Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Top Ten Tuesday  is a Meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish This week's TTT topic: Books for Christmas Usually when I do this post, I only do books I'm giving the kids in my life for Christmas. This year I'm including four I desperately want at the end. For Bit (age 12): For LM (age 8): For the Niece (age 4; ALMOST 5): For Nephew (age 1):  (Ummm...I THINK these are the ones I got him. Maybe? I wrapped them and mailed them a while ago so possibly they are different. But two from this series definitely.) What I Want: You know how they've been slowly redoing all of Diana Wynne Jones's books in the UK and they are amazing? Well they finally did the Dalemark Quartet and LOOK AT THEM. This series has needed amazing covers for a looooonnnnggg time. I love them all but especially Drowned Ammet and The Spellcoats . They are so beautiful. What books are you gifting or longing for this holiday season?

July is half over and it is almost time for the Painter kids to get back to school. Usually we would be starting school now as I have us on a year-round schedule, but my parents are visiting at the end of the month so we are waiting until the first week of August. I am hard at work at preparing for it though. Here is a sampling of some of the fun things in store. Bit is going to be in fifth grade. I am a bit blown away that my daughter is now old enough to be in the grade I used to teach. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN???? As she pointed out to her father a bit ago (nearly sending him into apoplexy), she would be getting her Hogwarts letter this year if she were a British witch. Anyway, our history journey has brought us to Explorers through 1815. We will be reading a lot of historical fiction that takes place during the time plus some great non-fiction, plus some other books I think she will enjoy. A sampling: There will be some classics thrown in there too: Anne of Green Gab...

May means Birthdays in the Painter house and I always like to share the books I'm giving (and receiving) for those birthdays. LM is turning 6 and this is what he is getting: Bit is turning 10 (still trying to wrap my head around that) and this is what she is getting: And I had a birthday last week and here is what I picked up with a gift card I received: Plenty of happy reading to keep us occupied during the move!

A review featuring Bit, age 8 (but only for two more days!) So here we are at Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows . We are finished. I'm a little sad, but mostly just cherish this experience I have had reading these books to her, and hope her brother lets me do the same thing with him.   The Story The wizarding world is in the worst circumstances it's been in. Harry is being hunted by everyone, while he, Ron, and Hermione are attempting to hunt down the means of destroying Voldemort once and for all. Bit's Thoughts This is the perfect way to end the series. There are parts that make me sad, and parts that make me happy. Harry got annoying again, but made up for it in the end. A lot of stuff surprised me, but I can't say what. You should definitely read the whole series so you can read this book. It was my favorite one in the series.  My Thoughts I loved this book when it first came out, and I still love it. Reading it again reminded me of just how...

Reading Harry Potter to Bit has been one of the most fun experiences of my life and I have managed to stretch it out over three years. It is coming to an end though as I promised to read the last two books back to back and we have finished The Half Blood Prince.   The Story The wizarding world knows of Lord Voldemort's return and fears are running high. People are disappearing or found dead. The Ministry is powerless to find the Death Eaters or stop their destruction. Hogwarts isn't even safe anymore as strange and terrifying attacks are harming students. Yet school is still school. There are lessons to learn, Quidditch to play, and girls eager to slip Harry love potion for the chance of a date with him. To add to this stress Ron and Hermione are at odds again, Harry is convinced Draco is up to something nefarious and no one will listen to him, and Dumbledore is giving Harry extra lessons about Tom Riddle's dark past. Fortunately Harry is getting a little extra help fr...

May is Birthday month in the Painter house. My birthday and both kids birthdays fall in this month so there is lots of book buying happening. I don't know what books I'll be getting this year, but I do like to share what I'm giving the kids for their birthdays. For Bit (who is turning 9): I''m also giving her all my copies of the Kat books as she and I have shared that whole adventure together via read aloud and she loves them so much. In other book related gifts she is getting this poster from Scholastic by Raina Telgemeier to put on her wall. For LM-I needed a new nickname for him for blogging/twitter; Bit wanted me to call him Rock Star in Training. I'm going with Little Musician or LM at this point. (who is turning 5):  Others may be added. There is a Scholastic warehouse sale calling my name next weekend.

Featuring Bit, age 8 I have never reviewed Megan Whalen Turner's books because sometimes it is hard to talk about something you have THAT MUCH love for. They come up in My Favorite Things posts a lot. I wrote this for The Queen's Thief Week Chachic hosted. But writing individual reviews? I just have never been able to contemplate that. Yet if it is possible to write a review for one it is The Thief . Bit begged for months to have this book as a read aloud. I kept putting it off because a) I thought it might still be too mature for her and b) if she didn't like it I would have been devastated. Recently I decided it was time to give in, particularly as I could make it fit in with the study of Ancient Greece and Rome we have been doing for history. I couldn't have been happier with her reactions. The Story (From Goodreads) The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief...

Featuring Bit (Age 8) Bit and I are continuing our slow reading of the Harry Potter books. (This journey will be coming to an end this summer as I have promised to read books 6 & 7 back to back. I'm really kind of sad about this.) I was nervous about The Order of the Phoenix because aside from the first book and last book it is my favorite. I didn't have as many issues reading this one aloud as I did with The Goblet of Fire ( our thoughts ). The Story Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected... Bit's Thoughts   I really liked The Order of the Phoenix , but I think Harry is getting too obnoxious. He's whiny and spends too much time feeling sorry for himself. Now I wish ...

Bit and I reviewed The Penderwicks together following the first time I read it to her. She just read it independently for the first time. As it was for school she had to write a critique when she finished it and immediately asked if I would put it on here. I agreed. Here is the original review she participated in for comparison. I love how she thinks the story takes place in 1995. Why 1995??? (She had no explanation for why she chose that year when asked.)  Review by Bit (age 8, third grade) I think the Penderwicks was a very good book. The characters are interesting and the setup was interesting. My favorite character is Skye. (Although most of the time her attitude is not one to copy.) I think Skye looks like me! Skye, for some reason is easy to understand. My second favorite character is Batty because she is funny, plus she reminds me of my brother Charlie . My third favorite character is Jane. Jane likes to read and write like me! My fourth favorite ...

November is Picture Book Month ! This is the one time of year I do anything about picture books on this blog. The MG/YA scene is more my thing. Still I read a lot of picture books every year too and this is the perfect time to share my favorites. I said last year and I'll say again, the only criteria used for this list is that I and my test subjects thoroughly enjoy the books. My test subjects (at Boo in the Zoo): And Then It's Sprin g by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Erin E. Stead This is a story of the changing of the seasons and the cycle of life-and the patience and waiting involved in both-as seen through the eyes of a young child. Fogliano's prose are spare and to the point and Stead's art is a perfect match down to every detail. Chopsticks by Amy Krause Rosentha , illustrated by Scott Magoon This one is a big hit, I and the kids all prefer it to Spoon . (And we like Spoon quite a lot.) It is "Not exactly a sequel to Spoon. More like a chan...