Alrighty!
Today I am goofing off and stepping away from the
mommy blog.
No pictures of my kids
like this one…
And definitely
no silly stories like how Rhett(4) was warned when we bought bright orange shorts that in general orange is not a neutral and he wouldn’t be able to wear it with other bright colors like, for instance, red. ย Oh, and when we bought him two new pairs of crocs it was my intention that he wear two shoes of the same color for a pair. ย I am crazy and un-imaginative that way.
I do NOT have time for that kind of
mommy blogger – ness!
Today I am asking YOU to give me some reading ideas.
Summer is upon me. ย My boys’ last day of school was on Monday.
I need reading suggestions for:
- 2nd grade boy
- 4th grade boy
- their harried 40 year old mother
I just LOVE a good book….and if you don’t read books, but have a good blog recommendation for me,
bring it on.
To thank you for your help, I will be sending a randomly selected comment below to receive a
$50 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.
All you need to do is
comment with some sort of reading recommendation and you will be entered to win. ย The contest will close 5/18/10.
Easy, peasy.
And now I can get back to following around my children like paparazzi and blogging every word they say…
I am currently re-reading the Lord of the Rings trillogy (30-somethingth time, actually ) :o)
and my 11 year old daughter is on the second Narnia book…see a pattern here? Actually, I have been enjoying the Dickens classics ove the last few years, too. My girls enjoyed the Little House books…actually, 9 year old daughter is reding Farmer Boy…which I think your boys would like…it’s all about Almonzo when he was around 8 or 9 years old…a VERY different world, i’ll tell ya! How about Hardy Boys books?
Can you tell I like the classics?
Pax, E
OK, may I first recommend that Cammie be the “expert” on this topic??? {grin} I’m requesting ALL her suggestions from the library as I type!
Second, Sounds like most of the ‘typical’ reads have been listed. Although, I will add that around my house ~ especially during the summer ~ assigning a book is not always the most successful idea.
So, in lieu of endless whining {& massive wine consumption in the evenings} I resorted to subscribing to a few magazines. Funny thing was, magazines that showcase their interests were a natural choice to pick up & read! {of course, I slip in there National Geographic for kids & other “educational” reading ~ heehee}
Third, have you heard of http://www.gettingboystoread.com/ I love his idea & concept! Also follow him @MrMLibrarian {BTW, might be a great partnership for B2B?}
And finally, be sure to check out GoodReads.com {http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2038929} to find other great authors ~ my new fave is Amanda Eyre Ward, & of course I found her here!
xoxo,
april
I think I only have young girl book suggestions which the boys would DESPISE you (and me both) for.
I have 2 girls (only one who really likes to read) & when she was that age (she’s 14 now), she liked the Junie B. Jones series, but I’m not sure many boys read those books. She also liked the Magic Tree House books (and they are priced very reasonable). Of course, you could always go to your local library, which has tons of books & if they are like my state (Mississippi), they will have a summer reading program, with weekly events featuring magicians, clowns, ours bring in the Snake Man, & it is all summer long, with refreshments.
For you (mom), I would recommend anything by Dean Koontz, Mary Higgins-Clark or Sidney Shelton – these are my favorites. Some of Steven King’s books are good, but the last few I read were just so “way out there” that I didn’t really enjoy them, but his earlier stuff is good. And some of Nora Roberts & Danielle Steele if you like the romance-type books. And you can also check out books at the library from these authors & many more.
*Any* Jodi Picoult book! I first read one of her books (Change of Heart) last March. Since then I have read every single once she has published. My favorites from her include: Change of Heart (but you’d need to read Keeping Faith first), House Rules, My Sister’s Keeper, Handle With Care, Plain Truth, Salem Falls… um you know – like all of them ๐
1st/2nd grades (depending on fluency – my dd was hooked on these books in 1st whereas my son will just be starting them as he gears up for 2nd)= My kids love[d] the Magic Tree House series, Cam Jansen (kids mystery focusing on a boy with a photographic memory)
4th grade = Narnia books, The Leanin’ Dog, Old Yeller, Where the Red Fern Grows (if the whole boy coming of age with a dog appeals, lol), Hatchet….
As for you…hmm, I am not a trendy reader and tend to read things well after they are on the “book club” lists, but last year I LOVED The Girl With No Shadow (sequel to Chocolat – which I hadn’t read but saw the movie years ago) by Joanne Harris. Also, just started the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers. It is faithbased (and this being my first time here, not sure if that appeals to you or not) and centers on Ancient Rome primarily, some other areas of the empire are involved as well. It’s really good!
As for blogs – might I suggest my own? Ramblings of a Red-Headed Step-Child, linked to my name above.
Check out my book blog: http://sobookish.blogspot.com for my book reviews. My recommendations:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
Never the Bride by Cheryl McKay and Rene Gutteridge
The Familiar Stranger by Christina Berry
Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth
Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck
My oldest is reading the Diary of a Wimpy kid series and the How to Train Your Dragon series now. He’s 7. They are challenging for him, but not difficult.
I just read a couple books by Kaye C Hill – Dead Woman’s Shoes and The Fall Girl. Great reads! Detective stories in a small modern day English village, well written and entertaining. I also recommend the Stephanie Plum series. If you like a more historic setting try Kerry Greenwood’s Phryne Fisher detective series set in 1920’s Melbourne. They are wonderful. Also John M Robert’s SPQR mystery series set at the end of the Roman Republic.
I read way too many mysteries.
For the 4th grader I’d recommend “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snickett. And if he likes it there is a whole series, so it would keep him reading all summer. My son also loved the “Sea of Trolls” by Nancy Farmer at that age. For the 2nd grader I’d go with shorter books like “Encyclopedia Brown” or “Magic Treehouse”.
For the 4th grade boy i would recommend the Harry Potter series. My daughter is just finishing grade 4 is just finishing them up.
HAPPY SUMMER! ๐