Christmas time- Party time!

With Christmas time producing many holiday parties, it makes for a perfect opportunity to talk about one of my recent adventures. As many of those who know me understand, I get some of my love for reading and writing from my grandmother, who I call Nanie. Maybe some is an understatement. I grew up with Nanie reading books to my brother and me in silly voices, costumes, and engaging us in the books as she read. She would write books about our lives, some of the most famous being the Binky the Worm books I always loved. This is my hope for all of you who read this blog. I hope that by receiving tips on great books to read with your children that you can engage them while reading with them. My parents read to me nightly along with my Nanie, and with all of that interaction while reading, I was absolutely hooked. 

Anyways, back to parties!

I recently went with my Nanie to Barrett Elementary in Birmingham to do a special presentation on the fabulous book Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal. Nanie dressed as Junie B. and acted out the whole book from memory, and afterwards I had the opportunity to talk to the 300 (!!) students about the fun of reading. The boys and girls ate it up! They especially loved the interaction when "Junie B." would ask them to join her in certain events. So this is the book choice of the week.

Junie B. Jones is a Party Animal

by: Barbara Park

Summary: Kindergarten-Grade 2. In this early chapter book, Junie, a boisterous, effervescent kindergartner, and her friend Grace invite themselves over to the home of Lucille's wealthy grandmother, with whom the girl and her family live. They agree to help Lucille beg her "richie nanna" for a poodle. Once there, the girls find that everything in the house is exquisite and untouchable. Lucille's bedspread is silk and her huge stuffed animals cost a fortune. Junie accidentally drops a crystal glass, which shatters into pieces. Her hot dog slides off her fork onto a white Irish linen table cloth. The friends have a good time but Junie is glad to go home to her own nanna's house where she can drink out of a plastic glass and not have to worry about breaking anything. Appealing black-and-white line-and-wash drawings extend the humorous situations.

Amazing Days at Elvin Hill

Monday and Tuesday I had the opportunity to visit Elvin Hill Elementary School to read to over 400 Kindergarten-Fourth Graders. These guys and girls were amazing and welcomed me with such sweet hearts, and lots of sweet hugs! (In fact, one classroom decided to give a class hug mid-story, which I happily accepted! ha) I decided to share with all of you the books that I read to them.

Bear Stays up for Christmas

by: Karma Wilson

Summary: PreSchool-Grade 2–It's the day before Christmas, and Bear's friends have gathered in his lair to wake him up to celebrate the holiday. They get a tree, pop corn and bake fruitcake, and hang stockings and hum songs. The others doze off, but Bear keeps busy wrapping presents, baking cookies, and decorating, unaware that a certain plump, red-suited gentleman is watching from outside the cave. The rhyming text sings, shouts, whispers, and crows, and the appealing acrylic illustrations are dear. 

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

by: Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond

Summary: Welcome to the hilariously hypothetical world of Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond. Everything has an impact on everything else in this world, so if you take a mouse to the movies, don't be surprised if you find yourself being run ragged by the exuberant little fellow's increasingly grand appetites. When we first met him in Numeroff and Bond's tremendously popular If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, he had more energy than a 2-year-old on lollipops. Now, in the excitement of the Christmas season, he's unstoppable. Going from movie theater to Christmas tree lot to the neighbor's yard for snowmouse-building, he's a very demanding mouse indeed--in only the best way, of course.

Here are some of the pictures from my adventures at Elvin Hill. :)

Series of Public Service Announcements I made for Literacy Matters!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEDX3ZxAeYw

Thankful for: Family!

This past week I went home to spend some time with my family. Now, if you know me, and even if you don't know me very well, you can still know how much I love my family. The Pickles, and Nanie's Crew are both very important to me, and in order to know and understand who I am, you must first understand who my family is. They are an incredible unit full of hilarious, smart, refreshing, inspiring and amazing people. So this week's blog post is all about family. 

The Kids' Family Tree Book

by:Caroline Leavitt

Plot: Who are my ancestors? What nationalities were they? What work did they do? Kids are always bursting with questions about their family history; they want more stories, more details, more facts. With these research ideas and creative projects, young would-be genealogists can get the knowledge they crave. Find out how to interview family members, dig up information from libraries and the Internet, and check the National Archives for passenger lists of newly-arrived immigrants. Uncover clues in old photos or birth, marriage, and death records. Preserve the knowledge you’ve gathered in a crayon batik family tree or a homemade diary that features favorite family stories, recipes, and traditions. Keep the togetherness going by planning a family reunion, starting a family newsletter, and more.

Stop that Pickle!

by: Peter Armour

Plot: Armour's comic, kid-pleasing escapade begins when Mrs. Elmira Deeds says to a deli owner, "I would like a pickle, please." But the lone green pickle sitting in the jar refuses to be eaten and flees the deli. Running down the street, it is followed by a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich and other comestibles, all of which cry out, "Stop that pickle!" Inevitably, the other foodstuffs are devoured and the pickle allowed to continue its flight (why it's okay to eat, say, 17 toasted almonds but not a pickle remains a mystery). Shachat, the illistrator, ( You Can't Catch Me ) contributes zany childlike art: the various snacks, personified with bulging eyes and short stubby legs, race across busy backgrounds. A hoot. Ages 4-8. 

This book was too cute not to pick! (Get it- PICK) haha

I Love Journalism!

This week's books of the week are on one more thing I am thankful for. Every day I get to go to school to be what I have known I wanted to be since I was a 3rd grader: a journalist! I am intrigued by the world around me, and have always asked (sometimes to my parents' chagrin) Why? That is exactly the type of attitude it takes to be a journalist. So here are some books on what I am thankful for, THE NEWS!

Fairytale News

by: Colin Hawkins

Summary: Kindergarten-Grade 3–Children who are already familiar with Mother Goose rhymes and common folktales will find great humor in this fractured fairy tale. Mother Hubbard's son Jack delivers the Fairytale News to help out with the bare cupboards. His first stop is at Honey Cottage, the home of the Three Bears, and then he travels on to Mr. and Mrs. Hood, parents of Red Riding. Jack's story eventually becomes intertwined with the "Jack and the Beanstalk" saga, as he works out a deal with the giant who promises the boy a coin each day if he continues to deliver the paper. Puns abound. Although some entertaining quips may be enjoyed only by adults, such as the "Wax & Wayne" candle shop, young readers will feel clever pointing out references to the many fairy tales and poring over the details in the bright watercolor illustrations. One spread of the village contains the boot-shaped abode of the Old Woman in the Shoe, the Three Little Pigs' brick house, Miss Muffet's tuffet, and more. A loose newspaper is tucked into a colorful blue jeans pocket on the final page, which might make it difficult for libraries to circulate the book. However, even if the newspaper is lost, the story stands on its own.

This next book is not so much about the news as it is about how people can get their "news" from the wrong sources. It teaches a valuable lesson, can you figure it out? Either way, this is a favorite of mine.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

by: Jon Scieszka

Summary: Did the story of the three little pigs ever seem slightly biased to you? All that huffing and puffing--could one wolf really be so unequivocally evil? Finally, we get to hear the rest of the story, "as told to author Jon Scieszka," straight from the wolf's mouth. As Alexander T. Wolf explains it, the whole Big Bad Wolf thing was just a big misunderstanding. Al Wolf was minding his own business, making his granny a cake, when he realized he was out of a key ingredient. He innocently went from house to house to house (one made of straw, one of sticks, and one of bricks) asking to borrow a cup of sugar. Could he help it if he had a bad cold, causing him to sneeze gigantic, gale-force sneezes? Could he help it if pigs these days use shabby construction materials? And after the pigs had been ever-so-accidentally killed, well, who can blame him for having a snack? Ages 3-8.

Give Thanks!

I have had something on my mind lately and I'm going to use this blog to express it. In a world where so much is taken for granted and MORE is never enough, I just feel the need to express how thankful I am for everything in my life. The journey up to this part of my time here on earth has been beautiful, and the older I get, the more I realize this. 

 Last Friday night I spent time at the Chelsea High School Round 1 Playoff game and set up a booth for donations to my platform, Literacy Matters. My wonderful director, Mrs. Pam as well as my precious rising star, Morgan and her Mom Mrs. Hayden sat with me out in the freezing cold for the first quarter and we were able to raise over $75. Now $75 may not seem like a world-changing amount, but let me tell you, when that money goes to the Better Basics organization allowing them to help students become better readers and writers, that will change our world.

So to all of those who gave Friday and to those willing to give in the future, THANK YOU!! You are world-changers. I am so thankful for you. To celebrate the theme of giving thanks, the next few weeks I will be posting things that I am thankful for with books related to them. I hope you enjoy!

The Giving Tree

by: Shel Silverstein

Summary: A little boy visits the same apple tree every day. On his visits he would play games, eat the apples and swing from the tree. As the boy grew older the boy left the tree alone. Until one day the boy finally visited the tree and asked the tree how he could make money. The tree told him to take the apples off the branches and sell them in the city. The boy continued to barely come visit, but when he did he always asked for something in return, until one day the tree had nothing to give.

This book taught me so much about the power of giving, I remember reading it again and again!

I even Found this video, for those who can't get the book. But I highly suggest the book. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TZCP6OqRlE&feature=player_embedded

Candy Land!

It is no secret that I love CANDY! I have a serious sweet tooth, and it is insatiable. This year is the first year that I have not received any Halloween candy...(Everyone say, awwww...) and I have been missing my childhood of pillow cases stuffed with sweet goodness. So, in memory of those yummy Dots, scrumptious Tootsie Rolls, and decadent Milk Duds, I wanted to do a post on Candy Children's Books. I am getting cravings right now!

Harriet's Halloween Candy

by: Nancy L. Carlson

Summary: Harriet learns the hard way that sharing her Halloween candy makes her feel much better than eating it all herself.

The Candy Corn Contest

by: Patricia Reilly Giff

Summary: It's almost Thanksgiving, and Richard Best can't stop thinking about Ms. Rooney's Candy Corn contest. Whoever can guess the exact number of yellow-and-orange candies in the jar on Ms. Roney's desk gets to keep them all. The only problem is Richard has to read a page in a library book for each guess.Smelly Matthew, who sits in front of him, knows they'll never win. "We're the worst readers in the class, " he says. But Richard won't give up. He can already taste those Candy Corns. And before he knows it, he has. Three fat juicy ones.What will Ms. Rooney do when she finds out?

Go get some candy! But don't make yourselves sick! :)

Some SPOOKY Good Books!

Halloween is quickly approaching, and in light of that fact, I decided that this week's books should be some fun costume ideas! From Presidents to doggies, no matter how you dress up, don't forget to read this week, in between bites of candy of course! :)

Madam President

by: Lane Smith

Summary: A confident girl walks readers through a typical day at home and at school (Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary) as she fantasizes about herself as president. Her first executive order is for waffles. She then negotiates a treaty between a cat and dog and appoints a toy cabinet; Mr. Potato Head is a dapper Secretary of Agriculture. In decisive fonts, the Head of State vetoes tuna casserole and other schoolhouse aberrations. She "leads by example" when it's time to straighten up her bedroom, but wisely delegates an ambassador's visit to the VP as weariness sets in.

Arthur's Halloween Costume

by: Lillian Hoban

Summary: Arthur the chimpanzee, after worrying that his Halloween costume won't be scary enough, wins a prize for the most original costume in the school.

Happy Halloween Biscuit!

by: Alyssa Capucilli

Summary: Wooof! Wooof!

Biscuit and the little girl are going trick-or-treating on his first Halloween. What kinds of silly surprises are in store for them?

Pull back the flaps to find out.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween!

Better Late than Never

The past two weeks have easily been the busiest weeks of my semester so far, hence the lack of blog posts. With multiple tests, papers, and a presentation or two added with daily workouts/dance practices, performances, and football games...I'm pooped! But now it's time to relax and read a good book or two! I'm currently reading "There's Something about St. Tropez" but I don't think it would work for a childrens' book of the week, so here are some great books I found to suggest to you all.

Paula Deen's My First Cookbook

by: Paula Deen

 While this isn't a sit down and read book, I LOVE Paula Deen and her cooking. Cooking is a great way to encourage a bond between you and your children. The ultimate read-along, with tasty results!

Summary: What better way to celebrate childhood than with pancakes around the kitchen table? Or how about a quick snack of Ants on a Log? Paula even shares her tricks for whipping up the perfect breakfast in bed for Mom on Mother's Day or a fancy dinner for Dad on Father's Day. Paula Deen's My First Cookbook is like a big hug from the queen of Southern hospitality and charm herself. So get in the kitchen with your favorite little ones today and start making those memories!

Aunt Claire's Yellow Beehive Hair

by: Deborah Blumenthal



Summary: Warmth, humour and fond remembrance waft through this beautifully worded and evocatively illustrated exploration of a young girl’s family tree — and the traits, trinkets and togetherness that sustain it.

 
Learning about your family and each person's individual traits can be fun and funny. Take time after reading this to discuss your own family members and their quirky traits!

Someday When My Cat Can Talk

by: Caroline Trazo

Summary: A young girl imagines the secret adventures of her tight-lipped kitty companion, including stowing away on an ocean liner, bound for the cultural delights of Europe. No ordinary tourist, the felicitous feline dines on mouse at Buckingham Palace, models on the catwalks of Paris, and hobnobs backstage at Vienna’s grand Opera House before returning home to the Nantucket shore. Offering a story that will inspire wanderlust in the littlest travelers, Lazo provides a charming rhyming text, but readers might want to make a preliminary run-through as some of the chosen pronunciations of French locales can cause stumbles.  Grades K-2.

I hope you all enjoy your week!

Online Children's Books! How Neat!

This past week I've been living without a computer. My computer decided to take a nap last Thursday and never woke up! Needless to say, it's been difficult finding ways to check emails, write to friends on facebook, and most importantly update this blog! But where there is a will- there is a way, which is how I find myself updating the blog in the journalism building. Since you are able to read this post via your own computer I thought I would send you some children's books that can also be found on the Internet, FREE. (One of my favorite words!)

The website I recommend is http://www.magickeys.com/books/ and has many great tools for reading. Books for various ages, fun activities, and a read-aloud feature for some stories. Here's some of the fun books I found:

Little Miss Mary and the Big Monster Makeover

by: by G.G. Toropov and Cleone Cassidy

Summary: Is trendy Little Miss Mary ready to make over a monster?

I have a soft spot for this next story, it's about a bear who has a funny name! We Picklesimers deal with this name game all of the time!

Wolstencroft the Bear

by: Karen Lewis

Summary: Wolstencroft wants a home for his own, but thinks that his name is holding him back. Will he find someone to love him, strange name and all?

Also check out their sister site for all of your child's phonics needs. Games, puzzles, all fun and phonics. http://www.magickeys.com/books/phonics.html

It's All About the Head Gear!

One of my favorite accessories to wear to class on a not-so-beautiful hair day is my Troy Trojans pink ball cap! As I slipped it on the other day I remembered one of my favorite children's books, Caps for Sale! I love this book because it is fun to read with others and have group participation with. Also for new readers having trouble with sight words, this book is great to use for practice. :)

Caps for Sale!

by: Esphyr Slobodkina

Summary: Based on a folktale, the story follows the life of a mustachioed cap salesman who wears his entire stock of caps on his head — seventeen in all, as depicted on the title page (including his own cap). He strolls through towns and villages chanting, "Caps! Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!"

One day, the peddler sits down under a tree to take a nap, with all his wares still on his head. When he awakens, all the caps but his own are gone - stolen by a troop of monkeys, who now sit in the tree wearing them. See what happens when he decides to get his caps back!

The best activity to do with this book is find more hat books! I suggest "The Cat in the Hat" and another Seuss hat book, "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. Also, find your favorite hat and wear it while reading.

Football Season!

This Saturday is day one of TROY football season, and I must confess...I am READY! I love the gameday experience, from the tailgating to the great music coming from the Sound of the South. This year I will be right in the middle of the action as a TROY dance team member. So look for me right by the goal post! In relation to this week's book, it's all about Football, baby!

T is for Touchdown

by: Brad Herzog

Synopsis: This is much more than an alphabet book for beginning readers. It is a picture book with large, richly colored, realistic oil paintings, and many facts about football, including some history, rules, well-known players, and famous moments. Each pair of upper- and lower-case letters is represented by one or more terms or people ("N," for instance, is for Notre Dame, the NFL, and Nicknames) and a four-line rhyming verse. "No college team has ever had/as much success and fame/as football's famous fighting N - /noble Notre Dame."

What is really cool about this book is that it is part of a sports series, so you can collect them all! Ages 4-8.

Family Huddle

By: Peyton Manning

Synopsis: Huddle up with the most famous family in football—the Mannings! Peyton and Eli Manning are now NFL superstars, but they are still kids in Family Huddle. Follow along as Eli and Peyton pile into the car with older brother Cooper for a trip to visit their grandparents. Their dad, former NFL star Archie Manning, is at the wheel, with mom Olivia at his side. The boys joke around and play football at every opportunity, running fun plays like the buttonhook, the quarterback sneak, and the hook and ladder.Family and football have always been a big deal in the Manning family. Family Huddle is based on some of the Mannings’ memories from their days in Louisiana and Mississippi. Ages 4-8.

The Dog that Stole Football Plays

By: Matt Christopher

Synopsis: Mike's football team is really put to the test when Harry, his telepathic dog, has to stay home. Can the team win without Harry's supernatural advice? Ages 9-12.

Who Wants to be a Princess?

Next Saturday I will be hosting a fun event at the Columbiana Public Library which is being called Princesses Read! I hope all of you in the area can come out in your best Princess garb and read with me! There will also be a prize drawing for the Princess Book I read! Hope to see you there!

It's OK to Have a Bad Day!

I'll be honest, starting back to school is a very stressful time for me. From what I have heard from my friends and their facebook statuses, it's stressful for many people! So I thought a great book of the week would be one that celebrates our Bad Days. It's OK to have them every once in a while, but the most important thing when dealing with our Bad Days is to remember that we can make our day better with our positive thinking. Check out these books, they might turn your frown upside down!!

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day

by: Judith Viorst

Summary: "I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."

So begin the trials and tribulations of the irascible Alexander, who has been earning the sympathy of readers since 1972. People of all ages have terrible, horrible days, and Alexander offers us the cranky commiseration we crave as well as a reminder that things may not be all that bad. As Alexander's day progresses, he faces a barrage of bummers worthy of a country- western song: getting smushed in the middle seat of the car, a dessertless lunch sack, a cavity at the dentist's office, stripeless sneakers, witnessing kissing on television, and being forced to sleep in railroad-train pajamas. He resolves several times to move to Australia.


Judith Viorst flawlessly and humorously captures a child's testy temperament, rendering Alexander sympathetic rather than whiny. Our hero's gum-styled hair and peevish countenance are artfully depicted by Ray Cruz's illustrations. An ALA Notable Book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a great antidote to bad days everywhere, sure to put a smile on even the crabbiest of faces. (Ages 5 to 9)

Addies Bad Day

by: Joan Robins

Summary: Addie really wants to go to Max's birthday party, but it is a BAD day. Addie won't take her hat off. And she won't tell Max why. Can Max convince his best pal to throw off her cap and join the party? Great Beginner chapter book for grades 1-3.

My favorite part: FUN ACTIVITIES!
1. Everyone has bad hair days, try creating a picture of the craziest hair day your child can think up. Simply draw a head, and let them decide how crazy the hair will be.

2. Talk about how to get out of our bad moods on bad days, discuss how families can help one another have better days. (For me- chocolate fixes everything! haha)

3. Write a story. Tell about a bad day you have had.

4. Alex can't seem to remember the number 16. Use this number with a little math exercise using paper clips, pennies, whatever. How many times can you divide this number? What else can you do with 16 things?

Back to School!

School is back in session, and I thought now would be the perfect time to read some great children's books about this time of the year. For some it is a fun experience and exciting, but for other boys and girls, it can be intimidating. Take this time to read these great books to your children and help them prepare for school.

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School

by: Lauren Child

Summary: Is your little one apprehensive about going to preschool or kindergarten? Introduce her to Lola, the star of this picture book by Lauren Child. Lola is sure she is "too absolutely small for school," but her older brother Charlie patiently convinces her otherwise by presenting a series of imaginative and funny reasons she needs to go to school. Not only is the story fun, but Child's mixed media illustrations are a delight, vibrant and highly entertaining.

First Day Jitters

by: Julie Danneberg

Summary:This is an excellent book for the child who is worried about changing schools. The author is Julie Danneberg and the colorful and comic illustrations in ink and watercolor are by Judy Love. It’s the first day of school and Sarah Jane Hartwell does not want to go. She will be going to a new school and she is scared. This is a funny book, with a surprise ending that will cause the reader to laugh out loud and then go back and read the entire story again.

First Grade Stinks!

by: Mary Ann Rodman

This book is a special one I thought of for all of my favorite new First Graders, my cousins Sarah and Chrissy as well as Ms. Kendall Dailey! I hope you girls had a great first day as First Graders!

Summary: First Grade Stinks! is an entertaining picture book that can help to ease a child's transition from kindergarten to first grade. In her amusing picture book First Grade Stinks!, author Mary Ann Rodman tells the story of Haley and her first day in first grade. With unexpected sympathy and explanations from her first grade teacher about why so much is different from kindergarten, Haley stops thinking, "First grade stinks!" and begins to think, "First grade is great!"

Here are some fun activities to try:

1. Hold a back to school spa day with your girls, pampering is the perfect prep for a new school year!

2. For the boys, try a day outside preparing for every boy's favorite subject- P.E.! Play kickball or even dodgeball if you dare!

3. Go back to school shopping with a twist- Visit your local Dollar Store and create a back to school kit for an underprivileged child. Explain to your child how we can give back during this time.

Band Camp!

This week has been an incredibly busy one for me. I have been at Band Camp with Troy University's amazing Sound of the South marching band. I am fortunate enough to be a member of the band on the danceline, and have been loving it. Since I was new to marching, I had to learn how to do it correctly. In light of this, I thought it would be neat to give out a children's book of the week with the theme of marching bands!

A Marching Band for Bears

by: Eileen B. Benator

Summary: In "A Marching Band for Bears" Eileen Benator tells a colorful, fanciful tale that will interest children from their "picture book" phase until they are well into their reading years. The story, about a group of animals assembling a marching band, is simple but presented intelligently. This book is best for Baby-Preschool ages. Great book for beginner readers.

Froggy Plays in the Band

by: Jonathan London

Summary: Heck, Froggy doesn't just play in the band, he puts it together, and drills his pals for an upcoming marching band competition. At first they sound terrible, but they keep practicing and do pretty well the day of the contest, except for a mishap or two. Does Froggy do something embarrassing and turn red in the face? You betcha. But he also shows us the value of sticking with something difficult and surprising yourself at how much you can accomplish, if you just stick with it.

Here's some ideas for fun activities with your children:

1.  Go to the nearest College or High School and watch their band perform. (Come check me out with TROY'S Sound of the South!)

2. Perform around the house! March in a line to music and pretend you are holding instruments.

3. Enroll your child in music lessons or dance classes.

Pictures from Wednesday's Tot Spot

We had a blast!

It's Raining Cats!

This week I had the opportunity to visit the Chelsea Public Library and read during the Tot Spot. We had a blast, and I enjoyed being able to read about my favorite pet, CATS! So, this week we have three feline-centered books for you to read to your child.

Come Here Tiger

by Alex Moran

Summary: Where, oh where, is Tiger?

Tiger's young mistress can't find him, but she uncovers every other pet in the household before he magically appears. Young readers will love the visual clues of Tiger's whereabouts, and will no doubt be shouting, "The window! The window!" long before the end of the book. Moran's carefully chosen vocabulary and repetition of words and phrases make this an excellent book for sharpening reading skills in the beginning reader, and Lisa Campbell Ernst's humorous illustrations are the icing on the cake.

Mr. Putter and Tabby Feed the Fish

by: Cynthia Rylant

Summary: Oh my! A Twitch and Bat Cat!

Mr. Potter's desire to have a fishbowl like he had as a child becomes a disaster when Tabby develops a problem with fish (they make her twitch and bat). Mrs. Teaberry and her good dog Zeke come to the rescue in an ending that is happy for all. Young readers will want to read more in the Mr. Putter & Tabby series, as these winsome pals have a way of winning the reader's heart.

 

 

 

 

A Bed Full of Cats

by: Holly Keller

Summary: "Flora, come home!"

Lee loves his kitty, Flora, who sleeps with him every night, and he is devastated when Flora suddenly disappears one night. The surprise ending will be met with relief and joy by the young readers. "A Bed Full of Cats" is a nice way of introducing cats and kittens to children who have not had any direct contact with them, and might form the basis for a life-long love affair with cats.
 
 
 

Some great Activities to do with these books:

1. Visit a local shelter and volunteer.

2. Draw wiskers on your face, with face paint.

3. Be a cat for the day!

4. Check out this website with coloring pages, fun toilet roll cat crafts, and many more fun feline things! http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/pets-cats.html

 

 

 

You and your child will have a purrrrrrrfectly wonderful time!