, if seen, causes individuals to become murderously violent.  At the beginning of the novel, the main character, Malorie, has just found out she is pregnant when this epidemic suddenly begins. After losing her family, she finds her way to a safe house where she ends up staying with strangers who she hopes she can trust...

This book kept me reading well into the night (and honestly night probably wasn't the time to be reading this...).  The book switches between the time when Malorie is pregnant and trying to survive, to four years later when she is caring for two children, "boy" and "girl," still trying to survive.  There are many moments in this book where I think I forgot to breathe, because I was so anxious to get through a chapter and find out if everyone/everything was going to be okay.  The tension and relationships between the characters you are introduced to is perfectly written.  Readers assume they know who is good and who is evil, but really in a world gone mad can anyone truly be trusted?

I would give this book a 4.5 out of 5.  I loved that it was creepy and addicting, and I could still (eventually) sleep after reading it.

What are some of your favorite scary or creepy books?