Humorous Historical Fiction

These books, each unique and wonderful in their own right, take us along with our heroes on their  boyhood adventures. Taking place during the early and mid 1900's and written in the 1950's, be forwarned that stereotypes and prejudice abound. However these all provide great opportunities for discussion and learning. I read all these books growing up and loved every one!  They are wonderful stories to share with the whole family. Both The Great Brain and Henry Huggins have wonderful audio books -- perfect for summer vacation!

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey-- Six humorous stories of a young boy growing up in a small Midwestern town.  Homer's idyllic hometown is the perfect setting for quirky characters, humorous episodes and mysterious occurances.

Soup by Robert Newton Peck-- One of my absolute favorites as a kid!  Robert Newton Peck relates his misadventures growing up with his best friend Soup on a farm in rural Vermont during the 1920's. Told from the point of view of Rob, Soup's best friend, the stories relate bad choices made and lessons learned, all with lots of humor thrown in. A great book to read aloud! For cautious parents look out for prejudice, spanking, and the boys trying smoking for the first time. The first of a series.

The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald, illustrated by Mercer Mayer-- JD must contend with his brother The Great Brain who attempts to swindle every kid in town. JD's friends and family know The Great Brain is up to no good, but never seem to be able to catch him in the act.  Hilarious stories of early frontier life in Utah. Be cautioned that issues such as drowning and suicide are dealt with in this book. They are portrayed in a matter of fact and somewhat humorous way which seems consistent with the time period when death was probably much more of a matter of fact occurrence. The first in a series.

Henry Huggins by Bevery Cleary -- Henry is the wonderful male counterpart to Beverly Cleary's timeless character Romona.  (If you have not read the Ramona series-- you must!).  Henry is his own lovable character trying to make the right choices and getting into trouble while doing just that.  With his trusty companion Ribsy at his side Henry takes on the challenges of growing up.  First in a series.


If your kids are assigned historical fiction reading this summer, you can't go wrong with anyone of these wonderful books!

Fun Historical Books for a New England Vacation

Our family recently rented an RV and took a fabulous road trip up the New England coast. We planned to visit the historic Mystic Seaport in Connecticut and to do the Freedom Trail in Boston. Since I’m a huge history lover I wanted the kids to have some historical context before we started on our journey.  To prepare the kids I checked out some great books from the library.

Liberty or Death: The American Revolution 1763-1783 by Betsy Maestro and Giulio Maestro -- This colorful book provides a easy to understand narrative of the events leading up to the Revolutionary War.

Those Rebels, John and Tom by Barbara Kerley, Illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham. A fun book highlighting the differences between John and Tom and how their different personalities helped to start a revolution.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, graved and painted by Christopher Bing. A lovely book illustrating the famous story of Paul Revere's midnight ride. My kids loved this one.

You Wouldn’t Want to be at the Boston Tea Party! Wharf Water Tea You’d Rather Not Drink by Peter Cook, Illustrated by David Antram -- If you're not familiar with this wonderful series, check it out!  My kids love the gruesome descriptions and cartoonish pictures.  Presents history in a fun and engaging way.

John, Paul, George and Ben by Lane Smith. A hilarious look at the quirks of the founding fathers.  Kids will love the scene where Paul uses his loud voice to order extra large underwear!

George vs. George The American Revolution as Seen From Both Sides. By Rosalyn Schanzer. An interesting book that shows the revolution from the sides of both Georges.

You Wouldn’t Want to Sail on a 19th-Century Whaling Ship! Grisly Tasks You’d Rather Not Do. By Peter Cook, illustrated by David Antram -- Another great book in the You Wouldn't Want To Series. Bonus--When we went to Mystic my seven year old was able to answer questions about whaling!

Whale Port by Mark Foster, Illustrated by Gerald Foster -- a beautifully illustrated book about the busy life in a 1600’s whaling port.  For early readers the many wonderful detailed illustrations will keep them entertained.  For older readers the text is informative and engaging.

It's so Amazing! Sharing with your children how our amazing body works!

I just read an interesting quote about kids and sex education--it's never too early, but it can definitely be too late!  Here are some great books that cover changing bodies, growing up and sexual health.  The first three books are part of a series, each appropriate for a different age group.  I like how this series presents information in a simple no nonsense manner that is easy for kids to understand and makes the topics easy for parents to talk about.  The last two books focus not on sex, but on puberty, your changing body, and how to take care or yourself.

It's Not the Stork: A Book About Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends by Robie H Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley -- This book is recommmended for ages four through seven.  It covers the differences between boys and girls bodies and how boys and girls look different as they grow older.  Basic information on the journey of the egg and sperm is included, as well as how babies grow inside a women's uterus. Lastly the book covers different kinds of families and okay touches and not okay touches. Written in a straightforward manner, this book provides kids with an understanding of their bodies and encourages them to be proud of what their amazing body can do. A great book for curious kids!

It's So Amazing! A Book About Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies and Families by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley -- This book is recommended for kids ages eight to ten.  It continues in much the same vein as the pervious book in the series just going into a bit more detail. A great book that can lead to important conversations with your kids.

It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, and Sexual Health by Robie H. Harris, illustrated by Michael Emberley -- This book is recommended for ages ten and up and covers a wide range of topics. Less emphasis is given on the growth of a baby inside the uterus (hopefully your kids know all that by now!) and more information is given on topics like: puberty, different kids of families, homosexuality, birth control, abortion, sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, making good choices and staying healthy. Kids generally know what information they can handle when and this book, with such a wide range of important topics, makes it a great book to share a little bit at a time.

American Girl has a great series for girls about taking care of their bodies called The Care and Keeping of You by Valorie Schaefer, illustrated by Norm Bendell. This book covers body basics, how your body is changing, eating disorders, fitness and emotional changes that occur when you are going through puberty. One thing I like about this book is that it encourages girls to take control and be proud of their bodies even when they may start to feel out of control. A great book for young girls.

The Boy's Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing up YOU by Kelli Dunham, illustrated by Steven Bjorkman. This book covers the same information as: The Care and Keeping of You, but for boys. This book is a great book to help get kids and parents talking about growing up and taking care of your body.  However, it is a bit wordy so it's unlikely an eight to ten year old would read this book cover to cover. A good reference source and jumping off point for more in-depth discussions.

Riddles for Early Readers to Amaze Their Friends!

There comes a certain age when kids are obsessed with riddles.  They love to tell them, they love to make them up, and they love to laugh at the punch line! I think the thrill is in finally delivering the punchline that everyone has been beating them to for years! Here are some great riddle books for the beginning reader.  An additional benefit: they can read them on their own!

Spooky Riddles by Marc Brown "What does the Mother ghost say to her child when they get in the car? Fasten your sheet belts!"

Dino Riddles by Lisa Eisenberg and Kay Hall, Illustrated by Nicole Rubel "What do you call a dinosaur in a cowboy hat and spurs? A Tyrannosaurus Rex!"

Buggy Riddles by Lisa Eisenberg and Katy Hall, Illustrated by Simms Taback "Why are frogs so happy? They eat whatever bugs them!"

Fishy Riddles by Lisa Eisenberg and Katy Hall, Illustrated by Simms Taback "Why are fish so smart? They are always in schools!"

What do You Hear When Cows Sing?: And Other Silly Riddles by Marco and Giulio Maestro "What do you call a train that sneezes? A-Choo-Choo Train!"

Knock, Knock Who's There: My First Book of Knock Knock Jokes by Tad Hills "Knock, Knock. Who's There. Anita. Anita Who? Anita bath!"



Look for more riddle books under the call number 793 in the non-fiction section or in the Early Readers section of your local library.

Mini Theme Week: Native Americans

With a four day weekend on my hands I felt like it was the perfect time for a mini-theme week!  Since we just moved to Maryland and as November is Native American Heritage Month, I decided we should study the different Native American tribes that originally lived in this area.  We read some amazing Native American folktales, did some Native American crafts and visited the fabulous Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.

There are many wonderful retellings of Native American folktales. Here are few of the books that we read.

The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: The Iroquois Story of Creation, Retold by John Bierhorst, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Author and illustrator Paul Goble has written numerous stories about the Plains Indians including: The Return of the Buffaloes, Crow Chief, The Gift of the Sacred Dog and The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses.
One of my favorite Cinderella tales is taken from Algonquin folklore: "The Rough-Face Girl" by Rafe Martin, illustrated by David Shannon.

Tomie DePaula is well-known for his retelling of folktales, two of my favorites that focus on Native American stories are "The Legend of the Bluebonnet" and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush."

We also used many non-fiction books covering the life of the Native Americans in the Maryland area, specifically the Powhatan, as well as books on Native American crafts.

The woodland Native Americans lived in longhouses, so that was our first project. There are many wonderful examples of longhouse projects online. We went with a very simple idea of using a shoebox and ripped paper. The kids had a great time completing the project and it was not too overwhelming.


The Bullroarer was my favorite project.  The Bullroarer was used in Native American celebrations as a type of musical instrument.  The wood used for the instrument was usually taken from a tree that had been struck by lightning.  We used paint stirrers, which we painted brown and then decorated with animals and designs.  The best part of this project was the surprising low, loud moaning sound the Bullroarer makes when swung around!  My son said he could just picture twenty Native Americans spinning them all at the exact same time during a festival.

Our sunset paintings were inspired by the book "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" about a young boy who is trying to find all the colors in the sunset to make the perfect painting.  When he finds all the colors he completes his painting and the paintbrushes he leaves behind become beautiful flowers.









On the last day of our four day weekend we visited the Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The kids loved the children's area which was very hands on and interactive. The kids got a passport which they stamped after completing an activity or exploring an aspect of Native American culture.  We also saw an exhibit on the importance of the horse in Native American culture and learned about how Native Americans continue to celebrate their culture today.

Completing a magnetic puzzle

Weaving a basket

Four Fantastic Books About Elections

It's voting day!  What better way to celebrate than teaching your kids about elections?  Here are four great books that will educate and entertain!

Grace for President by Kelly S. DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham -- Grace's school decides to hold an election for class president with one person from each class selected to run.  Each student represents a different state and receives the number of electoral college votes for that state.  The two candidates campaign and give speeches, but in the end will the best candidate win? A fun book with an obvious "best" candidate and a good easy way for kids to learn about how the electoral college works.

Duck for President by Doreen Cronin illustrated by Betsy Lewin -- Duck is tired of doing work on the farm and decides to run for president, little does he know this is much more work that he imagined.  In this hilarious book, by the well-known authors of Click, Clack, Moo!, Duck takes on corruption and humans and manages to win the election without saying a word!

So You Want to be President by Judith St. George Illustrated by David Small -- This wonderful book covers a lot of information in a fun and engrossing way.  The comical sketches of each president bring to light personality traits, physical features, home life, and pervious jobs.  Kids will enjoy the light-hearted focus of this book and the wonderful illustrations.

Vote! by Eileen Christelow -- Using a mayoral race as a backdrop Christelows fun cartoon like sketches educate about debates, rallies, and voter registration.  Presented in a appealing format this is a great book to introduce the complicated world of politics to kids.

Halloween Hoots and Howls Poems by Joan Horton

A poem for the day of Halloween:

Igor's Mummy

Igor's mummy drives the bus

That takes the kids to school.

Boys and ghouls who ride with her

Must always mind this rule:

No throwing things or hitting.

Or making any fuss.

And screaming hyenas had better behave

or else get off the bus.

Some tombstone verses:

Beneath 
this slab lies
Lennie Lixer.
He Fell Into 
A Concrete Mixer.
Poor Stiff

Here Lies the Body of
Jeremy Victor
He Shouldn't Have Hugged
His Boa Constrictor.
Sleep Tight.

Danny Dimm
Was not too Bright.
He Ate a Stick of Dynamite.
Rest in Pieces.


From: Halloween Hoots and Howls. Joan Horton, illustrated by Joann Adinolfi, Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1999.