In the Stacks with NW Kid Chaser

A boy and his dogs...

10/26/2012

    His first bite of solid food, the day he lost his first tooth, his first day of first grade, his first birthday sleepover-- these have all been markers of my son's growing up. Slowly, joyfully he has gone from a babe in my arms to a young man. And yes, I know... the adventure is just beginning.
    Another marker of time, in childhood (at least in this household) is reading "Where the Red Fern Grows." Perfect for my 5th grade son, our whole family listened to this beautiful tale on audio tape as my family drove from Chicago to the heart of Indiana. Wilson Rawls does such an amazing job of capturing both the joys and pains of growing up (for both mother and child), all while telling a harrowing tale of a boy, his beloved dogs, and the greatest coon hunting competition ever.
    I know...I know... I don't seem quite the coon hunting type - but beautifully crafted storytelling? That is surely "one of my favorite things"!

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I love the Online Card Catalog..

9/27/2012

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I love to read.
It’s an action that informs, entertains, inspires, and connects. I’m happy to report that my oldest son shares this love as well.

During the heat, he and I could happily pass every hour of the day in the cool of our basement moving only from chapter to chapter. My youngest son, however, requires actual physical movement (which brings us all upstairs and into the backyard), but he too is disappointed if we start the week with an empty book bag.

We don’t buy the books we read (as that bill would quickly outpace our grocery bill), so it’s off to the public library each and every week. Sometimes these visits are leisurely and include browsing the shelves, long conversations with our favorite librarians, and 30 minutes of game time on the children’s computer stations. Other times, our visit is a mad dash in and out (with the driver behind the wheel parked at the closest curb).

Our best bet for getting the books we want (when we want them) is the online library catalog. Easy and free to use, we can use this search engine to find books any day, at any time, from the comfort of our own home. Here are links to two brief videos that will show you how to make this free, online, library service work for you:

Click HERE for a full-screen version of this video.

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Judy Blume does it Again...

8/8/2012

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My family has long known the amazing work of Judy Blume. We think ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” should be required reading for anyone in 4th grade. We also think that the only thing better than “Freckle Juice” is “Superfudge.”

On our recent road trip, we discovered another Blume book series: “The Pain and the Great One!”

While listening to the first CD, the two characters of little brother (Age 6) and big sister (Age 8) completely captured my seven year-old’s heart. My boy could relate to the little brother because of the status of second-born child, as well as their shared second grade humor. It’s as if Judy Blume crawled inside my son’s head and deciphered every phrase that could cause him to snort milk out his nose. (Warning: do not allow little boys to enjoy these books while snacking).

     Each chapter of the books in this series is told from an alternating sibling’s perspective. Sometimes these narrations overlap and you understand the different perspectives; sometimes they tell independent stories. The raw innocence captured in the writing makes the characters instantly accessible. You know what they are thinking to themselves, as well as what they chose to say to those around them. For both my sons, I think “Jake” asked some of the questions that they themselves have wondered, but were afraid to ask.

     Added bonus: In every book of the series, the last chapter is told by the pet cat, Fluzzy. In the audio version, these chapters are read by Judy Blume herself and provide both humor and warmth that makes you want to immediately start the next book. We checked out the rest of the series as soon as we returned home from our trip.

    Looking over Judy’s website, I found that she had an entire section dedicated to discussing the work of being a writer. Perfect for homeschoolers and classroom teachers – Judy’s words encourage writer’s of every age to keep a writer’s notebook, use a personal writing process, and understand that rewriting can be the best part of it all!

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NW Kid Chaser

A boy and his dogs...

I love the Online Card Catalog..

Judy Blume does it Again...

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