Special Collections, Pt. 1 (Johnstones)

Special Collections: Illustrated children's books that for one reason or another (scarce, i.e. difficult to replace; fragile; those which I would really REALLY be angry if torn by a baby/toddler) require special care/housing and which shall be safeguarded as far as possible.

In other words, THEY'RE MY FAVORITES! 

I do let my kids look at them and read them, because what's the point of having them if we don't get to read them? But I keep them on the higher shelf and try my best to keep them there if not in use.  Now these are not necessarily my favorite story books, but my favorite ILLUSTRATED books.  There's a difference.  

Janet and Anne Grahame Johnstone

They are (some of) my favorite illustrators.  I have 5 (well, 6, but one is sort of a repeat of another) of their books.  And I have about 370 more on my wishlist.  I think their nursery rhyme books are the ones that are circulating the most, so perhaps you may have seen them.

I have Dean's Mother Goose Book of Rhymes.

This is one of my favorites--I just love this little blue guy with his blue eggs.

I think maybe the next book I got was Dean's Gift Book of Cowboys and Indians.  I LOVE the pictures in this.  Both the cowboys and the Indians are just awesome.  Talmage has me read this to him a lot, even though it's totally not a story, just random info, and who knows if it's even legit info at that.  But it doesn't matter because it's all about the pictures.

  

Next I got A Year of Poetry, which includes a poem and illustration for each month.  The pictures are just beautiful--more detailed than the illustrations in the nursery rhyme books.  The Johnstone sisters were daughters of a costume designer (and a portraitist), and they studied period clothing styles.  You can see it in all of their work, but in this book in particular you can see how they've somehow drawn the smocking on the shirts and the texture of the corduroy or so on, just amazingly.  I had the hardest time trying to NOT pick every picture in the book, and actually I'm kind of sad now that I didn't take pictures of more.

Then I bought a fairy tales collection, but I should have done better research and gotten a book that included more fairy tales.  Oh well.  Mine is called Dean's Gift Book of Fairy Tales.

Finally, the book I got most recently is called Folk Tales of the World, and I love it.  I hadn't ever seen any of the pictures before on the internet or anything.  It's got some different stuff-both pictures and stories- that are so awesome!  My kids have loved reading this together.

And that is all I have from the Johnstones, but as I said before, my Wishlist is forever long, including more fairy tales, Peter Pan, Greek and Trojan stories, Myths, more nursery rhymes, alphabet books, Christmas books... just all.  All the books.  Please don't buy anything by them, because then it will lower the selection for myself.  However, if you wanted to make me really happy on my birthday or Christmas... ;)

International Day of Commenting!

I don't know if you remember, but on November 18th, 2008 (yes, that's five years ago), I declared it International Comment on Kayli's Blog Day.  And I decided that this year, I'm reviving that good day.  So, leave me a comment, because one should respect special days.  And because I like comments (let's face it, we all do) but I have been doing lots of ctach-up posts which don't lend themselves to much commenting and I'm not pregnant so I can't (shouldn't?) use a pregnancy announcement as a way to get lots of comments.  :)

And also because once again I will pick one commenter to get a cool prize, because why not?  Prizes are cool.  Maybe it will be a Swiss postcard, or Swiss chocolate, or a Swiss watch.  Okay, actually no watch.  Actually probably not a postcard either.  Unless you really want a postcard.

But moving along, this is actually a really cool post, even were it not Comment on Kayli's Blog Day.  Because I'm talking about BOOKS!!  (Yay books!)  I thought if you're not a weirdo like some of my sisters (what am I saying?? ALL of my sisters are weirdos!!) and have all your Christmas shopping already done, perhaps this would give you a couple ideas for good book presents (which are pretty much my favorite kind). 

But first, I must tell you the awesomest Halloween books that you must read.  I realize I am a little late here, but if I waited to tell you about it until next year I would probably forget again and what if I died between now and then and you didn't ever know about these amazing books?  Anyway, you should buy them and stick them in your Halloween box for next year to bring out, or just keep them out all year to read because they are AWESOME.  (All the pictures are linked to their page on Goodreads)

First, Kate Culhane--A Ghost Story.




It's pretty much a creepy folk tale about a dead man who makes a girl obey his commands after she steps on his grave, and it's pretty intense.  Oh I liked it so much!  I won't say much more because another blogger has written a good review you can read: http://themarlowebookshelf.blogspot.ch/2012/10/kate-culhane-ghost-story.html
I read it to all my kids and none of them were scared in the least (in fact they all loved it), but of course you'll have to use your judgement about your own kids.

Next, Who Took My Hairy Toe








Very good read-aloud because you can get louder and louder as the monster gets closer and closer.  Very fun.

Okay, now on to non-Halloween books.

Last year I got my girls The Complete Book of Flower Fairies and it has been well-loved.  The poems are just wonderful and the pictures are fantastic.  Hazel and Ethne flip through it a lot, and I think they'll enjoy for many years.  To be truthful, I quite enjoy it myself.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192686.The_Complete_Book_of_the_Flower_Fairies?from_search=true

 The book I bought for Hazel for Christmas this year (shhh, don't tell her) is The Witch of the Glens by Sally Watson.  (Did you ever notice that any recipe with a certain ingredient in it, you know you'll love?  Like for me, I usually like any recipe that calls for evaporated milk --including Chicken Tetrazzini, Tuscan Soup (although some recipes use cream, the first one I used called for Evap. milk), Homemade Chocolate Sauce, Almond Joy Cake- I love them all.  I've decided that maybe my 'ingredient' for me to love a book is it being set in Scotland).

 

I read this in the airport in Athens and I just enjoyed reading it soooo much.  For me it was just absolutely the perfect vacation read-- funny, clever, great love story, and GET THIS- there's a girl in it named Ethne!!  Except they used the Gaelic spelling Eithne.  So that's a bonus.  You can read the summary on Goodreads, but it's about a roguish gypsy girl with the second sight.  Hooks you right there, doesn't it?  ;)

Also, to ramble on, I just barely re-read what had been a favorite book of mine, 'By These Ten Bones' by Clare B. Dunkle, and while I still enjoyed the plot, I really was disappointed by the writing.  It really was not that good.  Either I looked past that the first time because I was intrigued by the story or something, I don't know.  But it is also set in Scotland, but if the first sentence in the first chapter wasn't "In the far northern hills of scotland, a gray castle stood by a narrow lake, or a loch, as it is properly called" and the use of the term Highland, you would barely know.  Instead of using the terms tartan and plaid, it says 'long narrow blanket' and 'checked and crossed by lines and squares.'  Now perhaps this was intentionally done to make it more accessibly to younger readers... or dumber readers?  All I know is in 'Witch of the Glens' there was a very small glossary of terms in the beginning (with pronunciation too-- apparently Eithne is pronounced Ay-na in Gaelic!) and then the real terms were used and the speech seemed SOOO much more authentic.  In fact I got so I could almost hear the Scottish brogue in my reading.  The author did spend time in Scotland and really loved it and I think it really came through.

Now, though I loved this book, it is definitely still a book for young readers (such as Hazel who is nine), which doesn't dampen my enjoyment in the least, just know not to go into it expecting an adult level book.  Anyway, now I want to BUY ALL THE BOOKS that Sally Watson wrote.

Next, a picture book- The Wishing of Biddy Malone.




 My sister Kami bought this for her daughter for her birthday when we were in Utah this summer and so we all read it and we all loved it.  It is so fun and sweet and it even teaches a really great lesson that we have to work for our wishes!  Your girls will love it.  Also, it's set in Ireland, which is pretty much as good as Scotland. :)

 Now, an Early Reader.  This is an important distinction I have learned as I have had kids learn to read, and I don't know if you've noticed, there are a lot of lame, boring Early Readers out there.  As Ethne (and I) finished up the book 'Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" I looked for some fun ones for her, and I found Fox.  He's SOOOOOOO FUNNY!






Like, funny enough to get to read to your kids even if none of them are early readers. 
Here's a couple excerpts:
Fox's mom was on the phone.

"Fox would love to help," said Mom.  "I'll send him right over."
"I won't do it," said Fox.  "Whatever it is.  I'm playing rock star."
"Mrs. Ling across the street needs you to sit with her kids," said Mom.
"Why don't you do it?" said Fox.
"This is my quiet time," said Mom.  "Now hurry up."
"No," said Fox.  "And that is that."
"Oh really?" said Mom.
And Fox went across the street.

I am soooo opposed to books that include kids being mouthy or disrespectful at ALL to their parents, and this is not that.  It's like, Fox TRIES to be the boss and his mom just shuts him down.  Every time.  With a look.  It's funny.

Here's another excerpt after Fox trips on a skate:

"I'm dying!" cried Fox.
 "It's only a scratch," said Mom.  "Nothing to worry about."
"I can't look at all the blood!" cried Fox.
"There's no blood," said Mom.
"Don't leave me!" cried Fox.
Mom and Louise put Fox to bed.
"Call Doctor Ed," said Fox.  "Before it's too late."

"Really Fox, you're making such a fuss."

Okay, so not every single story is quite as hilarious as some, but you REALLY must read the Halloween one in Fox Outfoxed.  It's the very best one (that I've read).  So funny.

Once, the kids and I were looking through all of the Fox books on amazon, reading the previews that amazon has and laughing just from the first couple pages of each book.

James Marshall also wrote Three By The Sea which is another Early Reader that I love (and many more books).

These were recommended to me by my friend Tara when I wrote a post about books earlier, by Maurice Sendak.  What Do You Say Dear? and What Do You Do Dear?  They're both absolutely hilarious.






"You are picking dandelions and columbines outside the castle. Suddenly a fierce dragon appears and blows red smoke at you, but just then a brave knight gallops up and cuts off the dragon's head.
What do you say, dear?
Thank you very much."




You need to own them.

One that I had never heard of, but was a really wonderful read-aloud is called 'The Animal Family' by Randall Jarrell.  It's about a Hunter, a mermaid, a bear, and a lynx who become a family.  It is so imaginative and  sweet.




Okay, some adult books- my favorite of the past  year- first, These Is My Words.  I bought a copy and had it sent to my sister to pass it around to my sisters and mom and everyone loved it.  It is completely my kind of book in every way.  Perfect score from me.  I also gave away my copy to a woman I shared a room with in the hospital when Wyatt had RSV because I wanted her to understand why I was crying/grinning like a lunatic/and in other ways getting worked up while I was sitting there reading.  I don't know if she'll read it- she did say she likes reading in English for the challenge, and I told her this will keep her reading not because of the challenge but because it's AMAZING.  So now I need to buy myself another copy.



 p.s. There are two sequels and I read the first of them while I was in Utah and was not super impressed.  That's okay- I love it as a stand-alone.




Okay, this one is not one that I think most everyone would enjoy.  It is kind of hard to read because of the use of old-fashioned language.  Also, it's just not a light story.  BUT it is an AMAZINGLY written book and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.   (The main character in the story has a harelip-- could that also be a favorite-making-ingredient??  I loved 'Quest For a Maid' which includes a character with a harelip. (AND IT'S SET IN SCOTLAND!!)  I feel like I just read another book with a character with a harelip too...can't remember it right now.)  Anyway, if you're in the mood for a book that is more like ready poetry-- beautiful passages that will make you write them down (at least I did), then read this book!  And then tell me what you think.

And just because I think this post definitely leans to the girly side, I'll tell you what I ordered for Orrin's Christmas book.  I haven't read it yet so I can't review it, but it's by the same author and illustrator as one of my favorite kids books- Ferdinand, which is pretty much the reason I chose it.  AND- Scotland.

 

Finally, a Christmas book.  I ordered a LOT of Christmas books last year (to do the whole unwrap a Christmas book every day in December thing which I really liked), and before I did I read through a LOT of Christmas book lists.  And you know, a lot of them were pretty ho-hum and same-old.  There are a few that I liked okay, a couple that I really liked, but only one that made me feel like - I must tell everyone about this! and it didn't make it on many of the lists.



It's not exactly a picture book, it has more words than that, but it still could easily be read in one sitting.  The pictures are okay, but not amazing.  And the story is fairly predictable (it is a Christmas story after all).  To me though, the WAY that it is told is what makes it.  As the front flap says, "Written with understated warmth, its extraordinary power comes from a rare blending of realism and the special magic that is Christmas."  Yes, understated warmth- that's it.  It's told so simply but somehow so touchingly.  To me, in just the relatively few pages, I felt how deeply patient and caring Jamie's dad was.  And it actually portrayed just how frustrating it was for Jamie to not be able to talk, with just a few well-placed words.

Again, I feel the need to qualify my review by reminding you that the reason I like it isn't because it's flashy or grand, just because I like the warm feeling it has.

Anyway, maybe it also appealed to the little bit of speech pathologist I still have in me. :)

And not to leave without a picture, here's one of Jethro reading a book (it's one of the Indian in the Cupboard books) and Wyatt, who fell asleep sitting next to him.  (Isn't that just the sweetest boy?!)

So- don't disrespect International Day of Commenting on Kayli's Blog!   I look forward to your comments!  (If they include a harelip or something about Scotland, I'm sure to love them.)

Books for Boys

So, after I posted about books for little girls, my sister-in-law asked if I would do a post for boys.  As I try always to listen to my oldest siblings (the rest aren’t as important ;) ), here it is.  The only thing is, this is almost purely from Jethro, because well, I’m pretty firmly fixed in the more girly side of things.  Not that some books of course can cross the gender line, but once again, what I’m saying is that these are recommendations from Jethro (who is an ACTUAL boy), and not from me.  Oh, and also, Jethro has a high reading level, and I haven’t put these in any sort of age or reading level order.

Jethro’s favorite books (with a 3 star rating):

1. Ranger’s Apprentice Series ***

By John Flanagan.  Mostly everyone in my family has this whole series, and everyone loves it, not just the kids.  In fact, John Flanagan’s next series which I believe also happen in the same world as Ranger’s Apprentice is my brother Derek’s latest favorite books.  Those are called the Brotherband Chronicles, and Jethro has read the first 3 and loves them as well.

2.  Harry Potter  ***

Somehow I feel like these need no commentary.  I don’t even know how many times Jethro has read these.  We have a few of them in German too- what a great way to increase vocab!

3.  Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series ***

This was a gift from Jethro’s cousin Myles who loved them, and Jethro also loved them.  So so much.  And Brett read them too and tells me they’re good.

4.  Lord of the Rings ***

5.  Bartimaeus Trilogy***

We actually listened to the first of these on a trip, but it was in German, so I still can’t say if they’re good or not.  But Jethro and Brett both endorse them.  (Yes, Jethro loves fantasty books.)

6.  Redwall books:   Mossflower ***    Redwall**  Mattimeo**

I don’t even know how many Redwall books there are—a ton, anyway.  Jethro only has a few, but he really likes them.  Also, I have to say that the animated series is awesome too and all my kids like it.

7.  The War to End All Wars- World War 1 ***

Jethro was really into learning about wars, and this non-fiction book was a really good overview of WWI.  I read it too because I wanted to increase my own knowledge, but found it to be rather non-fictionish.  :)  Goes to show I’m not a boy who spends all his doodle time drawing planes dropping bombs and bloody stick-men soldiers throwing grenades.  Because if I were, I guess I would also give it 3 stars. (You can click on the picture for this one to read more about it on goodreads.)

8.  True Spy Stories *

Another one for if you’re interested in non-fiction, interesting boy stuff.  You can click the picture on this one too.

9.  Chronicles of Narnia **

When we moved here these books were about the only ones we had.  Jethro read them over and over and over and over and over.  I think the reason he didn’t give them 3 stars is because it’s been a while since he was so into them.

10.  Septimus Heap Series **

11.  City of Ember Series (I don’t know how many stars this or the following book would get, because he added them later and forgot to do stars.)

12.  King of the Wind

And that’s what he remembered at the moment.  Here are a few other ones I can vouch for personally:

Castle in the Attic –Elizabeth Winthrop

The Horse-Tamer –Walter Farley

Rascal – Sterling North, also The Wolfling by the same author

Gentle Ben – Walt Morey

Johnny Tremain- Esther Forbes

Rifles for Watie- Harold Keith

Indian in the Cupboard Books –Lynne Reid Banks

Any by Kenneth Thomasma

The Chronicles of Prydain –Lloyd Alexander

The Dark is Rising Series –Susan Cooper

Ummmm, okay, I think that’s all I can think of right now.  I hope it gives you some ideas.  If you have any recommendations- leave a comment!  :)

Book List for Early-Reading Girls

I have been asked a couple times about books I would recommend for beginning readers (beginning in this case meaning beginning to read books all on their own, not just barely beginning to read words), and both times it happened to be for girls, and since I am a girl, most of my favorites are for girls anyway, so that worked out nicely.  :)  So here is a list of ones that I really love and recommend.  Some of them you’ve probably seen, but hopefully some of them you haven’t.  Or if you have seen them, but never happened to pick them up, maybe this can be a good motivation to do it.  (For some reason I feel compelled to confess that I have never read ‘The Secret Garden,’ ‘A Little Princess,’ ‘Little Women,’ or ‘A Girl of the Limberlost,’ so you may refuse to take any of my recommendations anyway.)  (I would also like to point out that making book lists always makes me sad that I have so many boxes of books just sitting in a dark shed, far, far away.  Sniff.)
1. Ronia, the Robbers Daughter –Astrid Lindgren

This book easily tops the list—it is the FIRST one you should buy because it is the best.  At least, in Hazel’s and my humble opinions.  From my goodreads review:  The perfect story. Really-- there are no flaws, no boring parts, nothing that you don’t love. Every character, every scene, every feeling is absolutely right. I love Ronia. I love Birk. I love Matt and Lovis and Noddle-Pete and everyone. This book made me laugh out loud and even brought tears to my eye. I love the adventure and the cockiness and the love and the, well, everything!    (p.s. I even wrote out a ‘scene’ from the book and tried to get Hazel and Jethro to memorize it and act it out so we could make a little movie, but while we almost got there, the project never reached fruition.)
2. Little House on the Prairie –Laura Ingalls Wilder

I’m sure I don’t even need to put these on the list- everybody knows that they’re fantastic, but still, they’re SUCH good books!
2. The Fairy Rebel –Lynn Reid Banks

What a perfectly magical story.  I’ve loved it since I was little.
3. The Ordinary Princess –M. M. Kaye

Super super fun story about a princess whose fairy godmother gave her the gift of being ordinary. 
4. The Light Princess –George MacDonald

George Macdonald is a master writer.  Another princess story where the princess is cursed from birth—this time the curse is a lack of gravity.  How will the spell be broken?  (Okay, I have to also recommend more books by George Macdonald—he really is sooooo good, and kind of like in the Narnia books, his stories can have deeper meanings.  I remember when I read ‘Day Boy and Night Girl’ when I was a kid, I wrote down some quotes from the book because they were so wonderful.  So also check out that one, and ‘The Princess and the Goblin’ and ‘The Princess and the Curdie’ which I must admit to not having read yet, although I own them but they are in Utah, so I actually just re-ordered the first one so I could read it to the kids while we’re here.)
5. Caddie Woodlawn –Carol Ryrie Brink

I’m a sucker for books about adventure on the frontier.  This one is great.
6. Naya Nuki –Kenneth Thomasma

This book I remember reading and loving as a kid.  There are several other stories about Indians by the same author, and Hazel has one called ‘Doe Sia’ about a Mormon pioneer and an Indian girl.  They’re quite easy-reads, but I didn’t notice that when I was little, just that they were very exciting.
7. Castle in the Attic –Elizabeth Winthrop

Exciting story about a boy who goes back in time to the ages of castles and knights.  This one in particular is great for boys too.
8. The Moorchild –Eloise Jarvis McGraw



This is actually still one of my favorite books, so I went and checked what the age recommendation is on Amazon, and it said ages 9-11 / grades 4-6.  Not that it’s scary or anything like that, it’s just a bit more mature than some of these other books, and I would definitely let Hazel read it.  But anyway, go read it, it’s awesome!  (And it always reminds me of the time my older brother asked for different book recommendations, different meaning not a Louis L’Amour, and so I gave him this, and then he read it and completely mocked it-and me-for a long time, dancing around trying to sing in a high, elfish voice and pretend to play the bagpipes- pretty awesome.   So, I guess I don’t recommend this book for young twenty-year old men who only know how to read Westerns.  Go back to your Louis L’Amours!!)
9. The Fledgling –Jane Langton

I have always loved the idea of flying, and this book is a very enchanting story about a girl who meets a Canadian goose who teaches her to fly.  It’s really beautiful.  I think there are quite a few other books about the same family, but I’ve never read them.
10. Children of Noisy Village –Astrid Lindgren

This I discovered only recently.  It’s just cute little stories about the life of some children who live next to each other on their farms in Sweden (Astrid Lindgren is from Sweden)— it’s just really simple and funny and sweet.  There are more books about the Children of Noisy Village (Happy Times in Noisy Village and Christmas in Noisy Village) but awesomely, when I was at a second-hand store here, I found a German book of Noisy Village that had all of them together!  And I thought, you know, this is really strange that my 8-year-old daughter can read stuff, and I have no idea what she’s reading.  So weird. (Yes, I do get that feeling quite a lot, in case you haven’t noticed.)
Here are our English and German versions together:

And Hazel asked if it was okay if she colored the pictures in the book, so I said okay, so now about the first half of the book has nicely colored pictures (and there are lots of pictures).

While we’re on the topic of books in German, here are some other books we have found in second-hand stores here.  Astrid Lindgren Fairytales, which includes a ghost story about a ghost/dead body, which I had actually seen a separate book for on Amazon once, in English it’s called ‘The Ghost of Skinny Jack’ and kindof wanted to buy it.  You can read a synopsis here.  It seems quite creepy from the pictures (such as below), and I’m kindof sad that I couldn’t read it.

Hazel also liked the book Emil’s Pranks (also by Astrid Lindgren, we have a lot by her, the best being Ronia of course, but also Noisy Village, Emil’s Pranks, Lotta on Troublemaker Street, Pippi Longstocking (by far the most well-known of hers, but I find it totally annoying), and The Tomten, which is a picture-book), and we found another book of him at the store.  I’m not sure if it’s the exact book, because there are more than one Emil books, and Hazel hasn’t read it yet, but I thought it was funny that his name is ‘Michel’ in German.

And then, just recently, what did I spy but LAURA books!!!  I just saw one, and recognized it as the Little House in the Big Woods, and I didn’t buy it.  But when I told Hazel that I had seen it, she begged me to go back and buy it because “I always tell my friends about her, but they don’t know her!”  So I went back and found not one but THREE.  What an exciting day, I tell you what.

It’s so funny to us how names are changed and things.  Of course Ma and Pa aren’t called Ma and Pa.  The dog Jack is called Nero, Charles is Karl, and Carrie is Kathrin.  Although, the books are translated by different people, and it’s not the same between books (even though you’d think they’d try to be consistent).  Anyway, and it’s also strange to see the different pictures.  I mean, the Garth Williams illustrations are just part of the books it seems like.  Fun stuff.
  
Okay, in case you’ve made it through all that, here are a few extra books that we like and  recommend:

• The Moffats, Eleanor Estes
• Half Magic, Edward Eager
• Rascal, Sterling North
• Narnia series
• Indian in the Cupboard series, Lynn Reid Banks
• Gwinna, Barbara Berger
• The Wish Giver, Bill Brittain
• Sideways Stories from Wayside School

And, here are some of the books that I’d really LIKE to try out/have Hazel read, but haven’t ordered yet (it’s hard to order ones I haven’t read when there are so many I want that I already know are good).  So, you can try them out for me and tell me if they’re amazing or if it’s okay to pass, let me know.

• The Children of Green Know, L.M. Boston
• Tom’s Midnight Garden, Philippa Pearce
• The Brothers Lionheart, Astrid Lindgren
• Five Children and It, E. Nesbit
• The Saturdays, Elizabeth Enright
• The Enchanted Castle, E. Nesbit
• The Enchanted Wood, Enid Blyton
• The Golden Name Day, Jennie Lindquist
• The Railway Children, E. Nesbit
• The Runaway Princess, Kate Coombs
• Little Old Mrs. Pepperpot, Alf Prøysen
• The Year of Miss Agnes, Kirkpatrick Hill - SOOOOO GOOD!
• Understood Betsy, Dorothy Canfield Fisher
• The Apple Stone, Nicholas Stuart Gray
• The Glassblower’s Children, Maria Gripe
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken - Loved it!

…to name a few.  :)
And now you have plenty of ideas.  If I have missed any of your favorites, tell me!