Favorite Books

So...I'm back FINALLY!! I have been sick for about three weeks and am finally getting over it! Lots of things have taken a backseat in those weeks, including blogging. I was operating in survival mode people! To get back in the blogging mode, I am linking up to Show Me Your Life at Kelly's Korner. This week it's all about books.

Let me first say that I am a former elementary teacher, with all of my experience no higher than first grade. My heart swelled with pride at the mall playground with Miss M when she was about 2 1/2....she left the playground to visit the bookstore located next door! She will complete kindergarten in a few weeks and both reading and writing ability and confidence have swelled. Here is a sampling of what you might find on a nightstand in our house:

Miss M:

Nancy Drew Clue Crew Series - Nancy and the gang are in 3rd grade and solve mysteries in their school and neighborhood

Junie B Jones Series - I know some parents don't like these books but they provide great teaching points and Junie B always does pay for her misdeeds in the end. Think Ramona Quimby books in a more modern setting. We have several on CD and they are great for car trips - the entire family laughs outloud!

Meghan Rose Series - A lot like Junie B only tamer and with a Christian influence...Meghan's mom prays with her about situations.

Skippyjon Jones - a Siamese cat with an imagination on high speed who pretends to be a sword-fighting Chiwawa due to his overly large ears. Miss M still enjoys a great picture book every once in awhile and this fits the bill!

Mr C:Still too young for a "series" but he really enjoys books by David Shannon of the "No David" books. Funny illustrations and we always enjoy looking for drawings of his real life dog Fergus hidden in several books. When he is a older, I plan to introduce him to Hank the Cow Dog. Hank lives on a ranch in Texas and gets pretty big for his britches some days! All of the conversations in the series are between the dogs and other animals. They are laugh out loud funny too.

Cupcake Mama:

Not a lot of time for reading but I just finished up Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free...read it...lots of great stuff in there! Also, I enjoy most anything by Karen Kingsbury. Her books are are usually a quick read of Christian fiction.

Although I really enjoyed several of the books already mentioned (Little House series, Little Women, Nancy Drew) I want to mention a few others as well. As a child, the last book my mom read aloud to me was Rabbit Hill, pictured above. It was summer break and she would read a chapter at night or in the morning. I also remember reading the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary - well, pretty much anything by her was read by me! I have heard there is a movie in the works - maybe some new Ramona readers will be introduced to the gang.

Finally, I LOVED the Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart-Lovelace. We meet these two buddies in the first book when they are only 5 years old and the series continues until Betsy's Wedding. Written and set in the 1940's, I always enjoyed a visit on Hill Street with my Betsy and friends.