Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge: January 2018 Link-Up

This is the official Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge link-up post for January! In comments, please share your reviews and posts about any "old school" books you have read this month. (Even if you're not officially signed up for the challenge you're welcome to participate with anything you've posted about a book published in the decade of your birth or before.)

I am planning to read 52 old school books this year. I used to review one a week, and fell out of that habit last year, so I want to try to get back into it. This month, I reviewed these three titles:

• Amahl and the Night Visitors adapted by Frances Frost, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin (1952)
• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)
• The Box of Delights by John Masefield (1935)

What did you read? How are you doing with the challenge so far? 

I Can't Believe I Read the Whole Thing! Books I Should Not Have Finished

Up until last year, I did not have a DNF shelf on Goodreads. If I started a book, no matter how terrible it was, I pretty much always finished it. This has resulted in me finishing a number of books I really didn't like because I felt obligated to do so. Today, I'm sharing ten books that I really can't believe I finished reading, and I'll be linking up with Top Ten Tuesday for this week's topic, Books I Can’t Believe I Read.

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata 

In library school, my children's literature course was focused entirely on Newbery Medal and honor books. As Kira-Kira was the winner that year, we were all required to buy and read a copy. It was a miserable experience - I didn't like the plot, the characters, the writing style, anything - and to this day, I don't know a child who has read and enjoyed this book. (I find it kind of funny that I actually read this book when so many books I was assigned as an undergraduate went unread...)

Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt 

I read this book in library school as well, and when I was finished I likened the reading experience itself to walking very slowly up a road. I usually like coming-of-age stories, but this one was just depressing and uncomfortable.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer 

I still re-read my scathing Goodreads review of this book from time to time. When it came out, I was working as a teen librarian so I basically had to read it in order to be able to discuss it with my teen patrons, but it was not my usual genre to begin with and I felt like the series really jumped the shark with some of the happenings of the book. (Reneesme, especially, made me want to throw things.)

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner 

The title of this book alone would turn me off today, but when I was in my 20s and working with teens, I wasn't quite as sensitive to vulgar humor as I am now. I still maintain that the author, Jake Wizner, is a talented writer, but I would never in a million years pick up this book today.

Love: Poems by Danielle Steel

I'd totally forgotten that I read this until I started scrolling through my Goodreads looking for books for this post. What made me borrow it from the library I have no idea, considering I've never even read a Danielle Steel novel, but (shocking, I know) it was evidently only a two-star read despite the fact that my review mentions I would have loved it as a fourteen-year-old.

What She Saw... by Lucinda Rosenfeld

This may be the worst novel I have ever read, and it would have been a definite candidate for a DNF shelf if I'd had one back in 2009. My one-star review says it all.

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

I turned 16 the year this book came out, and had probably only read 2 or 3 adult novels ever, but for some reason I bought this one in hardcover.  With its adult content, including frank discussions of sexuality, this book was very disturbing to me as a teen, and I can't believe that a) my parents allowed it in our house and b) I actually made it to the end of the book. (My experience with this book is also a big reason I don't think kids should just read whatever they want. I know the going theory is that kids self-censor, but I definitely felt uncomfortable and read the book anyway and never talked about the things that bothered me with anyone.)

Savvy by Ingrid Law

A couple of years ago, I challenged myself to read 25 fantasy novels in a year, and because this was a Newbery Honor book, I put it on my list. Had it not been a Newbery honor book, and had I not been focusing on reading fantasy, I would not have made it more than a couple of chapters. As is clear from my review, I thought it was bland and boring, and that the story had nothing at all to say.

Saving Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea 

When the ARC of this book was available on NetGalley back in 2015, I had never read any of the series. I read the first two quickly so that I could review this one before it was published. By the end of the second book, I already hated the series, but I felt an obligation to finish it and get feedback to the publisher. If I hadn't downloaded the ARC, I would have abandoned the book after the first chapter.

Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett

I know lots of people love this book, but I am just not a fan. I think I made it worse for myself, too, by listening to the audiobook, as the narrator had a very grating voice, and failed to pronounce one of main character's names correctly about half the time. I did like the writing style, but could not stand all the coincidences that figured into the plot. It just didn't feel believable to me. Had I not been riding in the car and listening with my husband, I wouldn't have bothered to finish. My review is on Goodreads.

What are some books you would skip if you had it to do over?

The RAHM Report for 1/29/18

What My Kids Are Reading

Winter picture books and nonfiction titles about history and evolution are featured in this week's Read-at-Home Kids Report.

What I Finished Reading

• Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton
  I didn't like this book quite as much as the first of the series, but I did enjoy the involvement of Hollywood actors in the plot, and the subplot involving The Rescued Word itself. My review is on Goodreads.
• Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
  This wasn't bad, but it is my least favorite of the Temperance Brennan books so far. I wasn't that interested in the plot, and Tempe did a few things that seemed out-of-character. I mentined these issues in my Goodreads review.
• Witness by Karen Hesse
  I usually like novels in verse and Karen Hesse's writing, but this book about the KKK infiltrating a Vermont town in 1924 just didn't work for me. My 2-star review on Goodreads explains why.
• A Girl Called Al by Constance C. Greene
  I remember seeing this book in the public library a lot as a kid, but for some reason I never read it. I enjoyed quirky Al and her friendship with the unnamed narrator, even if some events of the story were a bit predictable. 

Did Not Finish

• Check Me Out by Becca Wilhite
  Though I did not finish this book, I wrote an extensive review on Goodreads explaining what it gets wrong about working in libraries (which is, sadly, nearly everything.)
• The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis
  After reading one chapter of this book, I determined that the dialect was too much for me. I'm going to wait for an audiobook edition and try again. 

What I'm Currently Reading

• The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick
  Last week, I thought I'd finish this book in a day or two, but it's proven to be a lot more complex than I was expecting. The teens in this story have so many problems that reading about them actually feels a bit stressful. I have to finish the book by Friday because that's when my library ebook expires, but I'm rationing it so that I don't have to spend long stretches of time dwelling on the characters' problems. 
• Does Anybody Care About Lou Emma Miller? by Alberta Wilson Constant
  I received a signed copy of this hard-to-find book from my husband for Christmas. It's the third book of a series, and I've only read the first book, but it seems to stand on its own pretty well so far. I have no doubt I will finish this one quickly.
• Advent of Dying by Sister Carol Anne O'Marie
  I was having trouble deciding on a mystery to read next, and it has been a while since I started this series so I decided to come back to it. So far, I'm finding it even more engaging than the first book. 

Challenge Progress

• Both Bookman Dead Style and Devil Bones count for the Cloak and Dagger Challenge and for the Writing Reviews challenge. Bookman Dead Style also counts toward Craving for Cozies, the Family Tree Reading Challenge (for the year 2017, when my youngest was born), and the Linz the Bookworm Reading Challenge (for the cozy mystery category). Devil Bones also fulfills letter D for the Alphabet Soup Challenge. 
• Witness and A Girl Called Al both fulfill letters for the A to Z Challenge. Witness also counts for the Linz the Bookworm Reading Challenge (for book with a one-word title) and the Writing Reviews Challenge, while A Girl Called Al counts toward Old School Kidlit. My review of Box of Delights was also published this week, which adds it to my list of books reviewed for the Writing Reviews Challenge.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHK Report for 1/28/18

Our week in reading included some lovely experiences with each of the following books:

• The Wonderful Farm by Marcel Aymé, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
  I'm loving this book more and more as we get further into it. This week, we finished the third chapter, The Mean Gander, and the fourth chapter, The Pig and the Peacock. As we go, some of the lessons learned by the two girls in the stories seem to become less and less obvious to Miss Muffet (4 years, 2 months) and Bo Peep (2 years, 4 months), but both of them still look forward to hearing the book every day at lunch. We may finish it this week. 
• Life Story by Virginia Lee Burton
  This is the most beautifully written and most beautifully illustrated book about evolution for kids that I have ever seen. I read it aloud to Miss Muffet over the course of several days this week, and I know it's a book we'll return to again and again. I have a review of the book scheduled for next month, so I'll save the rest of my comments until then, but truly, I can't recommend it highly enough. 
• History Can Be Fun by Munro Leaf
  Miss Muffet has been slowly reading this aloud, but she had taken a break from it for a while. This week, we brought it back into her repertoire and she enjoyed reading a few passages. Sometimes I question whether she comprehends what she reads in a book like this, but then she'll make a connection to another book, or a video, or to something else we're discussing, and she'll yell out, "That's my history!" The title of the book definitely rings true for her. 
• Lullaby and Good Night: Songs for Sweet Dreams by Julie Downing
  This is the most popular book in this household. The older two fight over who gets to read it, and they both use it to sing to the baby. The way they love it, though, we may need a replacement copy by the time the baby is old enough to want to read it.
  
  
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
  Miss Muffet has always been a big Ezra Jack Keats fan, but Bo Peep is only just showing interest in his books. We read The Snowy Day together a few times this week, and just yesterday, she picked up the book and began retelling it to herself. She has also given Peter the nickname of "Pete." 
• Little Penguins by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Christian Robinson
  Bo Peep liked this book last winter after I used it in story time, and it has made a comeback with a vengeance this week. I try to use it as an opportunity to talk about colors with her, but mostly she just likes the mittens and the mommy. 
• Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin
  We watched the Weston Woods video of this story a couple of times this week. Miss Muffet and Bo Peep have always liked the book just fine, but they love the film, and it is always their top request when I offer to play something from Bookflix.
• Dot the Fire Dog by Lisa Desimini
  We have never read the physical book, but I showed the Weston Woods film to Miss Muffet once on a whim, and now it's also in our regular video rotation. Personally, I was completely terrified of fires as a kid and would never have been able to handle a book like this - I guess it's good that my kids are less worried about bad things happening. Watching the video also led to a game of fighting fires in the cardboard box "cave" we currently have in our living room. 

Fumbling Through Fantasy: The Box of Delights by John Masefield (1935)

At the train station on his way home from school for the Christmas holiday, Kay Harker, the main character of The Box of Delights, encounters a mysterious Punch and Judy man named Cole Hawlings. The two hit if off so well that when Hawlings needs someone to hide and guard his box of delights  he entrusts it to Kay. As Kay enjoys the powers given to him by the box - to move swiftly, to shrink, to travel through time - he also becomes aware of a strange series of disappearances around town. Not only have several local clergyman been "scrobbled" but some of Kay's houseguests, Kay's guardian Caroline Louisa, and Cole Hawlings himself have gone missing as well. Kay realizes all of these kidnappings must be attempts to gain access to the box of delights and in trying to protect it, he has a variety of thrilling adventures.

I had a difficult time reading this book. While I could appreciate the appeal of its atmospheric setting, fanciful use of magic, and adventurous spirit, I spent much of the story feeling like I had no idea what was going on. I found it confusing that the characters never seemed surprised by anything that happened to them, and that they took in stride everything from shrinking to the size of a rodent to witnessing kidnappings. I was also frustrated by the lack of character development. There are quite a few characters, but very little in the way of details about personalities, looks, or interests. It is always hard for me to get into fantasy novels, but it is especially hard without a strong character to latch onto, and I didn't really find Kay to be that strong, well-developed protagonist. I also didn't like that the magic of the box of delights didn't have very many limits and that magic often saved the day in a very deus ex machina kind of way.

Because I was reading them simultaneously, I couldn't resist making numerous comparisons between The Box of Delights and The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. In many ways, the books are similar, right down to the involvement of folk hero Herne the Hunter in both stories, and the midwinter setting. But I felt much more comfortable in the world of The Dark is Rising. Even when I didn't fully understand an allusion, I still knew exactly what was happening and how each event contributed to the overall story arc. There were times in The Box of Delights when I had to re-read passages to be sure I had even a vague sense of what was going on, and in general, it just felt very slow to me, even though lots of things were happening.

The Box of Delights is a sequel to a book I have not read, The Midnight Folk (1927), in which Kay Harker is apparently also the main character. There don't seem to be any direct references in the second book to the events of the first, but I do wonder if Kays's matter-of-factness in the face of supernatural happenings might have made more sense if I'd read the books in order. I'm not sure I personally enjoyed this book enough to want to read the first book any time soon, but I won't rule it out. I do think The Box of Delights is worth reading, however, even if I struggled to enjoy it, and I'll gladly have my girls read it during the Christmas season in some future year.

Five Favorite Picture Books About Winter

Today, in response to Blog All About It's January prompt of Winter, I'm sharing five of my all-time favorite wintry picture books.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr

Owl Moon is not just one of my favorite winter picture books; I think it one of the most perfect picture books ever written. It's a quiet story, which at first glance seems like it might not engage most kids, but I have read this book to preschoolers and preteens alike and it always bring an awestruck hush to even the most active and easily distracted audience. The story is very simple: a young girl and her dad walk in the woods looking for an owl. The descriptions of this special event, however, combined with Schoenherr's Caldecott-winning illustrations, draw readers into the story, making them practically feel the cold air on their own faces, giving them the same feelings of excitement that the little girl experiences. The audiobook and Weston Woods video adaptation of the story are also excellent. The author is the narrator of both.

It's Snowing by Olivier Dunrea

In this sweet picture book by the creator of the Gossie books, a mother and baby wrapped in furs step out of their arctic home to enjoy the child's first snowstorm on a "dark, dark, cold, cold night." The mother jubilantly encourages the baby to experience the snow with his senses, and to enjoy such activities as building a snow troll, sledding down a hill, and riding on an ice bear. When the baby gets sleepy, his mother brings him back inside their cozy home and tucks him into bed.  I am not really a winter person myself, but this book makes me understand how it might feel to love snow as much as the family in the story. We don't yet own this book (and the copy on OpenLibrary was scanned incorrectly), but it is at the top of my wish list.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers

Susan Jeffers lends her signature illustration style to this famous Robert Frost poem adapted for the picture book format. The speaker of the poem bears a resemblance to Santa Claus as he, his horse, and a sleigh full of packages make their way through the snowy woods. My favorite illustration shows this character cheerily dropping down into the snow to make a snow angel while birds and other small animals flee in surprise. Jeffers makes great use of color to highlight people and animals in the pictures while everything else remains covered in blankets of white and gray snow. She really captures the mood of Frost's original words.

Something is Going to Happen by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Catherine Stock

This gentle book takes place in the morning as a family of four - mother, father, son, and daughter - and their dog wake up to begin the day. Each one has the sense that something is about to happen, but they go about the business of getting dressed, having breakfast, and packing up for work and school before opening the door to discover that it's snowing. There is a great sense of anticipation in this book that reminds me of lying in bed as a kid waiting to hear whether school would be canceled for a snow day. The imagery throughout the book is really beautiful - Zolotow had such a talent for describing ordinary moments in extraordinary ways.

Cold Snap by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

In this book, a cold snap has reached the town of Toby Mills, and as the icicle on the statue of the town's founder grows longer and longer, the temperature drops closer and closer to zero. As the cold weather continues throughout the week, the reader is given little peeks into the lives of certain town residents, watching as they prevent illness, knit mittens, drink hot chocolate, and attend a community bonfire. We had about a week this month already where temperatures were in the single digits and wind chills were in the negatives. Reading this book was a fun way to teach my kids about the extreme cold we were experiencing and it kept us all busy while we were stuck inside.

Have you read these books? Which other winter picture books do you love?

Books I Really Need to Re-Read

This week, Top Ten Tuesday's topic is Books I Really Liked but Can’t Remember Anything/Much About. I have quite a few of these, and most of them are on my list to re-read so I can hopefully form better memories of them the second time around.

Empire Falls by Richard Russo

I read this book when I was in college and have frequently cited it as my favorite adult novel ever. But when people ask me what it's about, I realize that the details are a bit fuzzy. I know there is a man named Miles Roby who is unhappy in his small town, and that he is in some way beholden to a wealthy family in the community, and... that's about it. It's a Pulitzer-prize winning novel, so I know I can't really go wrong recommending it, but I still really want to re-read it to find out whether I still love it as much as I did 15 years ago when it first came out.

Fables series by Bill Willingham

There was a period of time about ten years ago when I was just devouring this series. Then I lost track of it for a few years and fell way behind. Now that the series is finished, I'd like to read to the end, but it's been so long, I can't remember anything from the first few volumes beyond just the basic premise. Thankfully, they're all on Hoopla through my local library so whenever I get around to it, they are easily accessible!

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

I loved this series when it was being published, but by the time the first movie came out, I had already forgotten most of the plot. I remember a few key scenes but if someone were to ask me to summarize what happens, especially in Catching Fire or Mockingjay, I know I couldn't do it. I'm not sure yet whether my kids will read these, but if they do, I'll have to do a refresher to be able to discuss the story with them.

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks

I loved this book as a kid, when we read it in school, and I recently bought a copy for our home library, but again, aside from the basic premise, I can't remember a single thing that happens in the story. I know the main character is named Omri, mostly because that is an unusual name, but otherwise, it's all a blur. I plan to re-read this one either with my oldest daughter, or just ahead of her reading it independently.

A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin

I read this Newbery honor book when I was in library school. When my husband read it recently, however, I realized that when he talked about it, I had no idea what he was referring to. I loved the book, and I'm a little bit worried that it won't be as good as I remember when I read it a second time, but I would like to re-read it anyway, especially since we own it.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

My 7th grade English teacher read this aloud to my class. At the time, I was totally engrossed in the story and I can remember trying not to cry in class because apparently there is a sad part, or a sad ending or something. Knowing that it might be a sad book has kept me from re-reading it so far, but I am really curious and would like to get to it eventually.

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Another book from seventh grade. All I remember about this one is that everyone in my honors English class hated it because it was too descriptive. I have seen a number of homeschooling parents say it is a favorite in their families, so at some point, I think I need to revisit it and see if I like it any better as an adult.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

I keep saying I'm going to re-read this, as it was a favorite of mine in high school and all but the most major characters have completely gone from my memory. Part of the reason I haven't is that I'm afraid it won't be a favorite anymore when I remember the details, and the other part is that I have the distinct feeling I've blocked out something sad or distressing about the story that I may not want to revisit.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

I was assigned this book as a freshman in college and quickly realized that I did not have the proper context for seeing in it what my classmates were seeing and decided I didn't like it. For a long time, I thought I just didn't like Jane Austen, but I hear a lot about her in Catholic and homeschooling circles, and I know I need to try again without the pressure or pretentious classroom discussion hanging over my head. I probably won't start with Northanger Abbey, but I would like to read all of her works eventually including re-reading this one.

Which books have you forgotten? Do you plan to re-read and refresh your memory?

The RAHM Report for 1/22/18

What My Kids Are Reading

This week's Read-at-Home Kids report includes a picture book adaptation of Peter and the Wolf, The Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook, and a favorite board book by the Ahlbergs. Click to read.

What I Finished Reading

• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
  I'd only read some of the Narnia books, and never any of Lewis's nonfiction, and I found this a very enjoyable introduction to his writings. My five-star review is on Goodreads. 
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
  I have failed to get into both Shug and The Summer I Turned Pretty, but I have been eyeing this book for a long time and decided to give Jenny Han one more shot. This was a wise choice because I loved this book! My four-star review is on Goodreads. 
• Meaning Well by Sheila R. Cole
  I discovered this book via yearlingreads on Instagram, and borrowed it from OpenLibrary. It's very similar to The Hundred Dresses, but with a 1970s setting. Review coming soon. 
• Thatcher Payne-in-the-Neck by Betty Bates
  This book was also featured by yearlingreads. The story (about two kids who play match-maker for their widowed parents) was a little far-fetched - and rushed - but there was still a charm to the story. Review also coming soon. 
• The Toothpaste Millionaire by Jean Merrill
  My husband came home from a used bookstore with this over the weekend and insisted I read it right away. It's a clever story, and I look forward to reviewing it soon as well.

What I'm Currently Reading

• The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick
  I've been reading little snippets of this here and there, but haven't had a chance to really get into it yet. I'm enjoying it just as much as the first book so far and I plan to finish it over the next day or two. 
• Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
  I was planning on zipping right through this book, but I'm only about half done, if that. So far, it hasn't grabbed me as much as the book preceding it, Bones to Ashes, but I'm still enjoying it. 
• Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton
  I have made very little progress on this book, mostly because I keep saving it for bedtime and then falling asleep. I will be making it a priority this week. 

Challenge Progress

• Meaning Well  and Thatcher Payne-in-the-Neck both count for the A to Z Reading Challenge and the Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge. Thatcher Payne-in-the-Neck is also my 1985 book for the Family Tree Reading Challenge.
• The Toothpaste Millionaire counts for the Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge.
• To All the Boys I've Loved Before counts toward the Library Love Challenge. It also counts for the Writing Reviews Challenge, along with The Dark is Rising, my review of which was published in the middle of last week, and The Four Loves. The Four Loves also fulfills letter F for Alphabet Soup.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHK Report for 1/21/18

The Read-at-Home Kids Report is my weekly round-up of the books my kids are reading. Here's what Miss Muffet (age 4), Bo Peep (age 2) and Jumping Joan (3 months) have enjoyed this past week!

• The Wonderful Farm by Marcel Ayme, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
  We read the second chapter this week, which involves a wily fox who leads the farm's chickens, as well as Delphine and Marinette, to fall for a series of lies that land them in a lot of trouble. After finishing the chapter,we talked about how the fox pretended to be friendly even though he wasn't really. We don't talk a lot about "stranger danger" in our family, but I did take the opportunity to reinforce what we do teach, which is that you can talk to people you don't know, but you must never go anywhere with them, even if they come across as very friendly. (Though it was not planned, I think this was way more effective than just reading a book about safety.) Miss Muffet also made the connection that the fox reminded her of the serpent in the story of Adam and Eve. Then she took out her fox mask and sat down and read One Fine Day.  This coming week, we'll be reading Chapter 3, The Mean Gander. 
• Peter and the Wolf illustrated by Erna Voigt
  After the success of sharing Amahl and the Night Visitors with Miss Muffet, I decided to also introduce Peter and the Wolf. I found an album (on YouTube) which had the music but no narration, and then we alternated reading pages in the book and listening to the music. It was a little hard to tell when to stop and start the music, especially once the plot really gets going, but the music for each character's main theme is printed in the book so that helped somewhat. When we finished the book, we watched the Disney cartoon (it was not as good as I remembered at all) and then listened to the David Bowie version, which he narrates accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra. 
• Snow is Falling by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Helen Stone
  We had a mild snowfall this week, so when I was looking for a science book to read with Miss Muffet, I decided to use this one since it was timely. After we read the book, I brought in what little snow I could scoop up from outside our garage door, and she played with it in a bowl and looked at it through a magnifying glass. The biggest lesson Miss Muffet took away from the book is that "snow is good for people."
• Eclipse: Darkness in Daytime by Franklyn M. Branley, illustrated by Donald Crews
  My husband brought this home from the library, and I was excited to find a Donald Crews book I'd never seen. Miss Muffet liked the fact that the text refers specifically to the August 21, 2017 eclipse which was 40 years away at the time of the book's publication, and she also liked using a penny as the book suggests to mimic an eclipse by covering something in the distance with the coin.
• D'Aulaires' Book of Greek MythsMy husband is reading this with Miss Muffet. She is enjoying the stories but she keeps reminding me that "Really, there is only one God."
• The Laura Ingalls Wilder Songbook by Eugenia Garson
  Miss Muffet is still reading Little House on the Prairie, and this week, she read the scene which mentions the song "Old Dan Tucker." Though Bo Peep is not reading Little House, she latched right onto the song along with her sister and now they can frequently be heard giving a rousing rendition of the chorus, with great emphasis on the line "nothing left but a piece of squash."

• Stories and Fun for the Very YoungBo Peep has been obsessed with a few pages from this book this week. Her favorite is the two-page spread for the song A You're Adorable (the full version of which she doesn't seem to realize she actually has in a board book). She also keeps asking me to read every label on another spread featuring a toddler (drawn by Claire Vulliamy who does the drawings for Babybug magazine's Kim and Carrots stories) and her clothes.
• The Three Bears by Byron Barton
  Bo Peep has been carrying this book around the house for days. We've read it a few times and she loves to chime in every time Goldilocks decides that something is "juuuust right."
• The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz
  Bo Peep can now sing this entire book from memory. If we don't sing along, she stops and reminds us to join in.
• Peek-a-Boo by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
  I read this to Jumping Joan more for the rhythm than anything else, and she loved it. She's really starting to coo and babble a lot in response to anyone talking or singing with her, and she reacted very strongly to his book. 
• Sassy: Baby SeesThis book has been around since Miss Muffet was a newborn. It has a mirror on its last page, so I propped it up for Jumping Joan to look at during tummy time, and she was chattering away to her reflection for a good ten minutes!

Fumbling Through Fantasy: The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1973)

The day before his birthday, Will Stanton notices that animals suddenly seem to fear him. By the next day, when he turns eleven, it has become clear to Will that the animals know what he is only about to realize: that he is not an ordinary child, but an Old One, with the important destiny of finding and bringing together the six signs that will vanquish the Dark. As the days pass from his birthday, through Christmas, and on to Twelfth Night, Will experiences the usual Christmas festivities of his ordinary life, but frequently slips into other times and places where he slowly begins to acquire the signs. As he gets closer to completing the task, however, the Dark becomes more and more dangerous, causing serious weather conditions and threatening the lives of people Will loves.

I decided to finally read The Dark is Rising on the spur of the moment after realizing that a group of people re-read the book together annually and tweet about it under the hashtag #TheDarkisReading. I liked that at least some participants were reading sections of the book on the date on which they took place, and though I fell behind a few times and then finished a day early, I found this a satisfying way to really appreciate the novel. Though I did listen to the audiobook of Over Sea, Under Stone a few years ago, it was not until I got into The Dark is Rising that I realized how truly wonderful a writer Susan Cooper is. I don't know a lot about English folklore, so I know I missed many references, but even without understanding all of those, the power and beauty of this story came through for me.

Like Something Wicked This Way Comes, this book includes much commentary about the eternal struggle between good and evil, Light and Dark, and I read many passages as decidedly Christian in their sensibilities. I was particularly interested in the character of Hawkin, a traitor who has served both the Light and the Dark at different points in history. While Will is the hero of the story,  Hawkin is almost the cautionary tale, showing how easy it is for an ordinary human being to fall into the trap of believing evil is more powerful than good. He also serves as a reminder that is never too late to be redeemed, to choose the right thing even after many terribly wrong choices.

This book was a lovely atmospheric read to enjoy during the holiday season, and I absolutely understand why it was a Newbery honor book and why people would want to read it every year. I'd like to let this book settle a bit before diving into another from the same series, but the remaining three books of the series are on my to-read list for the future.

2018 Reading and Blogging Goals

A few weeks ago, I took a look back at all the reading and blogging goals I aimed to complete in 2017. Today, to go along with Top Ten Tuesday's theme for this week (Bookish Resolutions/Goals), I'm sharing the goals and challenges I am focusing on in 2018. (All but the last two are reading and blogging related.)

Read fewer books.

I didn't find it all that difficult to read 800 books this past year, but there were a few instances where I read through a stack of easy readers or picture books just for the sake of staying on track. In general, I also tend to read quickly and often not very deeply. This year, in the interest of going deeper into what I'm reading, and of having the time to do other things (like writing blog posts and homeschooling my four-year-old), I'm only shooting for 500 books, and I expect a large number of them to be picture books. 

Review more books overall, but fewer books on the blog.

I was originally thinking I would try to post two book reviews per week to the blog in 2018, but then I realized this would put me back on the path to blogging every single day, and I'm trying to avoid going back to that kind of schedule. So instead I am setting a goal to review at least 100 books this year, but to make the majority of those briefer Goodreads reviews and only post here about the ones I feel really deserve a more detailed assessment. I'd like to post four blog reviews per month, give or take. 

Review books in a more timely manner.

I have a habit of reading a ton of books and then not reviewing them for months after the fact. By the time I get around to reviewing them I've often forgotten the details and my reviews are not as strong as a result. This year, I want to get better about reviewing one book before finishing the next. 

Branch out from book reviews.

Last year, I set a goal to write more reflection posts, but I didn't really accomplish it. This year, though, I want to think of some ways to post something other than book reviews and reports about my reading to this blog. I'm hoping reading fewer books will free me up to concentrate a bit more on the blogging side of book blogging.

Post blog posts to Facebook regularly.

Now that I have consolidated my two Facebook pages into one, it should be easier to post regularly, but I haven't been making the time to do it. At the very least, I'd like to post twice a week this year and try to maintain something of a following on Facebook. 

Host a #bookstagram challenge. 

I have wanted to do this for over a year now, but haven't been bold enough to put the challenge together and get it out into the world. I'm not sure yet what the focus will be (other than children's books of some kind), or when it will happen, but I really want to try it at least once. I am not the greatest photographer, but I do enjoy finding books to match different daily prompts, and it doesn't seem like there is always a kidlit-focused challenge each month. 

Complete reading and blogging challenges.

I'm doing more reading challenges this year than I ever have, but I tried to choose challenges that would help me achieve some of my goals, and that I have a reasonable chance of actually finishing. Here's what I picked. (Links are to the challenge sign-up pages. There is a list in the sidebar which links to my landing pages for my progress in each challenge.)

• Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge
  I'm hosting this one for the second year in a row. This year, there are no monthly categories; just set a goal and read old school books! My goal is to read 52, but in light of my goals above I probably won't review every single one.
• Craving for Cozies
  This is the only other challenge I did last year that I'm doing again in 2018. I like that there is a Facebook group for updating progress and that I can easily just send in my Goodreads shelf as proof that I completed the challenge at the end of the year. I also discovered a lot of cozy series last year that I hope to finish for this challenge.
• Cloak and Dagger Challenge 
  Last year, I read a few mysteries (mostly by Sue Grafton and Kathy Reichs) that were not cozy. I wanted to be able to count them for something, so I signed up for this challenge which counts everything in the mystery/thriller genre. 
• Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
  Because I liked Craving for Cozies so much, I'm joining a second challenge hosted by the same blog. For this one, I'll be trying to read 26 adult books - one for each letter of the alphabet. (This makes me glad I haven't read X by Sue Grafton - that would be a tricky letter for me otherwise!)
• A to Z Reading Challenge
  I had trouble deciding between the two alphabet challenges I came across. Thankfully, this one has an option to focus on children's books so I decided to just join both and focus on kidlit for this one. 
• Family Tree Reading Challenge
  Becky's Book Reviews hosts so many interesting challenges. I didn't want to do another challenge with a very long checklist this time around, so I opted for this one, where the goal is to read books published in the years of family members' births. I chose the birth years of my grandmother, my parents, my sister, my husband, and my three girls, giving me a good mix of new and old options.
• Author Love Challenge
  For this one, I'm planning to read as many Betsy Byars books as I can. I'm excited to finally get to them, as reading her books has been a goal in the back of my mind for a couple of years now. 
• Linz the Bookworm Reading Challenge
  I'm only aiming for level 1 of this challenge, which should give me a nice well-rounded checklist of titles. 
• Library Love Challenge
  I borrow a lot of picture books from the library, but not as many longer works. I'm hoping my goal of reading 36 books borrowed from the library this year will help. (I'm only counting middle grade, YA, and adult novels toward this one.)
• Reading Challenge Addicts
  This is a challenge for people doing multiple challenges. I figured it was worth joining given that I have signed up for so many! 
• Writing Reviews Challenge
  For this one, I'm aiming to write 100 reviews, some to post here and some to post to Goodreads. 
• Blog All About It
  I thought the prompts for this challenge would help me focus a little less on book reviews and more on developing other kinds of content.  
• Book Blog Discussion Challenge
  I've eyed this challenge in the past and felt a little nervous about jumping in, but I'm going to start small and try to post six discussion posts this year, hopefully in the even-numbered months. 

Keep a bullet journal.

From ages 14 to 20, I kept a daily journal. I have always meant to get back into the habit, but there just isn't time in the day to write pages and pages about what goes on. I'm hoping that having a book set up to record daily happenings will give me a way to quickly jot down important events, ideas, memories, etc. so I can look back on them. A bullet journal is also a great place to keep track of reading challenges, blogging ideas, and other important things all in one place.

Stop getting the news from social media. 

Following news outlets on Facebook seemed really convenient when I first started doing it, but I've grown weary of seeing everyone's comments and reactions to the news, especially since they typically involve a lot of name-calling and overall nastiness. This year, I'm going back to reading the news either on Feedly or directly on news sources' websites, so I can find out what is happening in the world without having to read what 100 strangers think about what is happening in the world.      

The RAHM Report for 1/15/18

What My Kids Are Reading

See yesterday's Read-at-Home Kids Report for our current lunchtime read-aloud and my two-year-old's favorite concept books.

What I Finished Reading

Last week was Bout of Books week, so I did a decent amount of reading. This is probably the fewest number of books I have ever finished for a single Bout of Books, but I still feel good about it.

• The 18th Emergency by Betsy Byars
  I think this is my least favorite Betsy Byars book so far. There just wasn't enough meat to it. Review forthcoming here on the blog.
• The Cartoonist by Betsy Byars
  This was not as good as Byars's best books but it was definitely more in line with my expectations than The 18th Emergency. Review also coming soon to the blog.  
• Clementine by Betsy Byars
  This is Betsy Byars's first book, and I had never heard of it until I decided to read all of her books this year. It's about a boy and his toy dragon, and their conversations and adventures. I'll be reviewing it soon and probably reading it to my four-year-old and two-year-old as well.
• Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
  This was a bit tedious, but I ended up giving it 3 stars. Review coming soon on the blog.
• By Your Side by Kasie West
  This looked like it was going to be a wacky little romance novel about two teens with opposite personalities having to tough it out together when they are locked in the library for a weekend. But that was only the first half of the story, and the shift toward something deeper was very rewarding. And thankfully, there was no teen sex in this book! I'll be looking for more by this author. My review is on Goodreads.
• My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
  This was really well-written and had surprising depth for appearing on the surface to be just a light romance. The sexual content makes me uncomfortable with the idea of actual teens reading the book, but are teens even the real audience for YA anymore? Either way, I skimmed the sexual parts and really enjoyed the character development otherwise. My review is on Goodreads.
• Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
  This book has very mixed reviews on Goodreads, but I really liked it. The insights into Tempe's past and the turmoil in her relationship with Ryan provided very good subplots that almost kept me more interested than the mystery itself. I reviewed this book on Goodreads.

What I'm Currently Reading

• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
  I have fewer than 50 pages left in this. I've taken quite a few notes, and I'm looking forward to book club on Thursday.
• The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick
  This is a companion novel to My Life Next Door, starring some of the minor characters from that book. I'm barely into it yet, but the voices are really strong and I'm glad to be able to spend more time in this universe. 
• To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
  I've never read anything by Jenny Han so I decided to give her a shot while I'm apparently on a YA kick.
• Bookman Dead Style by Paige Shelton
  I keep meaning to read a chapter of this before bed, and then it doesn't happen. I'm hoping to fix that this week and finish the book.  
• Devil Bones by Kathy Reichs
  I have this checked out from Open Library and I'm planning to zip right through it. I'm just in the mood for Reichs's writing style right now. 

Challenge Progress

 

I feel like people are going to think I'm cheating or something because I'm making such good progress on these challenges. But it's really only because of Bout of Books that I am so on top of things right out of the gate. I expect my progress to slow down, especially as I start reading books whose titles begin with the same letter.

• For the A to Z Challenge, I have crossed off letter C for The Cartoonist and Letter P  for Password to Larkspur Lane. 
• Password to Larkspur Lane is also my 1933 read for the Family Tree Challenge, and it counts also for Craving for Cozies and Old School Kidlit. 
• The 18th Emergency, The Cartoonist, and Clementine also count for Old School Kidlit, as well as for the Author Love challenge.. 
• Bones to Ashes fulfilled letter B for the Alphabet Soup challenge, and it also counts toward Cloak and Dagger. 
• By Your Side and My Life Next Door were both ebooks borrowed from the library, so they count toward the Library Love Challenge.
• Finally, for the Writing Reviews challenge I posted four reviews this week: Amahl and the Night Visitors, My Life Next Door, Bones to Ashes, and By Your Side.

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHK Report for 1/14/18

Here are the highlights of what the girls have been enjoying this week: 

• The Wonderful Farm by Marcel Aymé, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
  We have started reading this, the first children's book Maurice Sendak ever illustrated, at lunch, now that we have finished The Racketty-Packetty House. It's a bit wordy for Bo Peep (2 years, 3 months), and the chapters are a bit long even for Miss Muffet (4 years, 1 month), but I'm dividing each chapter into three or four smaller sections and that's working fine so far. I'm not crazy about talking animal stories, but the introduction to the book explains how that works in the universe of this story and that makes it more palatable. The girls, of course, have no problem with talking animals and are enjoying meeting the different animals as their stories unfold.
• Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  Having finished Betsy's Little Star, Miss Muffet has moved on to her second chapter book, Little House on the Prairie. (She heard Little House in the Big Woods  as a read-aloud.) She reads a chapter aloud to my husband in the evenings using the read-aloud edition of the book, and he follows along in The Little House Treasury to make sure she's not skipping words and that she understand what she reads. This book is probably a little bit above her current level, so it's giving her a bit of a challenge while also increasing her stamina for reading longer passages and introducing new vocabulary.
• Hill of Fire by Thomas P. Lewis, illustrated by Joan Sandin
  Miss Muffet has developed an interest in volcanoes, so she read this easy reader (which is probably right on her reading level) about a volcano eruption in Mexico, and then she followed it up with some YouTube videos. She was happy to have the reassurance that there are no volcanoes in Maryland, but other than that, she did not seem especially upset about volcanoes. I think her interest is primarily scientific. 
• "Some One" by Walter de la Mare, from Listen Children Listen by Myra Cohn Livingston
  Miss Muffet successfully memorized "Holding Hands" by Lenore M. Link and has been assigned a new one: Some One by Walter de la Mare. She's already memorized a few lines so I don't think it will be long before it's mastered. 

• A Winter Day by Douglas Florian
  Bo Peep has been requesting this book over and over again. Though she likes the story itself, she is more enamored of the author's self-portrait that accompanies his biography on the jacket flap. Besides the jacket flap, her favorite page is the one where the family eats pancakes. "I eat pancakes also!" she says. 
• Discovering Trees by Douglas Florian
  Both Miss Muffet and Bo Peep have been looking at this book a lot, but I think they are mainly looking at the pictures. Miss Muffet has loved reading the book with me in the past, but Bo Peep would rather "read" it to Jumping Joan (2.5 months) than have me read the text. Attempting to read this with her did remind me, though, that I want to make more of an effort to introduce nonfiction to her. Jim Arnosky will probably be the author with whom I start.
• Alphaprints: Colors by Roger Priddy
• Alphaprints: 123 by Roger Priddy
• Jane Foster's ABC
  Bo Peep has started showing more of an interest in concept books, so we have been looking at these old favorites, often while she sits on the potty (another skill we'll be working on mastering soon!) She has pretty much mastered her colors, and she is enjoying counting up to 10 and slowly learning how to count items using one-to-one correspondence. Miss Muffet is also more than happy to review any of these concepts with Bo Peep, whether she wants help or not.

Book Review: Amahl and the Night Visitors adapted by Frances Frost, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin (1952)

Amahl, a poor shepherd boy who uses a crutch to walk, has an active imagination, and he has often told fibs to his mother, telling her of fanciful things he claims to have seen or heard. One night, though, when he sees a huge bright star in the sky, followed by three kings knocking at his own front door, his mother has no choice but to believe him. As the kings speak of the Child to whom they wish to bring beautiful gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, Amahl's mother laments the fact that no one brings such precious items to her own child. Meanwhile, Amahl asks nosy questions and wonders whether such powerful kings might have a cure for the condition which cripples him and keeps the family poor.

This book is a narrative adaptation of Gian Carlo Menotti's 1951 opera, which I first learned about by watching the 1978 film in music class when I was in elementary school. Using all the original dialogue from the opera and her own beautifully written descriptions of the characters' actions, Frances Frost retells the story of Amahl and the three kings who visit his home, giving young readers a chance to experience the story either instead of or in preparation for seeing the opera. Illustrations by two-time Caldecott Medalist Roger Duvoisin supplement the text with full-color spreads and black-and-white line drawings depicting key scenes.

Leading up to this past Sunday's Feast of the Epiphany, my four-year-old daughter and I  read the book and watched the 1978 film together. I found the film on YouTube divided into 5 parts, so I also divided the book accordingly, and we read and watched a small section each day of the week. Because the show is only an hour, and it's in English, it's really a perfect first opera for a preschooler, and this book made it even more accessible. Reading each scene ahead of watching it helped my daughter understand what was happening and what to anticipate,  and if she had a question after the fact, it was easy to find that spot in the dialogue without having to watch and re-watch the YouTube videos.

Though the music is an integral part of appreciating this story, the lyrics and plot are almost as important, and this book is about as a perfect a non-musical adaptation of the opera as one could hope to find. I plan to make reading and watching Amahl and The Night Visitors a yearly Epiphany tradition in my family, and I would encourage other Christian moms to do the same!

The RAHM Report for 1/8/18

What My Kids Are Reading

Friday's RAHK Report covers my four-year-old's recent enjoyment of Amahl and the Night Visitors and Carolyn Haywood, my two-year-old's love for Richard Scarry, and the baby's new indestructible book.

What I Finished Reading

• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
  I started this when I learned about #TheDarkisReading on Twitter, and I really loved it. My review, which focuses a lot on the Christian themes I see in the book, and on the character of Hawkin in particular will publish to the blog tomorrow (Tuesday).
• The Box of Delights by John Masefield
  My husband recommended this book to me, and though it had a lot in common with The Dark is Rising, I found it more difficult to follow. My review is not yet scheduled, but I expect it to be in a week or two. 
• Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky
  I had mixed feelings about my first adult book of the year. My review is on Goodreads. 

What I'm Currently Reading 

• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
  I had this book out of the library for six weeks total, and never made it past the Introduction. Now it's gone back to the library and I'm about a third of the way through the first edition of the book, which I found on Open Library. It's really good, and I'm looking forward to my book club's discussion coming up in mid-January. 
• By Your Side by Kasie West
  I was in the mood for something light and quick to balance out the longer and more demanding books I've been reading to start the year. I've been meaning to try Kasie West, and when I saw that this book was about two teens being stuck in a library together, I was sold. I'm approaching the halfway point, and so far I'm a fan. There has already been an unexpected turn of events that took me totally by surprise and I'm eager to see how all the threads of the story are resolved. 
• Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs
  I have been carrying this around all week, but have only read a few chapters. So far I am excited to learn more about Tempe's childhood and I'm so curious as to how her lost childhood friend will figure into the plot. 
• Password to Larkspur Lane by Carolyn Keene
  I'm reading this for the Family Tree Challenge, where the goal is to read books published in the year of family members' births. There wasn't much published in 1933 (when my grandma was born) that interested me, but then I found this on OpenLibrary and decided it was perfect. I've only just started it, but I'm pretty sure I will like it more than the original Hardy Boys book I read this fall. 

Challenge Progress

I haven't made an official post about all the challenges I'm doing yet (it's coming next week), but I have individual posts for each one linked in the sidebar. This week, I have already made some progress on a few of them:

• For the A to Z Reading Challenge, I've covered A (Amahl and the Night Visitors), B (The Box of Delights), and D (The Dark is Rising). These same three books are my first three reads for Old School Kidlit 2018. 
• For the Alphabet Soup Challenge, I completed I (Indemnity Only). Indemnity Only is also my first book for the Cloak and Dagger Challenge, the Library Love Challenge, the Family Tree Challenge (1982, the year of my own birth!), and the Writing Reviews challenge 
• I've also crossed three items off the checklist for the Linz the Bookworm Challenge: a book under 300 pages (The Box of Delights), a book that takes place around a holiday (The Dark is Rising), and A children's book  (Amahl and the Night Visitors). 

Readathons

Finally, I'm participating in two read-a-thons this month. Winter's Respite is new to me, and it runs for the entire month. Bout of Books, which I participate in every time it is offered, starts tomorrow and runs all week. For the first time, I've decided to post my Bout of Books progress to Twitter instead of making a daily blog post. I'll summarize what I read for the readathon in next Monday's post!

I'll be linking up today with Unleashing Readers/Teach Mentor Texts and Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The RAHK Report for 1/5/18

For the past several weeks, with our Christmas tree taking up most of the living room, the girls have not had access to the usual baskets of books that are typically available when that space is free. They have had access to one basket, which was filled with Christmas books and has now been filled with our books about the Epiphany and our winter books. So the reading lists for all three are a bit shorter than usual. But here is what everybody is currently enjoying.

Family Read-Alouds

• New Year's Day by Aliki
  We read this just ahead of the new year. It's a good overview of how (and when) different cultures celebrate the new year and a nice introduction to the concept of a new year in general. I also love the illustrations. 
• The Racketty-Packetty House by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  I read and reviewed this book last year, and kept it in mind when I was compiling my mental list of short chapter book read-alouds of interest to preschoolers. This isn't divided into chapters, but the way it is formatted and illustrated lends itself to good natural stopping points, so we've been doing one little section each day. So far, the book has prompted Miss Muffet to ask, "Does Baby Robin come alive when I'm not looking?" and "If I hide, could I see the dolls moving?" I figure we'll read it again in a few years so she can appreciate the message more deeply. 

Little Miss Muffet (4 years, 1 month)

• Amahl and the Night Visitors, adapted by Frances Frost, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin
  Miss Muffet is listening to me read this book, and also watching the 1978 film production of the opera on YouTube. We read a little and then watch a little. If our day goes according to plan, we'll be finishing today. I don't think she understands every single thing that happens, but since I want to make this a bit of an Epiphany tradition, I think this was a good year to start it. 
• Betsy's Little Star by Carolyn Haywood
  This was one of my favorite books as a kid, and my husband recently found a hardcover at a used booksale. At first, Miss Muffet didn't want to read it because it "looks like a grown-up book" but then she found out that Star, the main character, is four, and suddenly she was hooked. She's more than halfway through the book now, and she can retell every moment of the story down to the tiniest detail. I'm thrilled that she likes Haywood, because we have bought quite a few of her books.

Miss Muffet has also been working on memorizing and reciting poems. Her current poem is Holding Hands by Lenore M. Link, which we found in both Favorite Poems Old and New by Helen Ferris and The Random House Book of Poetry.

Little Bo Peep (2 years, 3 months)

Bo Peep occasionally has the attention span to sit for a whole stack of stories, but not lately. Lots of books she abandons at the halfway point, either to "read" on her own or to go and terrorize one of her sisters. I have been able to get her to listen to Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field a handful of times at bedtime, and she also happily flips through certain titles on her own, including Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever (she loves to hold all the pages in her hand and then flip until her hand is empty), Secrets of Winter: A Shine-a-Light Book (any excuse to hold a flashlight!), and The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (which is wordless, so she looks at the picture while singing, for some reason, The Huron Carol.)

Little Jumping Joan (2.5 months)

Finally, my littlest reader received the Indestructible book version of Hey Diddle Diddle for Christmas, which she seems to like. I'm still not doing a whole lot of reading with her because she's not ready to look at pictures for too long, but we have been reciting a ton of nursery rhymes and she is really attentive to me when she suddenly hears me speaking in rhythm and rhyme.