tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post2936632406972597226..comments2024-03-28T09:10:39.441-04:00Comments on ben and birdy: BenBirdy1http://www.blogger.com/profile/13328557199418095755noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-62549563588110701132009-05-30T00:15:03.134-04:002009-05-30T00:15:03.134-04:00That pasta with buttpeas and lemon just should not...That pasta with buttpeas and lemon just should not be as good as it is. I ate until my belly hurt. I mean, I thought it would be good, but it is way more than the sum of its parts. Thanks. (Topped it off with rhubarb bars, as if I had room to stuff more in there.)Julie Luongohttp://julieluongo.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-48277491675898530462009-04-28T10:40:00.000-04:002009-04-28T10:40:00.000-04:00Thanks for all the book recommendations, but that'...Thanks for all the book recommendations, but that's not really what I need to say to you today. What I need to say is that last week my daughter, age 2 years and 4 months, had a tantrum because she could not remove her own fingers. Does this ring a bell for you? Is this toddler quest for finger removal some sort of developmental milestone? Baffling.hdhttp://www.onesmallcorner.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-90010759402470618922009-04-25T09:24:00.000-04:002009-04-25T09:24:00.000-04:00I read this post the other day, and then went to t...I read this post the other day, and then went to the library as already scheduled. And there was Mabel One and Only, featured on a shelf. My 4 year-old son grabbed it and absolutely loved it. I think I have read it, oh, a gazillion times this week. It's relly a good one. I picked up Pippi Longstocking based on the discussion around here, just to see what the kids (as mentioned a 6 yr old daughter) thought of it, and it has been laugh-out-loud bedtime fun for them. They have both decided they want Pippi for a best friend. (My word verification is RONIN! I'm having visions of samurais!)gacmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10511517413778050464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-17281029116969774912009-04-25T00:54:00.000-04:002009-04-25T00:54:00.000-04:00You are just too beautiful on that new cover! Dam...You are just too beautiful on that new cover! Damn! I must have one o' those!xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoa golden applehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11362621519939508990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-40032041303369423612009-04-24T10:47:00.000-04:002009-04-24T10:47:00.000-04:00Fantastic Mr. Fox was the first "real" book my dau...Fantastic Mr. Fox was the first "real" book my daughter ever read. She was five and loved it. Her younger sister is reading it now and giggling away. It was my absolute favorite as a child along with all the Jack London books - White Fang and Call of the Wild in particular.dcerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12500233649637429375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-76079118222977914532009-04-24T10:43:00.000-04:002009-04-24T10:43:00.000-04:00If you haven't read them yet I highly recommend th...If you haven't read them yet I highly recommend the Lemony Snicket Series of Unfortunate Events. They are amazing. We read them to our girls starting at the tender ages of four and six and they loved every word....but my kids like me are a little out there!dcerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12500233649637429375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-3605869190043311962009-04-23T21:14:00.000-04:002009-04-23T21:14:00.000-04:00I just finished Waiting For Birdy- it's no kidding...I just finished Waiting For Birdy- it's no kidding, the book I've been looking for. Why people don't talk/write about mom anxiety- like real anxiety- is a shame- Thanks! I needed to hear I wasn't a nut- at least not b/c of that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-7173067605527073432009-04-22T16:08:00.000-04:002009-04-22T16:08:00.000-04:00Thanks so much to everyone for such a wonderful li...Thanks so much to everyone for such a wonderful list of recommendations. I am already eagerly anticipating browsing through these and more at the library this weekend! I loved being reminded of old favorites, and am excited about the new titles too. Thank you especially, Catherine, for the forum, and for the thought that you put into everything: parenting, cooking, reading, and more!Suhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04493587849806403992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-10281775042750854552009-04-20T21:26:00.000-04:002009-04-20T21:26:00.000-04:00I must put in a good word for the Betsy-Tacy serie...I must put in a good word for the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace. The books start when Betsy and Tacy are 5 and go all the way through until they are married. Whenever I'm feeling a little down, I just pull out a Betsy book.<br /><br />My girls also love the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle series by Betty MacDonald. There's a bit of 50s sexism--such as almost every mother crying and ringing her hands about what to do with the children until the father comes up with the brilliant suggestion to call Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, but besides that, they are ever so delightful.Alicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08780332353141865219noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-22829523709141401082009-04-20T18:42:00.000-04:002009-04-20T18:42:00.000-04:00I'm so glad yoj mentioned Danny Champion of the Wo...I'm so glad yoj mentioned Danny Champion of the World. It's my all-time favorite RD book. That and the Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and 6 More....but that's more an older person's read.<br /><br />LOVED Waiting for Birdy! I happen to be waiting for a birdy too, right now, so it's a timely re-read for me.<br /><br />jbhatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-43449855360000357212009-04-20T18:00:00.000-04:002009-04-20T18:00:00.000-04:00One little known A.A. Milne book that my daughter ...One little known A.A. Milne book that my daughter loved at 4 was The Magic Hill - the pictures are rapturous and the story so sweet. It is hard to find but so worth the search. <br /><br />Also a great read-it-yourself set of chapter books my son loves is Fox and Friends by James Marshall. They are smart and funny and my son reads them over and over again and they are set up like short stories so he never gets tired of the plot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-67911325467375123782009-04-20T15:32:00.000-04:002009-04-20T15:32:00.000-04:00Loved this list! We started into chapter books ab...Loved this list! We started into chapter books about a year ago and are now in the middle of the 40 book Secrets of Droon series! 20 books down, 20 to go! Sigh. My daughter loves the adventure she hears each night and I love that she loves it...but I can't wait read about new characters and new adventures! Thanks for giving me some great book suggestions!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-24150030008130524522009-04-20T11:47:00.000-04:002009-04-20T11:47:00.000-04:00Ah, a reason to post instead of lurk. Big fan of y...Ah, a reason to post instead of lurk. Big fan of yours by the way - glad you are keeping up with the writing and publishing in these gray times.<br /><br />For the 5/6 year old there is nothing better than the bohemian magic of Tove Jansson's Moomin series. Nordic orgin, popular abroad but not here I think. In any case, my son Finnegan adores the books, as I did as a child. Totally non scary and odd and rewarding. You never see them at bookstores, but a clever lit professor friend from Duke sent us some this year and we've since tracked down more from the set. Worth every penny.Molly Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06384726144403441953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-88499741201331286692009-04-20T11:36:00.000-04:002009-04-20T11:36:00.000-04:00Ah well, I confess that am kind of a big fat lurke...Ah well, I confess that am kind of a big fat lurker - enjoy your work so much, but never felt a need to post a note til now. It's a bright Monday in Los Angeles and I am suddenly inspired. For the 5/6 year old, I cannot recommend the Moomintroll series more. Tove Jansson is the author. My son Finnegan, 5, is entranced by the odd magic of these stories. It's a strange Swedish book collection that is oddly and charmingly bohemian. Never scary but sometimes a bit of a cold nordic breeze in them to temper the whimsy. Not sure how else to describe it -- but go find them.Molly Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06384726144403441953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-90305952539303207692009-04-19T15:18:00.000-04:002009-04-19T15:18:00.000-04:00Oh, your dear "Waiting for Birdy" will always have...Oh, your dear "Waiting for Birdy" will always have the most tender spot in my heart, no matter how many years later and no matter how many times I've re-read it. (Full disclosure: for awhile there, when I was postpartum with my 2nd, I couldn't read it again, because my sappy-emotional hormones were too near the surface and most every page made me cry with the truth of it all!)<br /><br />Love, love, love. And have given it to every woman/mother I know.Shannonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02048943082445040917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-48343852082766513802009-04-19T14:50:00.000-04:002009-04-19T14:50:00.000-04:00Your list brought back so many memories from my ch...Your list brought back so many memories from my childhood that I have to mention some of my other favorites (most of which were also my mother's childhood favorites) and all of which I hope my daughter (4) will love :)<br /><br />The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney<br /><br />The Borrowers by Mary Norton<br /><br />Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobel<br /><br />The Marvelous Inventions of Alvin Fernald by Clifford B. Hicks<br /><br />Catherine, your love of books makes me love you more and I didn't think that was possible :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06828312284036232289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-41434083825972638292009-04-19T12:37:00.000-04:002009-04-19T12:37:00.000-04:00I tend to lean with Beck on the RD books. While m...I tend to lean with Beck on the RD books. While my oldest was okay with James and the Giant Peach, I waited until he was 8 to even introduce it. I just get, I don't know, uneasy, sometimes with his words. But maybe that's the point.<br /><br />At four Noah loved the Beatrix Potter anthology. He was very into that world of personified animals and this was a safe and sweet way to promote that. Also, Max, who is now four, is very, very into fairytales. We have a Kingfisher anthology that is pretty good. Also, a "monitored and deleted scariness" reading of JM Barrie's original Peter Pan has been an enormous hit around here. <br /><br />I was actually browsing that very anthology you happen to be featured in just the other day. Knowing that you are indeed in there, sealed the deal for me. And also, I cried at the title, just because I actually have a daughter now. What a sap.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02408630005976395741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-35001466297208531802009-04-19T11:13:00.000-04:002009-04-19T11:13:00.000-04:00My daughter just went through a HUGE Roal Dahl pha...My daughter just went through a HUGE Roal Dahl phase, and I just bought a second hand copy of an All of a Kind Family book for her because I loved them so much when I was little. Right now she is obsessed with the Warriors books, which means we have a lot of conversations about which cat is a Healer, and which clan is which. Oy.<br /><br />I love the original Winnie the Pooh stories. In which lessons are taught with gentle humor and wit. Also, the Olga da Polga books are wonderful.<br /><br />I remember the first time I was reading "Little House in the Big Woods" to my daughter and my husband overheard it. He said "So, this book is basically a list of chores?" Um... yes. But RIVETING!Laura Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03484433666660692748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-34829359752110915342009-04-18T22:10:00.000-04:002009-04-18T22:10:00.000-04:00Thanks for these recommendations- we were actually...Thanks for these recommendations- we were actually descending into a bit of a chapter book slump around here. Must go to B&N tomorrow. <br />We also loved Martin's Mice by Dick King Smith.Tina Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-68856951822493190062009-04-18T21:22:00.000-04:002009-04-18T21:22:00.000-04:00I am also a fan of Cheaper By the Dozen. It may ha...I am also a fan of Cheaper By the Dozen. It may have some sophisticated language but is such a fun book. I would compare it to All of a Kind Family in terms of its snapshot of a moment in time (and portrayal of a wonderful family).Hamptonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-78471990491069540722009-04-18T18:28:00.000-04:002009-04-18T18:28:00.000-04:00Thanks for the great recommendations. But I have t...Thanks for the great recommendations. But I have to assume you meant "Slumpbuster," not "Slumbuster," right? :-)Ooniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15162162953846737959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-68889058724205887902009-04-18T17:42:00.000-04:002009-04-18T17:42:00.000-04:00Astrid Lindgren also wrote a book which my kids ha...Astrid Lindgren also wrote a book which my kids have just LOVED - The Children of Noisy Village, which seemed sort of eventless to me and yet enthralled all three of my little dorklings.<br /><br />I am not a Roald Dahl fan. There is actual nastiness in the way he writes about children, an edge that I do not like.Beckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13953517447164263617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-68497562535451159142009-04-18T16:59:00.000-04:002009-04-18T16:59:00.000-04:00Some terrific early chapter books for beginning re...Some terrific early chapter books for beginning readers are the "Henry and Mudge" series, and the others by Cynthia Rylant as well (we really the like "Mr. Putter and Tabby" books, for me because it features old folks, which I like to think is very enriching). We also have the Dr. Doolittle series by Hugh Lofting, (very fun) and "Little House in the Big Woods" which, being the only one I personally owned, was/is my favorite. <br />But my son, now 7, still loves picture books too, and I love anything that has really good artwork in it, like The "Sam" books by Amy Hest and Anita Jeram, they are so, so sweet.theflyingmumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18087901455694508640noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-40417331026654008892009-04-18T16:51:00.000-04:002009-04-18T16:51:00.000-04:00What a great list! I was just thinking about the A...What a great list! I was just thinking about the All-Of-A-Kind Family books the other day too and couldn't remember what they were called. We have been looking for more chapter books to read with our four-year-old daughter lately, so this list will definitely come in handy. You're so right about it being an in-between age. <br /><br />Also, a follow-up to Waiting For Birdy would be welcome on my bookshelf anytime!Laurahttp://catnamedpig.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31773345.post-14159370422421476962009-04-18T12:23:00.001-04:002009-04-18T12:23:00.001-04:00Though he fought against the actual Nazis in WWII,...Though he fought against the actual Nazis in WWII, Dahl was anti-Semitic. To wit: "Dahl told a reporter in 1983, 'There’s a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity . . . I mean there is always a reason why anti-anything crops up anywhere; even a stinker like Hitler didn’t just pick on them for no reason.'" (from the wikipedia page about him).Poppa Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01091828984386702683noreply@blogger.com