Black History Month: 32 Authors

I'm kicking off Black History Month with Alicia Keys entry into the Writer club with her new book. I've always appreciated Alicia Keys since the very first time she appeared with her crystal clear voice and infused her classical training to her music! Classical training always lifts everything you do up to a higher level. I believe it is partly why she's a class act and well rounded entertainer...which she exibits by an app that is the prelude to her book Blue Moon!

Alicia Keys and her Son Egypt

Go visit this article about her book and 31 Black Celebs Authors of Children's books of books featuring several of my favorite authors such as LeVar Burton and books we've read the past year as well as some I look forward to reading.

At the top of my list...

Kim Wayans "Amy Hodgpodge"
Ziggy Marly "I love you too"
Bob Marly "ONe Love"
Tay Diggs "Chocolate Me"

Good Manner's Makes it Work

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ok first I have to say I appreciate good manners above, good looks, fancy clothes and most everything. So I really appreciate Tim Gunn because he's got it all. I've never met him but on several occasions my husband has met him commuting around NYC. He always says...Tim Gunn is a really down to earth person and he asked how's the family, when he saw my husband last time. Well reading his book confirmed everything I'd already thought about him, honest, kind and very proficient in his work. I laughed out loud and was touched by so much of what he wrote. I really hated putting the book down and I will read it again. I kept hoping I'd run into him like my husband, so he could sign my book and I could thank him for everything he shared. Thanks Tim Gunn!

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The Borrowers

Already I'm really missing Summer...after just one day of Real Feel  of 3 degree winter weather! Reading aloud chapter books is a summer tradition I started with my children partly to introduce them to the love of reading, voice acting and power of words and ideas. The tradition continues with the youngest of my 8 children.
With That said our first read aloud book over the past summer we read, The Borrowers is a story about tiny people who have to hide from the human beans, barrow what they need, while being virtually invisible and living out their simple lives underneath an elderly lady, her grandson and two caretakers.
Every family has their dilemmas ... what would life be without them, right?  Momma and Poppa are doing their best to keep food on the table and make life pleasant for Arietty but boredom, curiosity and getting seen create a shift that changes everything for them and the whole household. It may be good to read the book before you see the movie by Hayo Miyazaki.




Bud not Buddy....

This is a very touching book. A child's mother dies. He discovers her and is placed into foster care. He only know of his father from the limited clues his mother told him. All his worldly goods are kept in his one suit case. Go on a journey with Bud..find out why his name is not Buddy,  experience  the rights of passage of his age and be touched my how wonderful it is to realize one's dreams by just not giving up on it. What strikes me in the story that he never really had to face the audacity of anyone telling him that he is hoping in something that he has no evidence that it's real...only within himself. Or that it is only his imagination. Inside of him he can be left to come to realize his hopes in reality.Just on faith alone... Beautifully told by Christopher Paul Curtis, of the failed foster care system ... even 50 yrs. ago! Sure there are wonderful people out there in the massive tom foolery and mockery of charity we call foster care. Even as dangerous as the world was with bigotry running rapid in the time this book is depicting...I couldn't help but applaud Bud for escaping with as simple a plan as he had.  Read it for yourself to your children. You won't regret it.

Cookie Books for any time..Even Holidays

Do you read cook books like Novels! I do. Books were my first friends, after my cousins of course. Cook books and Baking Books are my closest of friends! We have so much fun together...sorry if this is sounding sorta wacky, but I know I'm not the only one who loves Baking Books like I do...you know who you are, I'm giving you permission to admit it...at least to yourself.
Below is my list of  Cookie Books that I borrowed from the library and didn't want to ever take them back...but I did because that's wrong! Anyway take a look see on Amazon or Good Reads at the reviews...for my 25c. Both of these books have easy to a bit more challenging( more than 5 ingredients) recipes. My favorites in "Mom's Big Book of Cookies" are the refrigerator or (hidden in) the freezer cookies.


  Cookies to try the snicker doodles, freezer cookies, and a cookie from Rainy/Snowy day..or when you have barely any ingredients!


The ideas are endless...Where is the Great Cookies?
Right in this book! Go for it!

Cocoa Ice by Diana Karter Appelbaum and Illustrated by Holly Meade

How is chocolate made? Where does it come from?  Does it grow on trees? Find answers in this book Cocoa Ice

 This story is on the 3rd or 4th gr. Level...but children of all ages should read or have this read to them.. It is a story of connection to our neighbors, how chocolate is made as well as where it comes from. The trees bloom all year long on the Island of always Summer! My personal dream come true!

Our summer Reading list Classics and New Arrivals

Children/Family

The Borrowers 

Charlotte's Web

The Secret Garden

10 Great Multicultural Must Read Children Books

These are all the books on that list I'm interested in...Along with my everlasting favorite Author/ Illustrators list...

Bud Not Buddy
Tar Beach
My Name is Maria
The Composition
Lon Po Po!

Jerry Pinkney and the Pinkney Family
Ezra Jack Keats
Tana Hoban and her Daughter to name a few...
Then I have to encourage you to seek out Picture books..here are some of my favorites!

My Daddy is a yoga Pretzel

LOOK...!    
"My Daddy is a Yoga Pretzel."  Our family had been introduced to Yoga Pretzels in the form of large index cards. You can pick a card and practice with a family member or on your own but quite a few of the cards are for partners to practice together. You can focus on what you want..examples are  trust,  courage, patience etc. So i want to check out the book in the next few days or so, from the library. I'm really looking forward to it. I'll come back here and Good reads and share my thoughts on this book and I'd appreciate if your comments on Yoga Pretzels if you have read or used the index cards too!