From Our Book Shelf * It's Raining It's Pouring

When I woke up this morning I looked out the window and the first thing that came to my mind is the classic nursery rhyme song ...it's raining it's pouring the old man is snoring... As you can guess it is raining at my house. Time to get out your wellies & rain jacket and jump in some puddles. When my children were younger I found this sweet version of the song It's Raining It's Pouring in a book by Kin Eagle -illustrated by Rob Gilbert. It is filled with colorful watercolor illustrations. This book also includes the music to the song on the last pages. Children love rhyming and this book in it's rhyme adds some fun to an old classic. It is a perfect rainy day read.

Book Club* June 2008

I have finally decided on our read for the month of June. Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber. More to come later today with our discussion on last month's read Wednesday Letters and more info about Twenty Wishes.

Books to Read * Tween * Eleven Twelve & Thirteen

It is hard to find a good tween book. They are either littered with inappropriate topics or too young subject wise. Lauren Myracle has written some great tween books that are perfect for your 11, 12 or 13 year old girl to relate to. Everything from buying your first bra to your first make-up. The first in the set is Eleven where you are introduced to Winnie a sweet tween girl. In Twelve Winnie starts junior high. Thirteen Winnie is finally a teenager. It is now out and my daughter has it on her list of books to buy. Maybe we will have to stop by Borders tonight and see if they have it in. Lauren Myracle has a Blog and a Website where you can check out her books, events and other stuff.

Sweet Family Life * Mary Jane's Farm

Last year for Christmas my sister gave me Mary Jane's book Mary Jane's ideabook-cookbook-life book for the farm girl in all of us. It has everything from embroidery patterns, to gardening tips, to apron patterns, to how to make cherry pie, to tips on camping, to how to fold a cloth diaper. I think I love this book because she came from the same type of people I did. A large family with a small gentleman's farm in Utah. These are good people that are self-reliant, grow gardens, live the golden rule, raise animals, make things from scratch, "put-up" (can) jam & green beans & mustard relish for the winter and love their families. I recently stumbled upon Mary Jane's website. It is a treasure of information for anyone who likes to create, sew, cook, organic garden, farm, etc. etc. She has a bed and breakfast where you can stay. She has her Pay Dirt Farm School. She has a magazine. She is truly a marvel and testament to all women to follow your dreams and do good things with them. Oh and she also has a chat and chapters of The FarmGirl that you can join or create in your area. Have fun exploring her site!

From Our Book Shelf * Happy Spring !

Spring roared in like a lion today here in our Sweet Valley with big gusts of wind & some rain but now it is skies of blue with fluffy white clouds sitting on the mountain tops & birds singing in the trees. On our book shelf we have at least fifty Little Golden Books. Some are newer but most are older books with the vintage 1940-60's illustrations like these three above. Home for a Bunny & Baby Farm Animals are illustrated by Garth Williams a wonderful children's book illustrator of that vintage era. The Fuzzy Duckling illustrated by Alice & Martin Provensen both Caldecott Medal winners. A sweet Little Golden Book is a perfect addition to your little one's Easter basket. These classic books are still in publication so hop on over to your local book store. Happy Spring!

Books to Read * The Relatives Came

{The Relatives Came* From Our Book Shelf}

The Relatives Came is a book close to my heart. It is so similar to the summer vacations my family took every year. We would drive in our station wagon across country to visit my Grandparents on their farm here in Utah. We would eat baloney sandwiches on the way which my sister and I cannot stand now because we ate so many on our trips. When we would arrive our cousins from across the country would be there too. We would spend our days playing out a Grandpa's park and canoeing in the irrigation flooded fields and in the evenings help Grandpa get the milk cow and milk her. For dinner we would eat fresh veggies from the garden. My Grandma is the world's greatest cook. At night we would sleep on the couch and spread all over the floor so there was hardly a way to walk through the house. It was an ideal dream land for a child's summer vacation. In The Relatives Came Cynthia Rylant relates a similar story. I bought my sisters each a copy to share with their children and they laughed when they read the part about the sandwiches. It is a sweet story of family. Enjoy!

Books to Read * ME Mother Goose

{From Our Book Shelf * Mary Engelbreit's Mother Goose Rhymes}

Every child should have a book of Mother Goose Rhymes. When I was a young girl Mrs. Hall an older lady at our church who was like our Grandma gave our family a huge book of nursery rhymes. I remember sitting for hours reading it and trying to memorize them. I loved looking at the pictures and imagining myself in the little rhyme scenes. A couple of days ago my 12 yrld daughter was sitting in front of the children's bookshelf reading our copy of Mary Engelbreit's version of the one hundred best loved Mother Goose verses. I love the details she puts into the illustrations. It would be a wonderful baby shower, birthday or Christmas gift.

Books to Read * Jamberry

{From Our Book Shelf * Jamberry}

Another favorite book from our family bookshelf is Jamberry by Bruce Degen. At this end of this wonderful rhyming book Bruce tells a little story of his memories of picking berries with his grandparents. I too remember as a child going with my Grandma & Grandpa Bohman to pick wild chokecherries along the foothills in Peterson to make chokecherry jam. Your children are going to love this sweet rhythmic story of a boy & his berries. "Under the bridge and over the dam looking for berries berries for jam." Happy reading!
April