For the Littles:
Pandamonia by Chris Owen
Usborne (Kane Miller) books are known for good illustrations, and we use a number of them in our homeschool. This picture book was a hand-me-down that has become one of our favorites. The book warns you not to wake up the panda at the zoo—or all the animals will go nuts, dancing and singing! I love the bright, high-contrast illustrations, the variety of animals and vocabulary, and the solid rhythm of the writing in this book. This is one I recommend adding to a home library.
A Birthday for Frances by Russell Hoban
Are you familiar with the Frances books? I adore Frances. The illustrations are similar to those of Garth Williams (think Charlotte’s Web) and the writing is dry and funny and spot-on for exactly how a young girl (or in this case, badger) may act when confronted with such injustices as it being your sister’s birthday and not your own.
“Your birthday is always the one that is not now”—Frances.
For the Family:
Uncle Wiggily’s Storybook by Howard R. Garis
This was my book as a child, and my kids request that I read it to them every so often. These stories were written in 1910 and published nationally in newspapers before some of them were compiled into this book. A bunny rabbit gentleman goes about helping children he encounters with problems such as a tooth ache, hatred of freckles, etc. They are sweet short stories with good values.
Baby Island by Carol Ryrie Brink
This is a book about two young sisters getting shipwrecked on a deserted island with four babies! I thought the premise sounded kind of silly—then the introduction by the author basically said, trust me, girls will like this book. Since Brink is also the author of Caddie Woodlawn, I told the girls about the book, expecting them to want to skip it. The girls said, “read it now, Mom!” And we all enjoyed it much more than I suspected we would—the little stories about how they survived with the babies were cute and funny, and Brink is a skillful writer, so the prose was solid. If you have a girl who wants to babysit someday, you should read her this book.
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
I read this many years ago, but it was a fun one to revisit (very different from the movie!). There are many laugh-out-loud moments, and it did make me feel like I’m doing an ok job of parenting my modest amount of five children. Most of all, I liked how this book was written from a clear point of happy memories and love for the family, even though the parents were far from perfect.
For Me:
Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
This is the first Miss Marple mystery. A man no one likes is murdered in a quaint English village—so many suspects, and one old lady who is wise to them all. I was in the mood for a classic mystery, so this one fit the bill. If you aren’t familiar with Agatha Christie (queen of mystery!) then I would say this is a pretty good place to start (though my very favorite of hers is And Then There Were None).
M is for Mama: A Rebellion Against Mediocre Motherhood by Abbie Halberstadt
I’d seen this author on Instagram doing dance videos with one of her 10 children, which I actually thought was sort of weird, but to each her own! I don’t really like books that are like “you’ve got this, Mama!”, but I thought this book was decent. Some chapters were really good (especially when she talks about time management and priorities), and some I skipped because I felt like I’d read it before elsewhere (most of her parenting advice chapters—they weren’t bad, but weren’t new info to me). I think this book is probably written for moms of younger kids, just starting out—I think I would have been more into it five years ago. Also, there’s sort of this backwards phrasing of “oooh we are being rebellious against the world!’ by actually being obedient to Christ. But I think “obedient to Christ motherhood” would sell less books!
Baby by Patricia MacLachlan
MacLachlan is also the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall. This is a middle-grade novel about a family who lost a baby at birth—three months later, someone abandons a baby on their doorstep with the promise that she will return for the baby girl. The book is poetically and beautifully written, grappling with the family’s grief and their struggle to raise that baby (for over a year!) knowing the mother would return. I didn’t do this as a read-aloud because it would hit too close to home for our kids, but I enjoyed it for myself.
Love Comes Softly by Janette Oak
A woman moves out West, her husband immediately dies, and she marries a widower with a baby girl the same day. Also—she’s pregnant! This book was better than I expected, since it’s one of the first “Christian” genre novels. I particularly liked the main character’s understandably bad attitude for most the book. Skip the movie though—it is a prequel, and was really awful!
Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan
Having five children, living in (though not being from) the Midwest, and also loving food more than I probably should, I feel a kinship with Jim Gaffigan. This is not a deep read, but I laughed and laughed (especially at the chapter on Southern food, since I’m from Tennessee and know it all to be true.)
“The South will never rise again—and you can blame the biscuits and gravy.” - Jim Gaffigan
Writing Update:
Local friends, take note! Monday, 4/10, 2:30pm, Why Silas Miller Must Learn to Ride a Bike activities & reading at the Family Vision Library. Free & open to all. (email or text me if you have questions—I’m planning an activity-based reading, fun for all ages!)