I’ve taken several bloggy breaks over the last three years, but I don’t think any of them have been more enjoyable than last week’s. OH MY WORD. I went to the library and checked out about twenty books, and I can’t even tell you how many times the little guy and I climbed up on the bed in the guest room and opened our respective books and then read and read and read and read.
And read.
(Hey – anybody have some suggestions for chapter books that would be fun for Alex and me to read together? He’s been bitten by the book worm in a big way, so I’d love to read some great stuff this summer. And if the book is part of a series, all the better.)
In addition to reading All The Books, I also caught up on the last two issues of Southern Living (which, in my humble estimation, is Officially Southern again – I even felt a little giddy when I pulled the May and June issues out of the mailbox), watched Kris Allen sing “Heartless” about fifteen times, recorded a podcast with Melanie and Travis that we’ll never be able to use because I sound like I’m screaming in a tunnel made of tin, had a few a-ha moments about ye olde bloggy bidness and basically just had a whole bunch of laid-back fun with my people.
I also laughed my head off at this:
Do you know what that is? Why, IT IS A TREASURE.
Finally, I’ll be back a little later today with a deeeee-lightful giveaway:
OH YES MA’AM.
Stay tuned!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Welcome back! I’ve been away too. I felt kind of guilty, but I was just empty and had to refuel…
I don’t know if this book is still in print or not, or if it’s only a “girl’s” book, but my mother read ‘The Bad Times Of Irma Baumlein” to my sister and I one summer and I loved it! Good lesson on the importance of telling the truth and being yourself. If you choose this book, please let me know how you and Alex like it! Happy Monday!!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:47 am
I haven’t read every suggestion here (cleaning bathrooms! Hurray for me) but my son, who is almost 12 now, (go ahead cry for me-it goes by toooo quick) loved the HARDY BOYS! We started reading them to him when he was 4. He loves books–he never goes anywhere without one in his hand. Yes, doesn’t go anywhere without a book–I did NOT say his DS. He has very limited video game time (we don’t have a system in the house–he has a Nintendo DS) but he does have unlimited book time. Sometimes he gets too involved in a book and loses focus on school! But he brings it back around again to keep a straight A average. Ok, now I’m bragging–I’m sorry! I loved the visual of you two up on the guest bed reading together. Kudos and “mommy hugs” to you!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Twenty years ago, The Boxcar Children series was a favorite of my son. I’m pretty sure that the library still has them. They are classic reading at its’ best. Happy summer and reading to you both!!!!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I will not repeat all of the great books, but one collection I must give a shout out for is Cul-de-sac Kids by Bevely Lewis is a set of 24 and are super. Wayside school series is great too…glad you are back, missed you the most after last weeks AI show.
Are you gonna watch Gillian tonight meet her group of men?
May 18th, 2009 at 11:07 am
Hi Sophie,
I love your blog. You make me smile and laugh. My son loved Stuart Little. He was about 5 when I read that to him. He also loved Ralph S. Mouse, Runaway Ralph, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Henry and Ribsy and other Beverly Cleary books. He also likes the Hank the Cowdog series. Hope these suggestions are helpful.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Someone already mentioned this, but I have to agree with the Magic Tree House books – great series, educational and FUN. My son devoured them!
May 18th, 2009 at 11:21 am
As a 1st and 2nd grade teacher for the past 22 years, I would recommend the author Bill Wallace. He has written many books over the past 25-30 years that would appeal to all ages. For the young reader, he and his wife and daughter have written many books with animals as the central characters. When your son is older, he might enjoy the adventure books that Bill Wallace wrote like Danger in Quicksand Swamp. A Dog Called Kitty and Beauty are two absolutely wonderful books also, but you will need a tissue (or three). Happy Reading!
May 18th, 2009 at 11:22 am
I don’t know if someone has suggested this yet but “The invention of Hugo Cabret” is the most amazing, magical, suck-me-in book for kids I’ve seen in a long time. You’ll probably want to buy it. It’s part novel, part history, and part graphic novel, so don’t forget to study the pictures. Little man will be mesmerized, and so will you.
May 18th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I’d recommend the “Black Stallion” Series by Walter Farley & any book by Jim Kjelgaard (he wrote “Big Red” & a bunch of other dog books).
May 18th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Favorite Books:
Dangerous Journey
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
The Penderwicks
Stuart Little
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Winnie the Pooh
Happy Reading this summer!
May 18th, 2009 at 11:59 am
I highly recommend the Magic Tree House series. Both of my boys loved them. They are age appropriate for 1-3 grade. This series inspired my oldest to bean avid reader.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Hey, how about Magic Tree House? Because 8 million people haven’t already suggested them or anything. My girls (kinder and first grade) love them. I think the Narnia books would be good for reading together at this age. Oh I love the idea of children reading. Ask the children’s librarian for more suggestions. They’re in the know, you know.
May 18th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Oh, and you forgot to tell us what book you managed to read in two days last weekend. Please, please share.
May 18th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I haven’t read all comments yet but here are our faves:
Boxcar children – lots of them
Encyclopedia Brown
Hardy Boys
Beverly Cleary – even the girls ones we laugh out loud
Miss Piggle Wiggle – who doesn’t love that name?
I miss the times of reading with the kidlets! ENJOY!
May 18th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Love the Boxcar Children and, of course, Narnia. We’re going to listen to Narnia on CD this summer, I’m determined.
Welcome back!
May 18th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I popped in here just to read the comments, because my Kyle is a year younger than Alex, I think, but he’s wanting chapter books.
I agree wholeheartedly with Magic Tree House. Also — The first 3 Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder are pretty boy friendly. If you’ll recall, there’s lots of hunting and log cabin building.
My daughter never loved these books as I did, but I’m planning on unleashing them on Kyle this summer.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings series.
These would be read by you to him. Probably. My husband is reading them to our 4.5 year old and he loves, loves them.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Tra-la-la that was fun. :)
May 18th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
My first grade class enjoys reading these chapter book series:
Junie B. Jones, Cam Jansen, Flat Stanley, Magic Treehouse, Amelia Bedilia, Mrs. PIggle Wiggle, Frog and Toad, Little Bear…to name a few. If you are reading aloud, they like the Ramona books, Mouse on the Motorcyle books and E.B. White books (Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little, Trumpet of the Swan). I love anything written or illustrated by James Marshall (my favorite children’s author/illustrator). There is a good children’s version of the Little House books available now (the real books are a little wordy for younger children). Have fun reading!
May 18th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
My kindergarten students *beg* for just one more chapter of Junie B. Jones every day at snacktime. She is says and does the most hilarious things. (Not things you’d want your little man to do, but she’s very entertaining!) They are very age-appropriate for Alex.
Thanks for the SNL link – hilarious, especially since I can remember spending the night at my grandparents’ house as a kid in the 70′s watching Lawrence Welk with a big bowl of popcorn with real butter and lots of salt.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Glad you had a good break! It’s great that Alex likes to read with you.
I have 3 boys, and we’ve read TONS of books. Repeating some of the others – the Magic Treehouse and Box Car Children series are both great.
Not as well known, and not really chapter books, but loved in our house are the Billy & Blaze books (about 8 of them) by C.W. Anderson, about a boy and his horse; and for just plain silly fun – the Fly Guy books by Tedd Arnold.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
I highly recommend the Wilderking Trilogy by Jonathan Rogers. These are based on the life of David and are great read alouds if you can contain the laughter.
May 18th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Must read Bark of the Bog Owl to your little man. It is a series and he will beg for more!!
http://www.wilderking.com/
May 18th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Have you tried A Series of Unfortunate Events? There are 13 of them, all with 13 chapters and a mystery that runs throughout the series. It’s not for every kid. The series is pretty sarcastic in tone, but it’s also great for building vocab and it’s just a hoot all around. Good for kids who like Roald Dahl books besides Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
My boys LOVE the series “The Adventures of Benjamin Bartholamew Pith”. The author’s last name is Lethcoe.
I even read them to my older son’s class and they were a huge hit.
May 18th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
When I taught 2nd grade, my boys loved Captain Underpants; the Goosebumps series by RL Stine; and Magic Treehouse was the hands down fave.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
My daughter and I love the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle series. I read them when I was younger and love that I can read them with my little one now.
They may be a little hard for him to read on his own, but the stories are so funny!
Happy reading!
May 18th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I’m saving the video till tomorrow to watch so I can laugh then. I can’t wait.
Chapter books–my boys and I love:
Sign of the Beaver
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Follow My Leader {boy goes blind, but it’s a great book!}
Pedro’s Journal {about Christopher Columbus}
And I want to take a blog break too! You lucky woman you. I have to save mine for when I move.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
Books-
My daughter was about Alex’s age when Hubs started reading the Little House series with her. He went through all the Laura books. I think a boy would like it, too. Later on, she read them all for herself.
Others we love are Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Stuart Little, and Charlotte’s Web.
May 18th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
oh my gosh, these comments are like a treasure trove. Is that even a word? Trove? I obviously need to read more. I’m now dying to get “The invention of Hugo Cabret” thanks to one of the comments.
What a great conversation!
May 18th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
A list, in no particular order: Junie B. Jones, Cam Jansen, Nate the Great, Horrible Harry, Boxcar Children, The Littles. And take it from a fourth grade teacher, we are quite glad you are interested in CHAPTER books with Little Guy at this young age!
May 18th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
My kindergarten son and I are enjoying the Ready Freddy books by Abby Klein. I read them aloud to him and he loves them. They are about a 1st grade boy and things that happen at school. The first book is Tooth Trouble about being the last kid in his class to lose his tooth.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
The Geronimo Stilton books are silly funny and wonderful reads, Hank the Cowdog is a series that kids love too.
May 18th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Marvin Redpost books are hilarious for little boys- and for me :) They’re kind of a Junie B with a male character. My favorite is Why Pick on Me. It centers around a rumor going around school that Marvin is a nose-picker and so he does a project to see how many nosepickers there actually are. I laughed really hard.
Junie B Jones really can’t be beat for that age group and my fabulous first grader teacher bud reads them to all her kids to start them on chapter books. I still laugh now at them and have many 5th graders that love them.
Oh, and Horrible Harry books are hilarious too!
Those are the series that I always direct my lower readers (I teach 5th) to and have great success with. Everyone loves a silly little kid to laugh at :)
May 18th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Hi – I’m pretty new to your blog but couldn’t help make a book suggestion – the Magic Tree House series is fabulous! I teach 1st-2nd grade and my kids get so into those books that they ask to skip recess to keep reading! I love them too, and they are really educational. There are non fiction guides that go along with several to give you more info. You do need to read them in order though (and there are 40 some books so it will keep you in books for awhile!). Another series that my kids really like (me not so much though) is the Horrible Harry set. Happy Reading! Kim in MI
May 18th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I know a couple of other people have already mentioned her, but Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones books are HILARIOUS! As an elementary librarian, I constantly have to replace our copies of this series because the kids FLAT WEAR THEM OUT! They are the perfect length for younger listeners and they can totally relate to Junie B.’s antics. I think there are about 25 books in the series now…
May 18th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
My boys could not read the Magic Treehouse books fast enough! Plenty to keep him reading all summer!
May 18th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
so what were you reading????? i always love getting new ideas for something great to read! enjoy your blog :) you give my days a laugh. Bless you, heather
May 18th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Magic Treehouse, Junie B. Jones – my kids loved when we read Charlotte’s Web together!!!
May 19th, 2009 at 6:54 am
The Fabulous Flight / Robert McCloskey (totally hilarious for both kids and adults)
Rabbit Hill / R. McCloskey (good for animal lovers)
Mr Popper’s Penguins / can’t remember author
The Saturdays (series) / Elizabeth Enright (sweet series about 4 siblings in the ’40s)
Swallows and Amazons (series)/ Arthur Ransome (fun imaginative sailing adventures of British siblings)
Winnie the Pooh (series)/ A.A. Milne (the original Pooh is a thousand times sweeter and funnier than the Disney version)
just some of my faves – I love children’s literature! :)
May 19th, 2009 at 7:10 am
p.s. also the Tintin books by Herge – especially fun for boys
May 19th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
Wrinkle in Time series, Madeleine L’Engle
Little House series (yes, even boys love them)
Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Joan Aiken
Peter Pan
The Youngest Templar, Michael Spradlin
The Little Riders, Magaretha Shemin
May 19th, 2009 at 9:25 am
So many readers have suggested great books, but here’s one for you: “Honey for a Child’s Heart” by Gladys Hunt. In it, she gives book lists for every age and stage of reading and they’re all books that have wonderful characters and stories. We have been using it for a year now, and my kids have become great readers and lovers of books. I highly recommend it for some great reading ideas. Happy book hunting!
May 19th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Chapter books that we’ve enjoyed include Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (series), The Boxcar Children, My Father’s Dragon, Little House on the Prairie, and The Wizard of Oz (series). The Magic Treehouse are also a favorite, and there is passport that you can download and add “stamps” as you read each book. My daughter loves taking the three-question quiz and adding the stamps to her passport.
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/magictreehouse/activities_passport.html
May 19th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
There are plenty of book ideas for you and Alex at Sonlight curriculum. They have lists by age level and most are available at the library. Plus. They’re all fabulous ;)
http://www.sonlight.com/read-alouds.html
May 19th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
This may sound like a gross book but it’s right up a boy’s alley! I remember my own son, Alex, checking this out at the library when he was about six or seven. We read it each night along with his two younger sisters and they all loved it! The name is “How to Eat Fried Worms” … by Thomas Rockwell. We also enjoyed reading the classics at that age too … Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, etc. Fried Worms may have been turned into a tv movie .. not sure and I haven’t done the research. You can read a chapter of Fried Worms here: http://www.amazon.com/How-Fried-Worms-Thomas-Rockwell/dp/0440445450
May 20th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
You should read the Junie B. Jines series for sure- nothing (but your blog) is funnier- you will enjoy them as much as he will! Also- Captain Underpants and Nate the Great. Happy reading!
May 21st, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Even though most others have suggested these, The Boxcar Children and Hardy Boys were always great! I remember sneaking into my brother’s room to borrow his Hardy Boys books. The Swiss Family Robinson might be fun too, as an introduction to the classics, just be ready to build a treehouse :)
May 21st, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Aliens for Breakfast (Lunch, Dinner are the sequels). Just about perfect for a little boy his age.