Summer is such a busy, chaotic time, isn't it? In addition to my normal chaos of outside chores, inside chores and being mom; in the summer we also have branding, cowboying, gardening, baseball, birthday parties, the list goes on and on. Does summer seem crazier to you, too?

Amidst all of this chaos I need a few minutes to relax each day. For me, relaxing is curling up with a good book each night. It's complete escapism for me; I transport myself away from the daily busy-ness that is my life and spend sometime living someone else's life, if only for a few moments.

Lately, though, I have been struggling to find a "good" book. I seem to be in a bit of a slump. Every book I pick up is a bit, well, blah. Nothing that has really drew me in to the Reading Bubble.

Yes, the Reading Bubble. Ever heard of it? You know you are in the Reading Bubble when you are so absorbed in a book you are reading that you cannot tear your eyes from the page and cannot hear the world going on around you. Yep, the Reading Bubble. What an awesome place to be!

My son has been recommending books for me to read so that we can discuss them together. I love this! It's such a natural extension of reading, the need/desire to discuss the book with someone. And, although, I will continue to read books with him I need to read for me too. I have been reading books from "Mom's Shelf" but frankly I'm just not that thrilled with what I have there right now. So, I turn to you.

I would love to hear any suggestions/recommendations from you! I read across all genres. Honestly, I'll read anything: fiction or non-fiction, children's lit or adult lit, poetry or prose, any genre, any sub-genre, any book at all! Please leave a comment telling me your favorite book, your most recent read, a book you've heard good things about, a book you are hoping to read, your favorite summer read...you get the idea!

As a thank you, two people will be chosen at random to receive a $30 Amazon Gift Card! I will announce the winners on Wednesday, June 16th.

I can hardly wait to read your suggestions!

A Visitor for Bear by Bonnie Becker and illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton, is one of my favorite read-alouds. I like Becker's use of language, Denton's expressive illustrations and the message of the story. My kids frequently request this story because they know how much I enjoy reading it to them. Great fun!

Bear leads a solitary life and goes to great length to ensure that no one intrudes upon his privacy. He has even posted a sign on his door, "NO Visitors Allowed". This works fine until one determined mouse enters the picture. A very determined mouse. Bear's escalating antics to keep Mouse from entering his home keep my kids giggling. Ultimately, Bear discovers that having a friend is quite a wonderful experience and has to re-think his policy on visitors.

At 56 pages, this picture book is a bit longer than the standard 32 pages. However, there is not a lot of text on each page and the predictability allows the kids to join in and shout out a few phrases.

Also, there is a sequel, A Birthday for Bear, and it is almost as good as the first book.

If you get a chance, pick up one of these picture books. I think your family will enjoy them!

This middle grade book (approximately ages 8-12) is ideal for the dog-lover in your home. The main character is a Border Collie who was born on a sheep ranch.  A fire on the ranch forces the owner to give him to a different home. Thus begins the adventure of the young pup searching for the only lifestyle he knows, the lifestyle he was bred for: herding sheep.

He encounters many different people on his adventure, some are good and some are terrible. The heart-warming ending is the best part of this book; it is perfect. Maybe a little too perfect, but for this age group "happily-ever-after" is still expected and certainly a good thing.

There are a few issues that the Border Collie wrestles with that may be a bit much for the younger child: death, stealing, severe abuse. The villain of the book beats the Border Collie nearly to death. Hobbs handles it well, not too graphic and of course he recovers, but it is definitely a terrible moment for our main character.

I read this a few weeks ago and have yet to pass it on to my oldest son. He's only eight and is incredibly tender-hearted. For my family, I think this would work best as a read-aloud, which provides an opportunity for me or my husband to discuss the issues in the book as they arise. Or perhaps I'll hold this book for a while, until I think my son is ready to handle the content. 

*note from the overprotective mother: He has recently read Marley (read-aloud in his class) and Charlotte's Web (read independently) and handled them just fine. There is a slight chance I am in denial about how quickly he is growing up and that he may actually be mature enough to handle this book. It's a slippery slope, I tell you; first he'll read books that I don't think he's ready for then before I know it he'll be driving...then dating...then leaving for college. argh! I'm not ready! He's definitely not reading this book. Not until he's at least 20. Maybe 25.

Someone asked me the other day if I read anything other than children’s books. Good question! I do read a ton of children’s books, no doubt about it. However, I also read adult books. Here are the last five books I have read that were not found on my children’s bookshelves.

All the President’s Men by Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein

I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I haven’t read this before. I enjoyed this book immensely, but I love history so I may be a bit biased. My husband and I had several good discussions based on what I read in this book. Definitely worth reading!

Before Midnight by Rex Stout

I always enjoy a good mystery and for some reason I find myself reading period mysteries lately. Stout's books were published during the 1950's. (It might be that love of history I mentioned above!)

Living Off the Land Women Farmers of Today by Josephine Russell, photography by Lily Lenihan

This is definitely my random selection for the month. I picked this up at the library without giving it too much thought. The book was just okay. I enjoyed learning a bit about the current state of farming in Ireland, specifically the direction the EU has forced them to go. Several of the women’s stories were interesting. My take away from this book is the reminder of how simply some families live. I am reminded that Americans are wealthy beyond measure when compared to many other industrialized nations. How easily I forget that. It is good to be reminded and to appreciate all that I have.

Neither Here Nor There by Bill Bryson

Bryson is a prolific travel author. I have read several of his books and frankly they have been hit or miss for me. My personal favorite by this author is A Short History of Nearly Everything--decidedly not a travel book. A few weeks ago I found myself in the airport with several hours before my flight home. I had already finished the books I brought with me, so I grabbed this one at the airport bookstore. I bought it simply because I knew what I was getting. I had spent two days in meetings and wanted a book that would be entertaining and not require a great deal of concentration on my part. This book definitely met those criteria!

As a college student Bryson and his friend backpacked across Europe. In this book, twenty years have passed and Bryson decides to re-trace their route. I found myself chuckling on the first page. Soon I was laughing out loud and a little later I do believe I may have even guffawed. The story line wanes a bit near the end and in typical Bryson fashion he does go on a few political rants. In the interest of full disclosure there are also a couple of scenes with crude guy-humor. But, isn’t that the beauty of reading? You can SKIM!

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti

My final book for today, Benny & Shrimp, is set in rural Sweden. I just started this book so can’t offer much of a review. So far I have found it easy to read and anticipate I will finish it quickly.

So there you have it. The adult books I have read recently. A rather eclectic list, isn’t it? What have you been reading lately? I'd love to hear your recent reads!

***Don’t forget to enter the Horse Naming Contest! Tomorrow is the last day for entries, winner will be announced on Friday. My whole family has enjoyed reading the names that have been suggested so far. Thank you!

I have a new favorite children's book! A Small Brown Dog with a Wet Pink Nose by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, illustrated by Linzie Hunter is utterly adorable. Amelia has her heart set on getting a dog. Not just any dog, but a small brown dog with a wet pink nose, of course. She asks her parents every day if she can have a dog and every day they tell her no. Instead of losing heart, Amelia devises a scheme to get the dog of her dreams. She begins asking her parents hypothetical questions:

Her parents always answer in the affirmative and hypothetically speaking, are quite supportive getting a dog.

One morning Amelia wakes up and an imaginary small brown dog with a wet pink nose has taken up residence in their home. Her parents, a little befuddled at first, quickly play along with Amelia and her imaginary dog, even when the imaginary dog goes missing! I won't ruin the ending for you, but needless to say, Amelia is successful in getting her dog and the final pages assure the reader that this has been her plan all along. 

Hunter's illustrations are amazing and my kids spent a great deal of time pouring over each page so as not to miss any of the tiny details. Excellent! 

I have read this to my children many, many times over the past few days. I had to explain a few points to my four year old the first couple of times we read this book. However, the older boys caught the nuances of the storyline without support (discussion) from me. The biggest problem I had was making my kids be quiet the first time my husband read it to them, so they wouldn't spoil the ending for him! 

Creative storyline and fabulous illustrations, I hope you will check this title out soon!

Do you have a favorite book or two? Have you read it recently? Yeah, me neither. Who has the time, right? There are always so many books that I haven’t yet read, it’s hard to justify spending time reading “old” books. And yet, I encourage my children to re-read their favorite books.

When my oldest son was in Kindergarten, my husband and I read aloud Beverly Cleary’s Ralph Mouse series.

My son was enthralled. He would beg one of us to read “just one more chapter, pleeeeease” to him. Frankly, we were just as delighted with Ralph’s antics as our son was. We hadn’t read the books since we were children ourselves. We finished reading the third and final book one evening just before tucking the kids into bed. The next day I picked up my son from school and on the way home he asked if we were going to start the next Ralph book that night. When I told him that we had read all three books in the series and there weren’t anymore Ralph books, he got tears in his eyes and said, “But, Mom, I’m going to miss Ralph.”

My heart went out to him. I could relate to how he felt. I hate when a good book (or series) ends. But, I knew he needed to understand that it wasn’t really the end.

He and I talked about how much we enjoy certain characters in books we read. How amazing it is that the author creates a character that actually becomes a part of us as we read the book and can remain with us long after we have read the final page. I reminded him that it was easy to visit Ralph whenever he wanted, we could always re-read any or all of the Ralph books.

We did re-read Ralph and then we continued with many, many of Cleary’s other books. Henry Huggins soon became another favorite character in our household and it wasn’t long before Ramona Quimby made an appearance.

                             
Why bring this up now?

My second son is now in Kindergarten. He remembers Ralph and Henry from when we read the books a couple of years ago. But, now he’s old enough to understand them a bit better. We have started reading Henry Huggins aloud in the evenings and he is enjoying them tremendously. He, too, is begging for “just one more chapter, pleeeease”.  He has incorporated Ralph and Henry into his imaginary play world; he cares about these characters and isn’t ready to say goodbye to them. Fortunately, he understands about re-reading. He knows where to find Henry; he knows Henry is just sitting on the shelf waiting for my son to open the book and re-discover the magic of being in Henry’s world.

Reading truly is magic.

Joan Walsh Anglund created this adorable series about a young cowboy's imaginary world. The magic of these books lies in the illustrations. Anglund gives readers a glimpse of a small boy's imagination. The cowboy and his real-world surroundings are in black and the scenes from his imagination are in red. Through her illustrations we see that the little cowboy may only be sitting in his wagon, but in the cowboy's imagination he is leading a covered wagon train across the prairie.

The Brave Cowboy faces down "coyotes, ornery rustlers and rescues fair maidens in distress." It's all in a day's work and at the end of the day he settles down to "dream the dreams of all good cowboys."

I am aware of three other books in this series, although there may be more. Cowboy and his Friend is a favorite around our house, because our one year old likes to growl at the bear on each page. My older boys enjoy Cowboy's Secret Life because the cowboy goes to school.

These books were originally published in 1959. The other books in the series were published in the following year or two. The entire series was published again in 2001 and that is when I first discovered The Brave Cowboy. Look for these books at your local library or bookstore. You and your kids will enjoy this delightful series!

Gary Paulsen is one of the most prolific writers in children’s literature. Many students (third grade and up) have read at least one of Paulsen’s books.  (Possibly Hatchet, it is one of Paulsen’s most popular books.)

The Haymeadow is about 14 year old John Barron who lives with his father on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. John is asked to care for the sheep in the summer pasture for several weeks. It is a daunting task; John will be alone with six thousand sheep, his horses and his dogs.  John, while doubting his ability to care for all of these animals, is immediately overwhelmed by a flooding river, coyote attacks, and an encounter with a bear. Similar to Hatchet, John faces each of these disasters and overcomes them through his own resourcefulness. 

Not surprisingly, I enjoy this book because of the ranch setting. Also, I always enjoy a good adventure story. I read this book for the first time many years ago. I recently re-read it and remembered how much fun it is to read one of Paulsen’s books. We plan to read this book aloud to our older boys. It will be a good introduction to Paulsen for our oldest son, who will soon be (independently) reading some of Paulsen’s other books.

Don’t forget, today is the last day to enter the giveaway HERE!  The winner will be announced tomorrow.

Today I'd like to introduce you to a couple of my family's favorite picture books.

Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal is a small book that is full of humor. Little Pea has a problem. His parents insist he clean his dinner plate before he can have dessert. Rosenthal's spin on this typical scenario is that Little Pea's family eats candy for dinner and Little Pea hates candy! A cute story with a fun spin. There are two other books in this series, Little Oink and Little Hoot, which are both as short, cute and funny as Little Pea.

Amadi's Snowman by Katia Novet Saint-Lot and illustrated by Dimitrea Tokunbo is a wonderful story about a boy named Amadi who lives in Nigeria. Amadi plans to be a businessman (a trader) when he grows up and sees no reason why he should learn to read. His mother has arranged for a reading tutor to teach him to read, but Amadi ducks out before she arrives. While walking around the market he comes across an older boy reading a book. Amadi is fascinated by the book, especially when the other boy explains that it is about snow. Amadi can't stop thinking about snow or about the book. His world is broadened and he finds that he does want to learn to read.

I had several interesting discussions with my kids based on this book. I love books that provide the opportunity for conversations with my kids. We talked a lot about Nigeria, where it is located, the climate, even the food that can be found there. My oldest son was amazed to learn that there are kids who never learn to read and that there are kids who choose not to learn to read. We had a great discussion about literacy and this book was the jumping off point for that conversation.

What have you and your family been reading lately? Leave a comment, I'm always curious what others are reading!

Here’s a peek at what we are reading (over and over and over...) around our house these days!

The baby is now following me around the house with a book in his hands, all but begging me to sit down and read to him. I love this! Mostly he wants to read stories with animals in them. And flaps! Lift-the-flap books are always a huge hit with him. Baby Animals is his current favorite.

My daughter can often be found sitting on the couch with a tower of books next to her. She patiently looks through her books until I manage to tear myself away from dishes or laundry to read to her. I’m not sure she has a favorite book, but we have read Farley Follows His Nose by Lynn Johnston and Beth Cruikshank many, many times the past few days. FARLEY is a sweet book about a dog who runs off after his bath and spends the next few hours sniffing his way through the neighborhood.

My six year old continues to insist he is a pirate, fortunately pirates are hugely popular in children’s fiction right now. Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders is a funny tale about Henry who would rather spend his days reading books than learning how to be a pirate. I like this book and have yet to tired of reading it.

My oldest son is still working his way through The Boxcar Children series, but he also enjoys non-fiction. The Nature Activity series are books he has read and re-read for several years now. Science is by far his favorite subject and these books help him learn about many different scientific areas: Rocks, Weather, Birds, and Bugs! Bug Hunter by David Burnie, is one of his favorites in this series.

When I’m not reading any of the above mentioned books, I have been reading The Age of Wonder by Richard Holmes. Not quite finished reading it yet, but so far I have enjoyed it tremendously.

Not sure what I will read after AGE OF WONDER. I confess that my books-to-read stack is a wee bit excessive, but I’ll let you know what I pick up next.