Thursday, July 17, 2008

Miss M's been reading again...

The lazy, hazy days are here and my mom is getting really s-l-o-w with this blogging gig. It might have to do with the amount of time we spend splashing around the wading pool with my new elephant floatie. Wheeee!!!!! Or maybe SYTYCD is getting in the way. We watch it together on Saturday afternoons so that I can try out all the moves. You should see my salsa lift. It's a wonder to behold. I've also perfected break dancing and hippity hop dancing. Mom tried to tell me they were the same thing but I don't believe her. And then there's Battlestar Gallactica on DVD that Mom sometimes mutters dreamily about in her sleep. Can anyone tell me what "pull Apollo's towel" means?

Just so you know, my Mom does all her writing and reading on a desktop computer, far from the TV domestic hub, in the hottest room in the house. Summer takes its toll. What I think Mom really needs is a bloggy vacation for a week or two so that she can cool off. I thought I'd help by taking over today's post to give her that gentle push out the door. Don't be surprised if she isn't around much for the next little while.

As you all know, I'm going to be 3 and a half in just over a week. That means it's high time I told you just what I've been reading since my 3rd birthday. You should check these books out at your local library 'cause libraries are simply the best. Just so you know, I came to that conclusion by myself; I didn't need old smarty pants mommy-librarian telling me what to think. Oh and just in case your kids aren't 3 and 1/2 like me, Mom keeps all my lists up on the side-bar over there. Besides, who really reads to assigned age levels anyway? I love everything from baby books to classic Pooh, thank you very much. As long as you're under 6, there's bound to be something on this list you'll like.

Because I've read over a hundred books since January, I've put my absolute favourites in bold so you'll know what to look for first. Here you go. Have a happy summer. Make sure you don't take library books into the wading pool, ok? Mom says that's bad.

Alexander, Sue. World Famous Muriel and the Scary Dragon (thanks, Kittenpie!)
Bachelet, Gilles. My cat, the silliest cat in the world
Baxter, Nicola. The Rainbow Fairies
Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline and the Bad hat
Madeline in London
Bottner, Barbara. Bootsie Barker Bites
Bourgeois, Paulette. Franklin Wants a Pet
Franklin's secret club
Franklin has a sleepover
Franklin's school play
Bridwell, Norman. Clifford and the Big Storm
Clifford's Birthday Party
Clifford's Happy Days: a pop-up book
Clifford Takes a Trip
Clifford's Tricks
Briggs, Raymond. The Snowman(we had a shortened version of it for little kids like me)
Brown, Margaret Wise. The summer noisy book
de Brunhoff, Laurent. Babar the King
Babar's Travels
Child, Lauren. But Excuse Me That is My Book
I am not Sleepy and I will not go to Bed
I will never, not ever Eat a Tomato
Snow is My Favorite and My Best
Chodos-Irvine, Margaret. Best, Best Friends
Clark, Emma Chichester. I Love You, Blue Kangaroo
What Shall We Do, Blue Kangaroo?
Cooper, Helen. The Bear Under the Stairs
Cronin, Doreen. Dooby, Dooby Moo
Diouf, Sylviane. Bintou's Braids
Donaldson, Julia. Charlie Cook's Favourite Book
The Gruffalo
The Gruffalo's Child
Fitch, Sheree. Sleeping Dragons All Around
Freeman, Don. Dandelion
Fujikawa, Gyo. Jenny and Jupie
Gay, Marie-Louise. Caramba
Rabbit Blue
What Are You Doing Sam?
Gilman, Phoebe. The Gypsy Princess
Gonsalves, Rob. Imagine a Day
Guarini, Deborah. Is Your Mama a Llama?
Hoff, Syd. Danny and the Dinosaur
Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp
Hoberman. You Read to Me; I'll Read to you
Hutchins, Pat. Rosie's Walk
Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page. What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
Johnson, Gillian. My Sister Gracie
Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day
Regards to the Man in the Moon
Kuskin, Karla. So, What's it Like to be a Cat?
LeBlanc Cate, Annette. The Magic Rabbit
Levert, Mireille. An Island in the Soup
Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad are Friends
Days with Frog and Toad
Frog and Toad All Year
Frog and Toad Together
Owl at Home
Lunn, Janet. Amos' Sweater
Marshall, Edward. Space Case
Milne. A. A. Christopher Robin Leads and Expotition
Eeyore has a Birthday
Kanga and Roo Come to the Forest
Pooh Goes Visiting
Pooh and Piglet Go Hunting (we have a set with these stories all as separate books but you can find them all and more together in Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner)
Morris, Carla. The Boy Who Was Raised By Librarians
Munsch, Robert. Johnathan Cleaned Up (The Blackberry Subway Jam)
The Paper Bag Princess
Muth, Jon J. Zen Shorts
Novak, Matt. Mouse TV
Numeroff, Laura Joffe. If You Give a Moose a Muffin
If You Take a Mouse to School
Pfister, Marcus. Hopper Hunts for Spring
Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Benjamin Bunny
The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Mom tells me there's lots more of these books. I can hardly wait.)
Rathmann, Peggy. Officer Buckle and Gloria
Reid, Barbara. The Golden Goose
Scarry, Richard. Learn to Count
Please and thank you book
Richard Scarry's funniest storybook ever
Richard Scarry's what do people do all day
Rohmann, Eric. Time Flies
Simmons, Jane. Come Along, Daisy!
Sis, Peter. Going Up
Waving
Stewart, Sarah. The Library
Thayer, Ernest. Casey at the Bat. Illus. by Patricia Polacco (Mom says that the grown ups might really like this version illustrated by Christopher Bing or this more recent one illustrated by Joe Morse.)
Urbanovic, Jackie. Duck at the Door
Wadell, Martin. Let's Go Home, Little Bear
Squeak-a-lot
Wiesner, David. June 29, 1999
Sector 7
Tuesday
Wells, Rosemary. McDuff Comes Home (Do NOT read Shy Charles or Felix the Worrier. They made me feel bad.)
Willems, Mo. Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Wynne-Jones, Tim. The Last Piece of Sky
Zoom Away
Zoom At Sea
Zoom Upstream
Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?
Moon Ball
Zacks, Irene. Space Alphabet

I like non-fiction too! Here are some of my favourite call #'s:

567 Dinosours. I was sooooo into dinosaurs this spring. When I grow up I want to be a Tyrannosaurs... and a teacher and a dancer and an actor and a mommy. I liked this book a lot. It wasn't too grown up:
Petty, Kate. I didn't know Dinosaurs Laid Eggs
520s: Outer space
597: fish and frogs and turtle and sharks. Oh my!
599: Elephants. Ah, sweet, sweet elephants.
Mom just brought home a bunch of science books for kids my age. I will report back on my next list.

Chirp Magazine: I now have my own subscription and I LOVE IT!

I also watch bits and pieces of these cool DVDs with mom: Planet Earth (disc one has a fantastic elephant sequence but beware of all the food chain stuff that goes on just after it. Sometimes, it's hard being an impressionable, 3-yr-old vegetarian) and Blue Planet (hammerhead sharks are sooooo fun).

One last thing: if you find my lists useful, please tell other people about them or link to them because Mom spends a lot of time typing them out for me and she'd like to make sure that all the typing is worth her while. And now, I am going to make her back away from the keyboard so that she can rinse out our bathing suits for tomorrow.

37 comments:

Jenifer said...

Perfect timing we are off to the library tomorrow! Thanks Miss M.

Unknown said...

helpful and shared!
boys here also love to watch the dancing show and make attempts at Mia Michaels style lifts (run at mom's legs and cling on/slide down style)

Anonymous said...

Quite an impressive list, Miss M.

And by the way, the towel pull? You are too young.

Christine said...

miss m--you are quit a reader! you should meet my girl. she loves to read to her brother who is your age. my kids are reading fiends and spend a large amount of their summer in the library with their cute little noses in a book. thanks for the recommendations!

Anonymous said...

I keep threatening to bring a smaller tote bag to the library on our weekly excursions, but it's not likely, especially with two (make that three! I count.) book lovers on the prowl.

These are wonderful lists which I would happily recommend to others. We've read almost all of them, but again, a handy reference for my faulty memory.

Maybe you can help with a book my librarians couldn't locate for me? All I can remember is that it's a book of photographs about a boy's tricycle that goes to the dump, but it gets off the garbage truck and wheels itself all the way back to the boy. I think set in Maine, definitely by the sea.

There's another book about a wheel that falls off a bike and makes the sound "pad-a-rum, pad-a-rum" as it rolls.

karengreeners said...

The Gruffalo HAD A CHILD? How did I not know this? Thank you, Miss M, for being such a prolific reader and keeping me abreast of such important news.

(and you have a really cool mummy.)

Jennifer (ponderosa) said...

Dear Miss M,

My mother told me that I had read every dinosaur book in the world, but then she read me this post and you've read a dinosaur book that I'd never heard of! She promised to take me to the library tomorrow to find them.

You should not be a T.Rex. I am going to be a Long Neck and T.Rexs eat Long Necks, so we could not be friends.

Regards, Sasha

PS I think it's "Sleeping Dragons All Around"

mo-wo said...

Fitch, Sheree. Sleeping Dinosaurs All Around???

there is such a book.

I am still hunting and hunting and hunting for a copy of Sleeping Dragons All Around. It is our fave.

Also, I am on the hunt for some surprises for you. I encouraged schools to send me discards directly this summer. I have about 120 boxes of deletes. Today I closely reviewed Microwave fun for Kids by Madame Benoit but I don't think it fits your collection, exactly. I am keeping the vintage Pete Seeger The Foolish Frog for myself.

Anonymous said...

Chirp magazine...now there's a blast from my past.I used to thumb through copies at our doctors office.I think I might check that out again{for my boys of course!}
Have a great summer of dancing,wading,and reading!

Mad said...

ACK!!!!! That was a typo on my part. Of, course it's Sleeping Dragons All Around.

Mad said...

What's truly pathetic is that Fitch is from here. In fact, she was here last week launching her new adult novel. As a children's book specialist here in Sleepy Town, I know her books better than any others. The typo was a direct consequence of middle-of-the-night typing combined with WAAAAY too many dinosaur books these last 6 months. Skulking off in embarrassment now...

Anonymous said...

I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter myself and this list is an invaluable resource. I've bookmarked it, and we're off to the library now to start working our way through!

Bon said...

dear Miss M...i like a girl who likes to read. i also think you have fine taste, except i'm not sure how it is that Richard Scarry's What People Do All Day did NOT get highlighted on your list. we may have to rectify this oversight on our next date. ;)

speaking of which, my wading pool is open to you at any time.

love Oscar

Melanie D. said...

What a great list! Our B will be five this month and has wandered into the world of chapter books. We are suddenly not readying 300 books a year, for one can take a few weeks. It's really fun!

Hey M, tell your mommy to enjoy her freedom from the desktop!

Beck said...

I cackled all the way through this because our girls like the same books, right down to Chirp! (that is SUCH a terrific magazine - I really, really recommend that everyone with a preschooler subscribe RIGHT NOW.)

This is shocking, but I am NOT the read-alouder in our house. That's daddy's job!

Girlplustwo said...

That M, she's so smart. My M needs some new picks too, so this is great. Tell your mama go enjoy the sun.

crazymumma said...

sniff. we used to get chirp. it was a gift from a friend for Bookangel.

Just so's you know's. the tweenie set is reading the Twilight series....

Run ANC said...

I love the lists - thank you! We recently took out Is Your Mama a Llama and Come Along Daisy from...the library! (I personally love the Yolen dinosaur books.)

BTW, I know you're trying to get AWAY from the computer, but there is a show you and the husband simply must see - if you haven't already - Dr Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. I posted about it at Playdate. You'll love it.

Apollo, mmmmmm. Do you know he has a British accent IRL?

Anonymous said...

Miss M you have a truly generous and selfless mother who shares her knowledge and typing with her blogger friends. My children are grown, but I printed this list for the time (if and when) gulp...grandchildren may be in the picture.
Thank you!

(Your) Anonymous

kittenpie said...

Glad you liked that recommendation...

Lots of good stuff on here, Miss M! Pumpkinpie likes a lot of the same ones, like Madeline, who is big in our storytimes right now.

I write every month or two about what Pumpkinpie's been reading on my Pick of the Litter column, too. Us librarian moms just can't help the list-making, can we?!

Maddy said...

I know nearly all of those. You go girl. Love Syd Hoff.
Cheers

Anonymous said...

Ooh. Lauren Childs. I love Lola and Charlie. They are my most favourite. And the kids dig them, too.

ewe are here said...

Thank you, Miss M. Brilliant list!

Janet said...

Dear Miss M,
Thank you for letting us know about your favorite books. Lots of them are our favorites too, like Paper Bag Princess, all the Pooh stories, and Beatrix Potter (you'll love the rest of them!). We go to the library every week, so we'll get Mom to print out your list and find some of your favorites to read.
We have a wading pool too and we love it. We're going to make Mommy get us elephant floaties now.
love, the Queen and DeBoy

lorac007 said...

Great book list! I want to share a new website I created to honor the amazing legacy of one of the most prolific children's authors and my uncle, Syd Hoff - www.SydHoff.org. Enjoy!

mek said...

Miss M - Because we both like Benjamin Bunny so much, I wanted to tell you about another favorite book I have. It's called I'd Really Like to Eat a Child, and it's about a little crocodile named Achilles. It's funny. There are bananas too, and a smart little girl. I'm glad my mom reads your mom's blog so I can have some new books to find!
- Cora

Magpie said...

I love these lists of yours. I'm going to pull Officer Buckle and Gloria out of the secret book stash right now.

Anonymous said...

Dear Miss M,

Thank you for sharing your new list with us, and thanks to your mommy for typing it up. I always share it with friends. I have been anxiously waiting to see if you enjoyed Knuffle Bunny Too and now feel safe buying it for one of my young friends (I was a hero at Christmas because you had recommended the Ella books and that's a lot to live up to). Thanks for continuing to make me look good :)

I hope you and your mom enjoy your time in the wading pool!

NotSoSage said...

Now, Miss M, here's the big question. Do you pronounce it "Nuffle Bunny" or "Kah-nuffle Bunny"?

cinnamon gurl said...

Ok, I've finally printed out your lists so I have something in hand when I go to the library. I've gotten so many duds and so view gems from the vast selection that I just get overwhelmed... Thanks!

cinnamon gurl said...

Ok, I've finally printed out your lists so I have something in hand when I go to the library. I've gotten so many duds and so view gems from the vast selection that I just get overwhelmed... Thanks!

Aliki2006 said...

I'm so happy to see this list! We're in a bit of a book rut around here, so I'll print this out as c.g. has done.

Emily said...

Just popping in, again, to say thank you for sharing your book obsession. My 2 year old and I are benefitting in the most magnificent ways!

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Chaotic Joy said...

Oooh. Thank your mama for the list. I am sure it was hard for her to do in that hot room. And tell her I also enjoy Battlestar Galactica on DVD and DVR'd SYTYCD.

Anonymous said...

I don't believe you mentionned David Lucas in any of your lists. He is a favourite of my 3 year old daughter, as well as both parents. We've had Nutmeg out of the library 3 times and it just keeps growing on us, but Halibut Jackson is also a winner.