Pinkalicious Origin Story

Here's a bit of fun book trivia for April Fool's Day. If you have little girls, you know all about Pinkittis and a silly little girl named Pinkalicious. How fitting that her origins are in such a silly day!

Check out the Pinkalicious books here!
http://ittybittyurl.com/x90 

A Book I Can't Wait to Read: Neil Gaiman's Marvel 1602

*Buy it here: http://goo.gl/dL0YEK*

    There are some authors that I want to read, no matter how improbable the dustcover description makes a book sound. Neil Gaiman is pretty close to the top of that short list of writers, and I was pretty sure I knew at least the titles of all of his work. I was happily proven wrong this morning when this book popped up in my Recommended section on Amazon. I've never been into super heros, but if Gaiman writes it, I want to read it so I clicked the link. As crazy as it sounds, Gaiman takes Marvel's familiar heros (including Spiderman, Daredevil and the X-Men) and moves them to the year 1602. They have to deal with all the correct historical issues of the day, and of course save the world - super hero style. After reading the Publisher's Weekly review, I'm convinced I will love this book!

Fun with Fractured Fairy Tales

Buy Dog Tales Here

A fractured fairy tale is a classic fairy tale, told with a twist.  My kids love reading them.  One of our favorite books is Dog Tales, a collection of fairy tales featuring dogs instead of people, who have names like Rapawnzul and Little Red Riding Hound.  Cats are always the villains, dogs wear dresses and every story has a funny quirk.

These books are fabulous ways to engage with kids as you read together.  Especially with younger kids who may not be familiar enough with the original stories to really find the humor in the fractured tales, I like to start by reading the un-fractured version.  Then I introduce the silly one and tell the kids I want them to see if they spot any differences between the two.  They love pointing out how the books differ, but also how they are the same.  This is a really great way to truly engage in story time.

Many kids also love writing their own fractured tales.  When they first begin, their stories will probably mirror the ones you've read.  That's okay. They're still building those story teller muscles.  As kids get older and become more experienced writers, their stories will be more original and even more fun to read.  To ratchet the fun level even higher, involve the whole family in writing a new story.  Assign your fastest writer as scribe and start throwing ideas out there.      After the story is written, everyone can have a ball illustrating it.  When you're finished, you'll have a terrific family heirloom.

There are many wonderful fractured fairy tales out there.  Choose one had have fun!

Share Books Sunday : The Brave Pilgrims Edition

Click here to buy your copy of The Brave Pilgrims.

It's Sunday! Share what you're reading - I'm reading Rush Limbaugh's Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrim's. Not a political book at all, Rush is merely trying to interest kids in our country's backstory (well, there is a tiny bit about collectivism not working, but that is a true part of the pilgrim's story). Turning himself into a fictional character, Rush and his time traveling horse, Liberty, visit the Pilgrims before, during, and after their journey. Honestly, it's far from a great book.  It's kind of cheesy, and some interactions with the pilgrims are just too far fetched even from a book featuring  a time traveling horse. However, it achieves Limbaugh's goal of giving kids an entertaining window into the past.  My eleven year old is reading it, too, and she says it's hilarious. (I find it mildly amusing.) She studied the Mayflower's journey at school this year and thought it was really cool that Limbaugh covered the basics in a more entertaining manner.  (If there are any fellow John Howland descendants out there, she especially loved that the story of him falling overboard was included.)  As something of an introductory history it's not bad.  I will probably buy it's sequel just because my daughter enjoyed this one and I know she'll read the next.

My philosophy.

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Flora and Ulysses is now a Newberry Medal Winner!

Wow!  What a coincidence! I blogged about Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures today, and it was just awarded the Newberry Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Children's Literature!  That's as good as it gets in Kid Lit.

Click here to read my review of Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Make sure you check out the entire list of 2014 ALA award winning books.  You're sure to find something to love!

Click here to see the complete list of winners.

Distracted by Flora and Ulysses

Holy unanticipated occurrences!  Last week I was distracted from a good book (Peter and the Starcatchers) by a better book.  Okay, it wasn't unanticipated because it happens to me quite often, but that is Flora Buckman's favorite line from her favorite comic, which guides her when she discovers a squirrel with super powers.  Yes, you read that right.  A squirrel with super powers.  Bet you didn't anticipate that, did you!

In Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures there are many unanticipated occurrences and it all begins with a vacuum cleaner, a squirrel and a natural born cynic named Flora.  There is a wacky cast of characters including a self absorbed romance writer, an air head neighbor, an emotionally traumatized great-nephew next door and a sad, sad father.  They all tip toe right up to the line of being too wacky but only cross the line a little and in such silly ways I loved them for it.  In fact, I won't even try to give you a plot synopsis because honestly, it's a simple and predictable plot but a joy to read and discover on your own.

Kate DiCamillo books are always wonderful read alouds, but this one is just BEGGING for a dramatic reading.  I gave it to my brilliant eight year old for Christmas and we've had a terrific time either reading alone or together.  This is a great book for sitting close on the sofa so you can both see the pictures but leave plenty of room for dramatic gestures which you'll probably find necessary as you read.    The illuminations (illustrations) are basic yet expressive and they really enhance the humor.  Honestly, it's hard to capture the funny wonderfulness of Flora and Ulysses in a review.  You have to read it for yourself.  :)

Click here to learn more about Flora and Ulysses.