Elections and government unit

With the big 2020 election coming up, I wanted to take advantage of all the news and attention and divert it into a unit for our homeschool. These are the books I gathered to guide us. Posting this now so we can come back to it again because we didn't get to all of the books before it was time to move on. The top 4 we own and the bottom row we borrowed from the library. 

The Constitution of the United States of America. Illustrated by Sam Fink.

What's the Big Deal about Elections by Ruby Shamie and Matt Faulkner

Duck for President by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin (just for fun:)

Marching with Aunt Susan by Claire Rudolf Murray

Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz

Vote for Our Future by Margaret McNamara

This is Our Constitution by Kkizr Khan

Know Your Rights by Laura Barcella

Others I would like to add to a future unit:

We the People: The United States Constitution Explained by Evan Sargent and Aura Lewis

Finish the Fight by Veronica Chambers

Ancient Times Study with Story of the World

 I LOVE history and couldn't wait to share more about the past with our kids. I purchased Story of the World Volumes 1-4 on a sale a few years ago, the books and the audio. We have LOVED the audio. The kids ask for it in the car all the time. For at least a year, we would play that and not do anything else with history. We were still figuring out our groove with homeschool and I wasn't ready to add anything to our morning time, language arts and math routine yet. 

This past fall (2020) seemed like a good time to start diving in more. I decided to start with the beginning: Ancient Times. I looked up lots of lists of books to go along with this volume and grabbed a bunch from the library. Pictured here are the ones that we used the most. We already had lots of ancient Egypt books because it is a passion of Bridger's! It's been fun to study and see them recall stories that we've listened to already.

I kept these out September-late November in a big basket in the living room until they were replaced with Christmas books on December 1. We listened to SOTW together, looked at maps and read these together. My kids are 8 and under so we didn't get too intense or deep with our ancient times study. I mostly wanted it to be about exposure. My plan is to work through the rest of the SOTW volumes (one a semester) and then loop back around to Volume 1 when we "finish" them. So this won't be the last time we study this. 

You can use this list for your library holds:

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Diana Bentley

Atlas of the Ancient World by Anne Millard

Pyramid by David Macaulay

First History Encyclopedia (a DK book)

Ancient Civilizations (DK eyewitness)

How the Sphinx Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland (her whole series is great, we have them all)

Of Numbers and Stars the Story of Hypatia by D. Anne Love

Pompeii by Richard Platt

Pompeii (DK discoveries)

We did not read get around to reading The Golden Goblet or The Bronze Bow but I kept them here to remember when we come back around to ancient studies in a couple of years.

There are lots of books about mummies and ancient Egypt out there so I won't bother listing the ones we have. 

You'll find so much just searching "ancient times" or "ancient _____" in your library's search engine. And in my experience, librarians are so happy to help you find what you're looking for or even things you didn't know you needed!

And if you can't find them at your library, Thriftbooks is another great place to check. 

Others I didn't get a picture of before returning to the library: 

Mesopatamia by Phillip Steele (a DK book!)

Pompeii: The Day a City was Buried by Melanie Rice

The Trojan Horse by Warwick Hutton

Ancient Civilizations by Joe Fullman (another DK book!)

And here is Read Aloud Revival's ancient times book list.

Favorite authors and illustrators.

Awhile ago on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, Sarah MacKenzie had a lovely episode about Barbara Cooney. In the introduction, she discussed how anytime you see Barbara Cooney on a cover of a book, whether you be at a book sale or garage sale or thrift store, grab that book! I began wondering what other authors/illustrators elicit the same response from me and started this list. I've had this post in my drafts for MONTHS because I kept adding to it. I could probably add more but then this post would never end! I'm sure you know lots of these, but maybe you'll find some new ones. 

Barbara Cooney

Barbara Cooney...of course! My favorite is not pictured here because it is buried in my Christmas book box... The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. 

Lynne Cherry

We love Lynne Cherry's books about the environment and her beautiful and intricate illustrations! 

Linda Glaser

Linda Glaser is close to my heart! She was actually my parent educator at ECFE, a preschool program in Minnesota before I realized she is also a prolific children's book author. She has many books about nature but my favorite is Emma's Poem.

Ruth Heller

Ruth Heller has been a classic for decades. Take a peek inside and the reason is obvious.

Wendy Pfeffer

We need more Wendy Pfeffer in our lives. We Gather Together has a companion for each season and discusses seasonal traditions around the world and throughout time.

Gail Gibbons

Gail Gibbons has very kid-friendly explanatory illustrations.

Jessie Hartland

 Jessie Hartland. We've had How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum for years until I realized there were more! They are just a great and the kids LOVE them. 

Jim LaMarche

I was obsessed with The Rainbabies as a child so I was delighted to find more books illustrated (and written!) by Jim LaMarche. They are breathtaking and often requested at our house. 

Virginia Lee Burton

Virginia Lee Burton was a mother of sons and it shows! Our boys are big fans. I loved the biography we read about her as well, Big Machines.

Kevin Henkes

In 2019, Kevin Henkes won the Children's Literature Legacy Award and no wonder! His stories demonstrate that he truly understands children. Each one is so perfect. I grew up reading Weekend with Wendell and Owen.

Brad Metzler and Christopher Eliopoulos

We are BIG fans of the Ordinary People Change the World the series from Brad Meltzer and Christopher Eliopoulos. They really engage our kids and inspire them to make good choices now. And have also inspired lots of study into flying, social justice, astrophysics and more. The corresponding PBS series, Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum is also fantastic. They go back in time to meet the different historical figures. 

Betsy Bowen

Betsy Bowen is a northern Minnesota treasure! Her woodcut illustrations are so intricate and depict northern life perfectly. 

Patricia Polacco

Patricia Polacco has been a favorite of mine since my mother read The Triple Dam Creek Dam Affair to us as kids. She has so many great ones, too many to photograph! However, I think Babushka Baba Yaga is my favorite.

Jan Brett

Jan Brett is definitely a favorite too. I remember inspecting her delicate details in The Wild Christmas Reindeer as child. Now I do the same with my kids Hedgie's Surprise. I think Mossy is my favorite. We have lots of her holiday books too.

Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom

My sister sent us this series of books and they quickly became favorites. The kids, especially Colden, request them frequently. The illustrations are mesmerizing and the messages empowering. Sometimes we think kids can't comprehend big ideas like this, but they totally can.

Eliza Wheeler

 

Eliza Wheeler is a GIFT. Her imaginative perspective on the seasons in Miss Maple's Seeds is extraordinary. Home in the Woods is pretty new and an absolute treasure. Go grab it!

Quick list for thrifting or the library:

Barbara Cooney

Lynne Cherry

Linda Glaser

Ruth Heller

Wendy Pfeffer

Gail Gibbons

Jessie Hartland

Jim LeMarche

Virginia Lee Burton

Kevin Henkes

Brad Metzler and Christopher Eliopoulos

Betsy Bowen

Patricia Polacco

Jan Brett

Kobi Yamada and Mae Besom

Eliza Wheeler

Love for libraries

I wrote this in my journal recently and when I realized it was National Library Week this week, I wanted to share it.

I remember the old brick library in downtown Chipley.
I remember its musty book smell.

I remember the old KMS library. The top shelves covered in diaramas of Indian homes and solar systems. I remember the faded carpet we sat on. The stern librarian might have turned many kids away from books, but not me. I remember the large mural of book spines.
But mostly I remember the tall stacks on the far edges. I remember a story of a young girl in the Depression. She learned to make bread and sell it. She became the literal family breadwinner.

I remember the book fairs. So many shiny new books. Mostly I remember the 4th grade book fair with my stack of new books. Waiting in line. I waited until I should not have waited anymore. Afraid to lose my spot in line or my pretty stack of wonderful works and new places; I don't know. I waited til my body said "run!" Still I waited. My warm wet jeans told everyone that I waited too long! (I'll venmo you $5 if you have a more embarrassing story from 4th grade.)

Better memories came in fifth grade. I spent the night in the library with my nerdy peers. I slept in my sleeping bag, under a table next to my favorite stack.

Summers brought trips to the new county library. Its icy coolness welcomed us.

In middle school, my AR points quickly acheived...I wandered to the tall stacks again. These new stacks taught me new wonders and horrors. Here I first grasped an understanding of social justice as I read about Auschwitz. I read all the books in those tall stacks about the Holocaust and WWII. My friends read the Babysitters Club. I did too and then I read Anne Frank.

In high school, the library was for AV club and the computer lab.
But those earlier libraries had done what they needed to.
I was a voracious reader and spent my own money on books.
Mom let us loose in Books-a-Million and I read Pride and Prejudice. I read about heartbreak and loss. I read and read and read.

The Chipola library was for studying and avoiding old boyfriends.
The BYU library was for digital research but I still enjoyed its musty smell.

As a new mother, libraries came to aid again. I learned to breastfeed because of a library. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding was my angel, rescuer, lactation consultant.
Later, at a loss for how to spend our days, we clapped and sang with a cheerful storyteller.
And I brought home stacks and stacks of colorful picture books. A deeper love for children's literature was re-born.

Again, I wandered to those tall stacks. This time I dipped my toes in environmental justice. In new parenting methods. In going back to local foods. Pregnant again, I pushed a stroller through the tall stacks. I found the books about natural birth. About midwifery. And in the woods, a new path opened up and I took it.

Library visits brought substance to our days. My two and then 3 small children cut their teeth on library board books. On Patricia Pollaco, on Cynthia Rylant.

Now in a new state, the library was our first outing. As home educators, it is our social scene, our playroom and it is our curriculum.

God bless libraries.

This morning

Because every post needs a photo. Diamond Fork Canyon last weekend.

So really...Instagram has eaten my blog. Sigh. It's just too easy. But since Nate and I switched phones today so he can use mine for the maps, I'll do a quick post just for old time's sake ;)

This morning we are watching the leaves dance in the chilly air.
We are making apple chips for the first time.
And listening to Justin Nozuka.

Currently reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I'm enjoying the positive stories of natural childbirth. (But I'll admit, there is some weeeeird stuff in there). I like that many of these women didn't practice a certain method or philosophy during pregnancy, they simply trusted their bodies and had supportive people around them at the time of birth. I'm finding my "you can do it!" attitude. Also searching for a good doula. Know of one?

And now a message from Bridger:
0:21 nm  fz vbn          b;> n, KM

Book Series: Old + New Favorites

I haven't posted as much as I've wanted during my March Up to Parr Book Series, moving takes up allll your time! I'm not sure if I've got much more this month for the series. (I'm really excited to share our new house though!) But here's some things that have been floating around in my head....

Let's face it, all the children's books that I love are special to me because I read them as a child! So it's hard for me to explore new ones. Hence this series! But while moving the past few weeks we came across a box of children's books from Nate's childhood. I found a real winner tucked away in there...

The House That Had Enough by P.E. King.

This is a great way to scare your kids into doing their chores! But it has a sweet ending of course. It's quirky enough to be enjoyable for adults too. And don't all kids dream about their furniture and toys having secret personalities?

Big Jeremy by Steven Kroll.

This one I am sharing because if you haven't read it, you need to! It's a lovely tall-tale about a giant who lives on an orchard in Maine. It's out of print so I was thrilled to find it on Etsy via Bountiful Books for $5!

***
If you are in a reading mood, here are some fun links about children's books:

Joanna shared a sweet idea: living out a favorite book.

Books for boys.

Also, DesignMom shares a favorite children's book every week!

***
Sorry if you follow me on Instagram and you already saw these...I need to stop being lazy and get out my real camera!

Guest Post: The Cremation of Sam McGee

Wow! It's been a week since I posted! Must be a record. We are settling in quite nicely into our new place. I love unpacking and setting up house. I have also enjoyed staying a liiiittle more unplugged this week. I should do it more often.

This guest post is by Nate's cousin, Scott. (He is married to Erika, who guest posted last week). Nate and Scott are like two peas in a pod. They love all things outdoors, grow their beards the same length, buy the same clothes, are allergic to the same foods and have gray hairs in the same places on their heads. It's kind of creepy sometimes to be honest. The book Scott is reviewing today can be recited by he and Nate both. This book is for children, but it's a weird one and loved deeply by these two men. So if I have any male readers at all, maybe you will appreciate it!

By Scott.
The Cremation of Sam McGee

At some point in every man's life he sheds childhood, ventures into the wilderness, and carves out his lot in life. The burdens of bread winning and the sweat of his brow quickly replace the smell of baked goods and the soft nurturing wings of a mother. But if he is lucky - truly, deeply, lucky - he'll find someone to balance out the calluses in his hands and stubborn rough edges of his heart.

Together they will make a house a home, living, loving, and growing together. Soon, with hopeful hearts the two of them become three, and an entirely new unexplored wilderness opens in a man's heart - he becomes a father.

Many books have been reviewed on this blog. Books with messages about kindness, love, sharing, and all things needed to raise a child correctly. And while not all men may have perfected the gentler meaning of nurturing, there are things he deeply wishes to imbue into his sons' or daughters' heart; adventure, truth, work, and courage to be sure. There are not many books a man will get to read with his kids, and he may not get to bring his children into the torrent ocean or over the stolid glacier-tipped mountain peaks. But he can read with them The Cremation of Sam McGee.

There are strange things done in the midnight sun / By the men who moil for gold; / The Arctic trails have their secret tales / That would make your blood run cold; / The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, / But the queerest they ever did see / Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge / I cremated Sam McGee.

(The poem's opening and closing stanza)

Robert Service, the author, based the poem on the actual experience of Dr. Sugden, who found a corpse in the cabin of the steamer Olive May. I like that the wildest part of this story is true. I also like that its a story of a common man, thousands of miles from home and comfort, filled with passion, and a dying wish. I like that the setting of this book is in the lesser carved out parts of the map, the northern Yukon, Canada, accessible only by sled or kayak to this day. I like that it's a place where even a grown man can still exercise his imagination and dream of the cold stars and twisting northern lights.

Once published, The Cremation of Sam McGee was widely told throughout elementary schools in Canada, and contains several messages near to my heart that I hope to be successful in passing to my children. I hope they can say that their father taught them many things - truth, obedience, family, happiness, and hard work. But I also hope they can say that from their earliest age - among their first memories curled up late at night next to the fire with dad - their father taught them adventure, and he taught them courage.

Note: My live-in Canadian expert would like to note that most of the Yukon Territories can now be accessed by snow-mobile or helicopter.

Book Series: Reading Levels

My smart and talented sister Mitzi has taught elementary school for years. Below, she gives us some tips on finding the right reading level for our children, as well as a great resource for book levels.

By Mitzi
Without leaving home, reading can take your child many places: a dusty old attic, a magical foreign castle, a tree house in the jungle, a cave in the deepest part of the ocean, and other locations that only the mind can travel.  Once your child is ready to discover these places for themselves, it seems to be a daunting to task find books for him or her that are just right.  If a child tries to read a book that is too easy, he or she might get bored or they may end up memorizing some of the pages and not really reading it.  If a child tries to read a book that is too difficult, frustration will probably set in.  So, how do we avoid this?  Glad you asked :)

Many of us that are parents to young children may remember a program in our schools called Accelerated Reader.  It is a motivational program designed to drive students to not only read a lot but comprehend the book, as well.  Guess what?  AR is still around and it is still a great resource for students!  At school, students can find books on their level, read it, take a quiz on it and reap the benefits of being an accelerated reader.  What if your child is home-schooled or you want to supplement what he or she is learning at school?  

Have no fear! AR can be helpful at home, too.  http://www.arbookfind.com/  is where you need to go to find books on specific reading levels.  This is where, as a teacher, I would send my students.  Here's how to find what you're looking for:

Go to http://www.arbookfind.com/

Click on the Advanced Search tab on the top of the page.

On this page you can search by Title, Author, ISBN, etc.

But if you'd like to search by reading level, go down to where it says Interest Level.

Find the Interest Level that closely resembles your child's grade level.

You must choose an Interest Level before you choose a book level.

The next boxes are for you to choose a range of book levels.

Book Levels correlate to grade levels and months in school.  For instance, book level 4.5 means 4th grade in the 5th month of school.  Here are some examples of ways to search for each grade level*:

Kindergarten: 0.1 to 0.9

1st Grade: 1.0 to 1.9

2nd Grade: 2.0 to 2.9

3rd Grade: 3.0 to 3.9 . . . and so on.

You can also continue to narrow search by choosing Topics and Subtopics, even Fiction or Nonfiction or both.  Use the sort drop down menu to sort your search.  I would highly recommend using these because the Kindergarten search alone came up with over 1,000 books!  

Your search results should come up with pages and pages of books that (most) include a picture, title, author and quick synopsis of the book.  Find these at your local library and enjoy!

*From an educator's perspective, please don't limit your child to his or her grade level.  If he or she wants to try a book on a higher grade level, encourage it!  On that same note, if your child is getting frustrated on the books in his grade level, don't be disappointed about him trying some books on the grade below.  Your child may find some engaging books that allow him to flourish.  Praise all interest in reading, no matter what level!

image via

Book Series Guest Post: Amos & Boris

My lovely and talented friend Erika from Oh Erika Rae shares her favorite children's book with us below. A little plug from me, they read us this book one day and it is delightful! I need it for our collection.

By Erika

Being an English major, books are everything to me. I'm one of those people who can never give a straight answer when asked what my favorite book is. I am constantly reading and reading and reading. 

That all started with my childhood, and the love for reading my parents instilled in me. They always kept a box full of books nearby, and my mom still collects extra children's books. 

Even though I don't have kids of my own, I thought I would review a children's book that I'm excited to read with my own children. 

     Amos & Boris  -  By William Steig

Scott found this book online - I don't know how, in fact I don't know if he remembers how - but I feel like it matches us and our little family perfectly. 

He was drawn to it for sailing and adventures. I was drawn to how creatively the book was written, and I later fell more in love with it when I found it was written by William Steig.

William Steig also wrote Dr. de Soto, and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - both amazing classics that I read as a kid. We ordered an old, used library copy online, and so began our collection of children's books. 

The book is a charming story about a mouse named Amos who loves the sound of the ocean and sailing. He builds his own boat and sets sail into the ocean for his own little adventure. His friend Boris is a whale with perfect timing when things go wrong for Amos. The story is a celebration of friendship - both large and small. It includes profound questions about heave, and cute phrases like, "holy clam and cuttlefish!"

One thing I love about William Steig is that he doesn't talk dumb to children. His books are simple but profound - they actually have meaning to them. I absolutely adore the writing - it's something that even I find well done and entertaining - and the lovely watercolor sketches by the author.

Amos & Boris has sailing, adventures, whales, starry nights on the high seas, a brave mouse, and even elephants - a perfect story for kids. 

...Or husbands like mine. 

"one night, in a phosphorescent sea, he marveled at the sight of some whales spouting luminous water; and later, lying on the deck of his boat gazing at the immense, starry sky, the tiny mouse amos, a little speck of a living thing in a vast living universe, felt thoroughly akin to it all. overwhelmed by the beauty and mystery of everything, he rolled over and over and right off the deck of his boat and into the sea."

Book Series Guest Post: More Non-fiction

It took a flight across the country and a summer away from home, but my lovely cousin Cassie found a love for non-fiction. Here, she reviews her two favorites.

By Cassie
Two Books That Changed My Life
(non-religious because if it were religious, this list would be longer.)

I love people. Real people with real stories. This is probably why reading fiction has been a struggle for me. With the exception of Dracula, my favorite books are nonfiction and out of all the historical and not so historical nonfiction I’ve read, two books have truly inspired me and I love to be inspired. They are The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and The Anatomist by Bill Hayes.

I didn’t become a reader of nonfiction until the summer after I graduated from high school. Most of my reading time was spent with cheesy romance novels mainly of the Mormon kind. At age 18, I jetted across the country and landed in Connecticut where I would nanny three kids at their summer home on Fisher’s Island. Fisher’s Island is nine miles long and a place for the very rich. Never was F. Scott Fitzgerald more right when he said, “Let me tell you about the rich. They are different from you and me.” 

I spent time at the local library. A teeny, tiny house-like structure with one room dedicated to books. While browsing for something to entertain me at night I came across The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I read it in every spare nanny moment I could find. I was smitten, not by a tale of fleeting romance, but by this man’s advice on living life. I’ve learned it’s always important to take life advice from people who are dying and he had ten tumors in his liver. 

Now, if you are looking for a sad story about a man dying from cancer and everything he did to fight it, this story is not for you. Randy takes you on a tour of how all his childhood dreams came true and how we should enable others to reach their dreams. Life. Changed.

The second book that has changed my life I happened upon during my junior year of college. I was taking an anatomy class and I was completely enthralled by the make-up of human bodies. Each system, organ and structure is designed to perfection. To explore deeper my new found love, I made a trip to the local library in search of Gray’s Anatomy.

Not this one...

This one.

I went to the right shelf looking for this gigantic mother textbook and didn’t find it...however, I found  a small book hidden in the corner called The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray’s Anatomy. Checked it out, took it home, read it immediately. 

Bill Hayes, the author, gives an inside look at Henry Gray’s life mainly through the eyes of his collegue and anatomical illustrator, Henry V. Carter. The true story of the two brilliant Henry’s whose study of the human body changed medicine is enhanced by the author’s personal experiences spent in a medical school gross anatomy class. The book explores the incredible design of the human body.  I related to him as he described the pain we feel when physical limitations can get us down even though our bodies are made to function without flaw. Nobody is perfect. Life. Changed.

***

I am loving the out-pouring of love lately for non-fiction. Want more non-fiction recommendations? Read about The Best Advice I Ever Got, and some of my favorites, Into the Wild, and This Is Not the Story You Think It Is.

Book Series: Thrifting for Books

My most recent haul. 11 books for $5.

In college, I started shopping at thrift stores pretty regularly. Buying used for many items is just smart when it saves you so much money and you save something from going to a landfill. I always bought used textbooks when I could find them. Since then, I buy my books used almost exclusively.  Amazon is great for that. Thrift stores and used book stores have great deals too.  Finding deals thrills me. This makes Nate roll his eyes. BUT it's seriously becoming a hobby! I was so excited when I found all these books last week. That Clifford book is one of the originals. Copyright 1963! And in great shape. I love finding deals like that! And honestly, that doesn't happen every time I walk into a thrift store. But when it does, I wanna do a back flip.

I was a little hesitant to start buying Bridger's book secondhand because, well, germs. But a couple of Clorox wipes later and they are good as new. And hopefully he grows up with literacy as well as thrift and a green lifestyle.

Do you ever buy your books used? Have any good places you would recommend?

Book Series: Week One!

Thanks for all the support and participation during the first week of Up to Parr's Book Series! We've had awesome guest posts and lots of book recommendations! Keep tagging your favorite books on Instagram with #uptoparrbooks. When you tap the link, #uptoparrbooks on IG, lots of book recommendations will come up! Hopefully it will help when you are at a loss when visiting the library!

Here's a quick round up of recommended books so far:

Mad About Plaid by Jill McElmurry

The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

On the Day You Were Born by Debra Frasier

Tickle Monster by Josie Bissett

Billywise by Judith Nichols (more here)

Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear by Don and Audrey Wood (more here)

Christmas Magic by Michael Garland (more here)

The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric (more here)

More guest posts about reading and literacy next week!

Book Series Guest Post: The Magical Box

Thanks to my lovely sister-in-law Jeni for providing this post on a wonderful family reading tradition!

By Jeni

We have a magical box living in our house, it does not appear to be enchanted or even remotely interesting. It sits on the top shelf of my children's closet in the back, looking battered and gathering dust. But every time I pull this box out my children excitedly crowd around me waiting to see what thrilling thing may come out of this fascinating box! The inside of this box is filled to the brim with books, not just books but stories filled with enthralling tales that stimulate every child's mind. Each book is a hidden treasure with stories rich and imaginative, for these tales do not sit on their everyday bookshelf, they are special because they only come out for holidays. As a mother I love reading and oh what fun it is to read holiday stories that are full of magical tales that create a special festive spirit. 

A couple of weeks before a given holiday I bring out the books and put them on a special decorated table. Every night we read from these books, it creates so much excitement and anticipation. It is very compelling because most of the time they do not remember the story so it is like reading a brand new book! They listen so intently and it never fails to get them excited about the upcoming holiday. I have found this to be a wonderful tradition in our family. It focuses on the holiday yet helps them enjoy the love of reading.

I thought I would share two of my absolute favorite Christmas books.

Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear by: Don and Audrey Wood.

My mother-in-law gave this book to my daughter when she was quite young. I thought it was just another run of the mill board book but it has become a favorite.This is a board book, typically for toddlers, but it teaches a beautiful story about sharing and spreading the
Christmas cheer to those who seem to least deserve it. Even though my children are not toddlers anymore this is still a favorite book that they request for me to read to them around the Christmas holidays.

Christmas Magic by: Michael Garland

This past Christmas season I was at the library with my children, it was pretty crazy, they literally picked out 40 Christmas books for us to check out. Every night we would read a few of them and to be honest most of them did not strike me as a book I would want to own. They were sweet and fun but not worthy of my magical box. Then I read the
book, Christmas Magic, it brought back all those wonderful magical feelings associated with Christmas as a child. I literally felt like I was transported back to my childhood and experienced the wonderment of Christmas.

Isn't that such a sweet tradition? I need to increase our holiday book collection!

Images 1 & 2

Salt Lake City Library

While we are talking about books, I thought I would share some photos from this weekend when we stopped by the Salt Lake City library. Nate has always raved about the architecture, but I've never been. We were in SLC this weekend, so we dropped by. It was definitely worth the $1.00 parking fee! (And being growled at by a homeless man. SL can be a little scary.)

 The view at the entrance.

Looking up in the children's section.

The children's section has this cool castle place to read in...or run around in!

 And an ice castle! Wish I was a kid again.

Do you have a favorite library?

Book Series Guest Post: Non-fiction

My friend Catherine from The Willenbrechts shares with us why she loves non-fiction and even gives us a great recommendation. Thanks Catherine!

By Catherine

If you're looking for my husband, you can usually find him eyes down, enthralled in a fiction book. Every time he opens to a fresh page, he is off on a new and exciting adventure. He and many others like him have tried their mightiest to convert me to being a reader, and for some reason it just does not stick. I take that back, it has stuck with a select group of books, including my most recent read, " The Best Advice I Ever Got" by Katie Couric. I have always enjoyed biographies, non-fiction, real stories about real people. This is the perfect choice. It not only delves into personal experiences that the author has, but hundreds of people she knows.

The book includes excerpt after excerpt of personal revelations, words of wisdom and advice that Katie has gathered from people she knows and has interviewed throughout her career. For the length of their sermon, the curtains are peeled back and the reader gets a glimpse into other peoples lives. Their struggles, triumphs, joys, heartache, love, success. The best part about each one is, the reader can relate. Every reader has their own adventure they want to take when they open up a new book. As my husband prefers skipping off into another land with gnomes and dragons, I prefer taking a step into the lives of others and learning from their legacy.

I would highly recommend this book to any and all readers. It can be read like a novel, or broken up into one story per night.

Enjoy!

Do you have any non-fiction favorites?

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

We couldn't do a month about reading without acknowledging Dr. Seuss's birthday! Schools all over the country celebrated Read Across America Day on Friday. I don't think there are many among us who have not been touched by Dr. Seuss! Just this week while in the library, I read Horton Hears a Who! to Bridger. Honestly, that is the first time I remember reading it! But I was touched, just like so many others before me by the repetitive phrase, "a person's a person no matter how small!" Bridger and I read The Foot Book severals times a week. We checked out Fox in Socks this week and I can't wait to read it to Bridger. What are your favorite Dr. Seuss books?

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P.S. Don't forget to tag your favorite books on Instagram with #uptoparr!

Book Series Guest Post: Billywise

Our first guest post in the Up to Parr Books series is my dear sister Mitzi. I wasn't going to start this series until it was officially March, but I'm so excited about it, I'm sharing it a day early! Mitzi has spent years teaching little ones to read as an elementary school teacher and is now teaching in a slightly different way, as a mommy. Read on to learn about a beautiful moment she had with her daughter that started with a book...

By Mitzi

". . .knowledge is like the bee that made that sweet honey, you have to chase it through the pages of a book." 

- from Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco.  

In school, children first learn to read, then read to learn.  However, there's no need for your child to wait that long to learn something from a book.  Reading to your child is one of the best gifts you can give them - the gift of learning!  If your child can sit in your lap and has an attention span of a few minutes, he or she is ready to be enlightened.  With a picture book in hand and a voice in your throat, you're ready to teach!  

From the time that my daughter was a few months old, she has sat in my lap in our rocking chair while I read to her at least once a day.  At the rate at which we devour books, we quickly exhausted our sizable personal collection and have become avid patrons of our local library.  While my daughter (now 2 years old) frequents the usual favorites within her age level, such as Curious George, Fancy Nancy and Olivia, I also encourage her to explore titles that she finds interesting across various genres and more advanced age levels.  We often underestimate what a child can absorb even when the material may not be marketed primarily to them.  

Our latest treasure was Billywise by Judith Nichols.  This is a story about an owlet discovering self-confidence and his encouraging mother's kind words as he leaves the nest.  When others dampen his spirits and he doubts his self worth, his mother wins us and Billywise over as she continually boosts and strengthens him.

Engaged by the realistic paintings inspired by nature, my daughter desired to know more about these creatures that seemed to be within her grasp.  Afterwards she would inquire:  "How do owls sleep?" "Where do owls sleep?" "Where's he going?" (pointing to the owl flying) and exclaim, "I want to see the owls!".  A teachable moment had arrived and I was grateful to oblige.  Our discussions then led to the fact that owls are nocturnal; that they sleep during the day and are awake during the night.  Owls hunt for food at night and sleep in trees.  

So every time we ventured outside that week, she would gaze up into the trees and insist that we wake up the owls!  It's quite amazing and wonderful how innocent children are and that it seems very logical to them that waking the owls is the only answer.  At that very moment, it dawned on me that she had not only learned a new concept but she had applied it into a part of her life.  It was a proud moment!  

Share your experiences and book recommendations in the comments below!

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Up to Parr Books

In case you hadn't heard, I love to read. I devour books actually. I'll read 2-3 in a week if I've got good ones. Finding a new book to read isn't hard for me. That is, until I became a mom and started reading children's books again.

I want Bridger to grow up with lots of books and reading all the time. I've collected some children's books over the years so we now have a little stash. I try to read at least one book to him everyday. I don't know if he's listening or understanding. But I do it anyway. The thing is, I have the hardest time finding books for him. I go to the library and check out the same books I grew up with. First of all, my mom has AWESOME taste in kids' books and they are fun to read over and over. But I want a wider variety. So I just grab books at random and take them home. Some end up being dumb, some are great.

Here is where I need your help. I thought it would be fun to share what books I enjoy with Bridger on the blog occasionally, but on Instagram more. I'll be using #uptoparrbooks. I hope you'll play along and maybe we can all get some good recommendations!

These don't have to be kid's books either! Play along with #uptoparrbooks with any book you would like to recommend. Add the title and author to the comments if it's not visible in the photo.

To go along with the book-y theme on IG, the whole of March on Up to Parr will be dedicated to books and reading! I have some great guest posts lined up and hope to see you back here with your comments and book recommendations!

If you are interested in writing a guest post on your favorite book or a fun experience you've had with a book, please email me at laceymoriah@gmail.com.

Thanks and happy reading!

Guest posts needed!

I am starting a series on books and reading and would like to have a variety of opinions and books! If you love to read and would like to guest post about your favorite book or any experience related to literacy, email me at laceymoriah@gmail.com. I'm open to ideas, so don't be shy! I'm excited about this new series, so stay tuned!