1)
This books kicks some serious big-bad-wolf-butt! It's all about female empowerment with a great iambic pentameter to accentuate the fierceness. LOVE!
This one caught me with tears in my eyes when I was least expecting it. It's all about adjusting to life with a sibling and while it may be initially painful for the older sib, the relationship will be unlike any other out there. Great for parents feeling guilty about spreading their love as their family expands. LOVE!
3)
This book was our introduction into Todd Parr, and I cannot buy enough of his books. In a nutshell, they teach kids that looking different, feeling scared and showing you care are all OK, in fact, more than OK, it's encouraged. I've snapped all of these up and encourage you to do the same. LOVE!
Remember when I talked about reading books over and over and OVER again?! Yeah, that was this book for my oldest. She could not get enough of it when she was 3-4. It's about a cupcake with several eccentric relatives and a candle who has the same problem. They become friends and you won't see the ending coming. It also includes a recipe for cupcakes and frosting in the back that we've tried. The cupcakes were good, but the frosting was pure sugar aka the best part. LOVE!
There are so many phases in learning to read. I didn't realize how painfully slow of a process it was until our daughter worked on letter recognition, letter sounds, sight words and is now finally reading pretty darn good for a 6-year-old (not-so-humble-brag). These books can be compared with the ole Dick saw Jane. Jane ran away. Dick is sad. books of my youth. LOVE. (As if the photo with two box sets wasn't enough evidence.
This is a series that we fell in love with by checking out at our local library. While paperbacks just aren't the same as hardcovers, these books are just charming with their sweet art and heart-warming messages throughout. LOVE!
7)
Hopefully you've read "On the Night You Were Born" by Nancy Tillman. Each time I page through it, I'm transported back to the night Faith was born (11:15 p.m.) and I became a mom for the first time. I thought Gabby should have her own Nancy Tillman book that spoke to how I feel about her, so I got this one. It's all about a mother/father's love and how it's with you no matter where you go. It alwaysleaves me feeling comforted that my own mama is with me everywhere I go. LOVE.
The Whatever After series has quickly become a fan favorite in our house despite the fact we are reading them backwards. The author put a spin on the princess fairy tales we all know and find extremely sexist :) While in chapter format with no pictures, our 3-year-old sits and listens to the stories while hopefully imagining them in her own head. LOVE!
The story of a piece of peanut-buttered bread searching for a BFF almost goes on too long while you feel sorry for the poor shlup, but you-know-who arrives just in time. Impressive pictures of food in action with laugh-out-loud puns along the way. LOVE. (We bought the sequel "Milk Goes to School" and weren't really impressed.)
10)
We were introduced to this series by my sweet little nephew. If I'm being honest, the original book is the best, but the others are good, too. Iambic pentameter shines here, too. LIKE.
11)
I realize it's a tad late to be recommending "The Night Before (insert grade level here)" books. But maybe they're on sale and you can save it for next year. There are several of these types of books out there and I've found this author's versions to be the best. Plus, it makes for a fun "night before school" tradition. LIKE.
12)
This is a series of books about different types of "busy people" and what their workdays look like. My youngest demanded I start calling her Dr. Mike for a good six months after we read this one about a veterinarian. Not the best dialogue, but kids won't notice. LIKE.
13)
The colors of this book did not photograph well, but it's a fan favorite in our house. A quick read, all about the alphabet, both uppercase mom and dads and lowercase kids. And let's face it, the title is just fun to say. LIKE.
14)
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I thought this series (are you starting to gather my Scholastic problem is no joke?) would be good for little ears to hear. Instead, the little boy is just kind of a jerk, and there is dialogue with a story happening at the same time. I don't enjoy reading it because frankly, there are just too many words, ideas and concepts on one page. Sad to say, but it's the truth. DISLIKE.
15)
We bought this book a few years ago when getting our toddler to brush her teeth was similar to pulling teeth. While it is very educational, our plan backfired. Instead of being horrified at the thought of her teeth falling out due to cavities, our lovely little one stopped brushing as well as she should have been with the hopes of them falling out being followed by a visit from the tooth fairy. Possibly better for an advanced audience! DISLIKE.
Let me just start by saying that I LOVED Amelia Bedelia growing up. I thought her mishaps were hilarious, but kids (at least my kids) just look confused as to why she does things so literally. For older kids, I think these would be a hit, but understanding sarcasm might help here. Since Amelia and I go way back I'll say love/hate.
That's it for our list of 16 books we LOVE, LIKE and would like to love a little more this year. What do you think? Have you read any of these? Do you have other recommendations to add to the list? Are you also slightly pissed at Sam Science for making your daughter think cavities will make the tooth fairy come faster? Me neither. Would love to read your reactions in the comments!
