September book group reads

Fiction
Diamond Willow (Frost)
Madapple (Meldrum)
Keeping Score (Park)
Trouble (Schmidt)

Nonfiction
Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West (Fleischman)


Depending on when the library gets these . . .
The Hunger Games (Collins)
The Porcupine Year (Erdrich)
Brooklyn Bridge (Hesse)
My One Hundred Adventures (Horvath)
Knife of Never Letting Go (Ness)
Wonder Bear (Nyeu)
Impossible (Werlin)

finishing Harry Potter

He did it! E finished the first Harry Potter book. We took his picture when he started it and when we finished it - both happened on the hammock. I asked E if he was any different, now that he had read such a momentus book. He thought about it very seriously and said, "I think my voice is deeper." We watched most of the movie as a treat after finishing the book - had to skip some of the super scary parts. Last week at school when I picked up the kids, E was leading his friends in playing "Hedwig's bithday."
We have a plan to read one Harry Potter per summer. We'll finish the series when he is 11 - perfect!

book group reads

Here is what my children's/young adult literature book group is reading for next month. We have a colleague currently chairing the Caldecott Committee so we are heavy into picture books.

Picture books
Night Running: How James Escaped with the Help of his Faithful Dog (Carbone)
Tadpole Rex (Cyrus)
Buffalo Music (Fern)
Twenty Heartbeats (Haseley)
Metal Man (Reynolds)
Little Blue Truck (Schertle)
Dog and Bear - Two's Company (Seeger)
The House in the Night (Swanson)
The Pigeon Wants a Puppy (Willems)

Fiction
My Dad's a Birdman (Almond)
The Underneath (Appelt)
Savvy (Law)

Graphic novels
Benny and Penny in Just Pretend (Hayes)

Nonfiction
Nic Bishop Frogs (Bishop)

I am reading The Underneath - and it's glorious. The writing sings and weeps and is so moving. It's too mature for E because of a very cruel adult center to the story but I look forward to sharing it with him when he's older.

ala

I am off to the American Library Association annual conference in Anaheim. Five days away from my family - which is enticing and yet as soon as I am sated with quiet I will miss them terribly - and many dinners, breakfasts and lunches with authors, illustrators, editors, and colleagues. I am most looking forward to dinner with Jon Scieszka and lunch with Megan McDonald - author of E's beloved Stink books.
As the incoming Newbery chair, I have it pretty easy this conference. Some information to take in but no huge commitments. I'll be free to go to programs and events - maybe even a Disney park some evening.
Every sleeping body in the house got a kiss this morning and now I am off to the airport. Hold tight while I am gone.
Best,
pdxkatie

omh - let's go to Jane Austen Camp

A B&B in Vermont is hosting Jane Austen weekends - four per year and each year they are picking a different book to focus on. It's Jane Austen Camp! This year the book is Persuasion - solid, good, but not my fav. Next year it's Pride & Prejudice. OMG! I love this!

three milestones

E had three milestones this weekend:

He frosted and decorated his first cake all by himself - one for THDC for Father's Day at local bakery.

He signed himself up for Summer Reading at the Library (I was so proud!).

And he started his first Harry Potter book ever! We are going to read one together every summer so he'll be 11 when he finishes the series - perfect! And then he can start over again. I took this picture right before we started the book - I'll take a picture every year when we start the next book.