scaifea's 2010 Challenge

Just like the past 2 years, I’d like just to use this as a way to keep track of what and how much I read in a year and not so much as a ‘can I make it to 75’ goal-focused thread, so I hope that's ok. Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 6 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasional other books slipped in there too):

1. A library book. I'd tell you how I pick these, but it's too embarrassing. Maybe you'll figure it out as the year unfolds...

2. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

3. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie. For this category, I’m working through a few different lists:
NEH Timeless Classics list
Newbery Winners list
Caldecott Winners list
Roald Dahl bibliography
1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die

4. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

5. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

6. For this category, I cycle through 9 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. A CYOA book - I'm trying to collect as many of these as I can, again, for Charlie.
c. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
e. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
f. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulizer list (in alpha order by author)

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am.
Please feel free to post comments, recommendations, or whatever else strikes your fancy. And Happy Reading, everyone!

What I'm reading now:
-I promessi sposi (library book)
-1001 Arabian Nights (banned books list)
-Rousseau's Confessions (also from the banned books list - because the previously listed book is so long, I feel like I'm not actually making any headway on this list!)
-Matilda (Roald Dahl bibliography list)
-Le Morte d'Arthur (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-Thomas Jefferson (Presidential Challenge)
-All the Pretty Horses (from the NBA list)




Pages Read: 15586

Books Read:
118. How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors? by Jane Tolen (public library book)
117. The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmunds (NEH & Newbery lists)
116. Thomas the Tank Engine Story Collection by Rev. W. Awdry (1001 Children's Books list)
115. If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff (public library book)
114. Dobry by Monica Shannon (Newbery list)
113. Harold and the Purple Crayon: Things That Go by Jodi Huelin (public library book)
112. Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge (NEH list)
111. Cake Decorating for Dummies by Joe LoCicero
110. Fire Truck by Peter Sis (public library book)
109. New Tracks for Thomas (Charlie book)
108. Maisy Drives by Lucy Cousins (public library book)
107. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
106. The Witches by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
105. Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs (Newbery list)
104. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff (public library book)
103. Dr. Seuss' ABC by Dr. Seuss (public library book)
102. There's a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss (public library book)
101. Ready, Steady, Go (public library book)
100. The Baby's Catalogue by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (1001 Children's Books list)
99. The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong (NEH and Newbery lists)
98. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths (Charlie book)
97. Pyramid by David MaCaulay (Charlie book)
96. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Tim Wynne-Jones (Charlie book)
95. Hide and Seek with Lovable Furry Old Grover by Jon Stone (Charlie book)
94. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister (Charlie book)
93. My Little 123 Book by Bob Staake (Charlie book)
92. The BFG by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
91. The Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbary Cooney (Caldecott list)
90. Where's Spot? by Eric Hill (1001 Children's Books list)
89. Off We Go! by Jane Yolen (public library book)
88. Polar Babies by Susan Ring (public library book)
87. The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert DeJong (NEH list)
86. Young Fu by Elizabeth Lewis (Newbery list)
85. Roll Over! (public library book)
84. Wheels on the Bus (public library book)
83. See Inside Castles by Katie Daynes
82. See Inside Famous Buildings by Rod Lloyd Jones
81. See Inside Ancient Rome by Katie Daynes
80. George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
79. Waterless Mountain by Laura Armer (Newbery list)
78. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (a gift for Charlie from the in-laws)
77. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli (NEH & Newbery lists)
76. Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway (public library book)
75. The Twits by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
74. The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth (NEH & Newbery lists)
73. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (NEH & Newbery lists)
72. My Puppy Friends (public library book)
71. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
70. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly (NEH & Newbery lists)
69. Just a Tugboat by Mercer Mayer (public library book)
68. A Red Train by Bernette Ford (public library book)
67. Beep Beep by Petr Horacek (public library book)
66. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
65. Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
64. The Snowy Day by Ezra Keats (Caldecott list)
63. Another Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone (book for Charlie)
62. Being Bella by Cheryl Zuzo (bought this as a gift)
61. The Little Train by Lois Lenski (public library book)
60. Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
59. Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
58. Henry and Beezus by Bevery Cleary (NEH list)
57. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
56. Lugalbanda by Kathy Henderson (got this one at the library book sale yesterday!)
55. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
54. First Night by Harriet Ziefert (picked this one up at the library sale)
53. Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dahn Gopal Mukerji (Newbery book)
52. Winnie the Pooh: Blackberry Surprise (public library book)
51. Toddler Two by Anastasia Suen (public library book)
50. One More Bunny by Rick Walton (public library book)
49. The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss (public library book)
48. My Very First Book of Food by Eric Carle (public library book)
47. Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg (1001 Children's list)
46. The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth (NEH list)
45. Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey (Caldecott list)
44. Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi (Caldecott list)
43. The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous (Caldecott list)
42. Finders Keepers by Will & Nicholas (Caldecott list)
41. The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward (Caldecott list)
40. Cinderella by Marcia Brown (Caldecott list)
39. The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elphinda Vipont (1001 Children's Books)
38. Bedtime for Frances by Russel Hoban (1001 Children's Books)
37. A Tree Is Nice by Janice Udry (Caldecott list)
36. Good Night, Alfie Atkins by Gunilla Bergstom (1001 Children's Books)
35. Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll (1001 Children's Books)
34. Miffy by Dick Bruna (1001 Children's Books)
33. The Three Railway Engines by Rev. Awdry (1001 Children's Books)
32. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
31. The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry (Fry bibliography list)
30. Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James (Newbery list)
29. John Adams by David McCullough (Presidential Challenge)
28. The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (Moore bibliography list)
27. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman bibliography list)
26. Modern English Drama (library book)
25. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Brink (NEH & Newbery lists)
24. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
23. Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins (1001 Children's Books)
22. Mr. Grumpy's Outing by John Burningham (1001 Children's Books)
21. Frog Went A-Courtin' by John Langsraff (Caldecott list)
20. The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)
19. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Banned Books list)
18. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (read-aloud book)
17. Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman (Newbery book)
16. The Dark Half by Stephen King (King bibliography list)
15. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Banned Books list)
14. The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston (NEH Children's Classics list)
13. The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics list)
12. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie (Christie bibliography list)
11. Caravan of Fun (Children's Hour vol. 4)
10. The Complete Kama Sutra (Banned Books list)
9. The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics list)
8. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics List)
7. Mary Magdalene: A Biography by Bruce Chilton (unread book from my shelves)
6. I'm A Mom! Now What? by Su Laurent
5. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics List)
4. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1001 Children's Books)
3. Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? (CYOA List)
2. Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow (Pulitzer List)
1. The Mabinogion (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)

Welcome back!

Thanks! I'm excited to start another year! I'll be taking a multi-day train ride very soon, so I'll have lots of time for reading to start the new challenge off right.

Hi! Merry Christmas!

Hi, ChrDaisies - welcome!

Glad to see you (and Charlie) back with us for another year, Amber!

You too, Stasia!

hi Amber
I have also added the Newbery Winners list and 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die to my reading plans.
Anita

Cool! Maybe we can chat throughout the year about some of the books we've read on those lists!

My husband and I plan to start reading aloud to each other in the new year... I noticed a number of other people in our group do it, and when I mentioned it casually, he revealed that he really enjoys when I read aloud to him... so we're going to give it a try, probably starting with a re-read (but first time reading aloud) of the very silly Georgia Nicholson YA series. :)

Saying hi and starring the thread. I also read aloud with my fiance, although not on any real schedule and we often don't finish the books (translation: he gets tired of them and then I finish them by myself). We're theoretically re-reading our way through the Harry Potter series currently.

We don't get a lot of time to read to each other, but it's really lovely when we do. Right now we're working through His Dark Materials, and we've been reading that for a loooong time. We'll finish it eventually. We did make it through the Harry Potter series - they're great read-aloud books!

I always enjoy your challenge threads! Hope you have a great reading reading year. I have starred your thread and will be lurking! =)

Aw, thanks mrstreme!

Happy New Year! i like your reading groups list. I thought of adding a 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up list to my challenge. Rumor on the web is that a lot of the books on the list are hard to find in the US. I'll be checking your thread to see what you think.

I'm really intrigued by this idea of reading aloud with one's spouse. My husband is a "non-reader" BUT has a modicum of interest in the classics. Life is so busy that we often don't spend as much quality time together in the evenings as we ought to. I'm wondering if I can pitch the idea of reading a Russian classic together (i.e. one of the ones on my list - War and Peace, Anna Karenina...). More time together + book on list read (eventually) + husband understanding a bit more about what makes me tick = potentially a very good thing. Hmmmmm.

VioletBramble: I'll definitely keep you posted - I usually order all books meant for Charlie's shelved via amazon, and they've been pretty good so far at having stuff off my lists.

FlossieT: I really enjoy the reading time with my husband. I think it might soon turn into me reading aloud to both Tomm (The Husband) and Charlie in the early evenings while Charlie has his post-bath cup of milk. Tomm and I have been working on His Dark Materials for *ever* now, and we've given up getting through it the old-fashioned way and are now listening to it on car trips we have together. We've recently finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in the new method, and we're starting Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator next. It's good because it's even more exposure to reading for Charlie (we both read to him every day as it is), plus Tomm didn't read a lot of the books on the Charlie pile when he was a kid, so they're new to him to.

I've edited the first post to include what I'm currently reading. Hoo! So excited for the new year of reading!

1. The Mabinogion (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)

This is a collection of Welsh tales, in which Arthur makes a fair amount of appearances. It took me awhile to get used to the story-telling style, but I very much enjoyed reading this. Lots of common elements of folktale, but with some interesting twists. Highly recommended. (Sorry there's not more summary, but this book is difficult to describe, for me at least!)

2. Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow (Pulitzer List)

Charlie Citrine is a famous author who, after the death of the famous poet, Humboldt, recounts in part his strange and difficult relationship with the man while also detailing elements of his own life. As in The Adventures of Augie March, the most interesting character in the book is the city of Chicago, for which Bellow must have a great love.
So this is the second Bellow book I've read and that's pretty much enough for me, I think. This one, like Augie March, gets a big fat Meh from me. I'm not a fan of his style, although the story itself isn't bad, and I'm just as annoyed with the ending of this one as I was with the first one.

Interesting that you read aloud to each other! One of the biggest things I miss about my older children is that I cannot read bedtime stories to them. I discovered some fantastic children's books I would never have read otherwise, and the sharing experience was fab.

#19: I started The Mabinogion last year and put it aside, but with all the talk on the Chronicles of Prydain thread had decided to pick it up again. I would say with your recommendation to boot, I will finish it by the end of the week. Thanks for the push, Amber.

#21: Stasia: I will say that it does take a bit of getting used to, and there were points were I had to stop and say, "wait, what just happened?!" But, overall, it was a great read and I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for the link on my thread, I did enjoy yours last year but had unfortunately forgotten your name (don't be offended, I often forget my own) and so needed a push in the right direction. Much appreciated, and looking forward to the next year :)

No worries - it'd take a lot more than that to offend this frequent forgetter! LOL!

#22: I have had the same problem with it. Part of the reason I stopped reading it last year is that the edition I have to read is difficult. I am hoping I have better luck with it this year.

3. Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? by Edward Packard (Choose Your Own Adventure list)

You're a young detective who must solve a murder.
Very Agatha Christie-like setting, but without the flair for writing murder mysteries. Not my favorite CYOA, but not terrible, either. Onto Charlie's shelves it goes.

A note about how I read CYOA books: I actually make a flow-chart as I go along of all the possible choices, then, after my first read-through, I go back and read through all the possibilities. I know, I'm super neurotic, but with a book like this, it's the only way I feel that I've read the book in its entirety.

I have not read one of those CYOA books in forever. The girls and I read several of them when they were younger.

I *loved* them when I was a kid, so it's part out of a sense of nostalgia that I'm collecting them for Charlie, but partly because I think they're so fun for kids.

Count me in as another childhood CYOA fan. I particularly remember one about the Incas and one about a balloon voyage as favourites. Not sure where they are now.

I read a great interview with the former publisher, who started a company to bring them all back into print when Bantam let them go OOP. Around the same time there was also a brilliant online CYOA - which I thought I had bookmarked, but I've just been through literally ALL my bookmarks and can't find it. Boo hiss.

Rachael
Your job sounds so very interesting!

#29: Wow, thanks for the cool link!

4. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1001 Children's Books list)

This one just came in the mail today, and I read it now while Charlie is still napping. It will very shortly be read again, this time with Charlie in lap, helping me.

What a sweet little book - I managed not to cry this first time through, but I can't guarantee success with that the second time around. I'm so sensitive to that sort of thing now that I'm a mom. Only natural, I suppose.

Amber, There is such great wisdom in children's books! I find the same to be true for the YA genre.

I think I've said this before, but I'll say it again (it's my thread, after all ;) ) - I'm so very much enjoying gathering books for Charlie and reading them myself. I didn't have a lot of books growing up, so a lot of these I'm reading for the first time, and I'm so glad that Charlie will have them around.

Amber

When I recently visited my daughter, she showed me shelves of children's books she kept from her childhood that she is now reading to her children. It was a wonderful moment to realize that she treasured all the books that I read to her. That night, I joyfully read lots of Little Golden Books to my grandchildren.

#35

My mum and I recently converted the small third bedroom at her house into a library and its been wonderful looking through all the books from my childhood and remembering them. As well as re-reading some of the YA ones that have turned up. When I was younger, I thought she was mad for keeping them but now, I don't.

#32: I have very fond memories of reading both that one and Goodnight Moon to the girls when they were younger. Margaret Wise Brown always struck me as a children's author who got all the words just exactly right.

It's so nice to hear that these books are bringing back wonderful memories for all of you, just as Charlie and I are starting to make our own. Such a lovely testimony of the timelessness of some books.

5. Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics List)

In this 3rd installment in the Oz series, Dorothy returns to Oz, accompanied by a talking hen, via the land of Ev and the mountain domain of the not-so-nice Nome King. Along the way she meets the new ruler of Oz, Ozma (who has always been a girl but was for some time in disguise as a boy - talk about gender issues!), a mechanical man named Tik Tok, and of course all her old Oz friends as well.

I wasn't overly fond of the second book, but I really did enjoy this third one. The story was just, well, better, and it was nice to see Dorothy back in action.

#39: I need to get back to reading the Oz books. I started reading them last year, but only made it to the first couple. Thanks for the reminder, Amber.

I learn something new everyday! I did not know that the Wizard of Oz books were a series!

Stasia: Well, I'll not be reading them all. Someone bought Charlie the 6th book in the series (because his friend is a publisher who put out a beautiful edition of that book), so I naturally had to buy (and read) 2-5 (we already have 1, of course).

Whisper1: Oh boy, you're in for it - there's LOTS of them! LOL!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Oz_books

Not all of them by Baum, but still quite a few of them are!

Inspired by Luxx, I'm sharing some Charlie pictures. It seems appropriate that he be in this thread anyway, since most of the books I read these days are for him!

What a sweetie! Thanks for sharing the pictures, Amber.

Oh man, that grin is going to get you into so much trouble. Or, rather, it will get Charlie out of trouble.

Sigh. All these pictures of very young men are making me nostalgic for my own. Although there is much to be said for them when they're grown, too.

Beautiful boys, Amber & Luxx!

Thanks, all! And yes, Luxx, that smile *is* trouble!
Speaking of all this little men business...

6. I'm A Mom! Now What?

I started this book, well, 16 months ago, thinking that I would read a chapter at a time as Charlie got to each age group discussed. Today I just decided to go ahead and finish it.

I read this one because I read I'm Pregnant! Now What? and found it really helpful. This one was good, not not quite as good as the other.

I read all the Brazelton books when I was pregnant and the kids were babes. He was my generation's Dr. Spock. He also had a TV show and had a gentle voice and smile. Down to earth and common sense.

I mostly just wanted an authoritative (in a good way) voice from which to seek advice outside of the family, since that can get tricky, as I'm sure you all know...

7. Mary Magdalene: A Biography by Bruce Chilton (from my unread books shelves)

Meh. I learned a few things I didn't previously know about the Magdalene legends, but I was looking for a more detached, literary interpretation of the texts that mention her than I found here. Not a terrible read, just not a great one.

Oh, Charlie is such a cutie! I'm so glad you posted pictures. My "baby" just turned 6 and is losing his chubby-cheeked smile. They grow up so fast!

Thanks, porch_reader! And don't remind me about how fast they grow - Charlie's too big already!

All the Charlie photo's are gorgeous but I love the last one best, it's very cheeky. We played What Time Is It Mr Wolf with Andrew at the weekend and Joseph thought we were being very naughty, sneaking up on Andrew.

His face and smile were so full of mischief he kept squealling with excitement about it.

I love their faces when they are so happy they look like that. I also noticed the empty shelves behind him, our house is starting to look like that as Joseph gets more mobile. He climbs now too which is very scary. Yesterday I took some photo's of him on and eventually in a cardboard box he had managed to climb up on.

Oh I know, Jody! Charlie is such a climber - it's terrifying!

8. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics list)

Dorothy manages to find another fairytale land, this time by falling into a crack in the earth during an earthquake. She runs into her old pal the Wizard in this new underground land, and together, along with a few new friends, they suffer various new adventures until they indeed do end up back in Oz.

These keep getting better as I go along. Delightful little read, this. On to the next in the series...

9. The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics list)

Dorothy starts another adventure that lands her in Oz, this time when she meets a shaggy stranger and the fork in the road isn't what she's used to. Same familiar characters, with a few new added to the mix.

This one wasn't a good as the previous couple, but I have high expectations for the next in the series (which I think will be my last, despite the long list of books in the complete series), The Emerald City of Oz.

10. The Complete Kama Sutra (Banned Books list)

Interesting text. This is a particularly nice translation, as it also includes translations of older commentaries, although with the translator's own notes.

That's a slight change of pace, Oz books to Kama Sutra! Might get whiplash.

I haven't seen any pictures of Charlie lately and he is such a charmer! His personality is really showing.

Well, there *is* a sex change, of sorts, in the Oz books...

11. Caravan of Fun

This is my latest, ehem, bathroom read. I have this set of Children's Hour books (from the 50's) which were my brothers'. It's such a lovely set (all hardbound, red volumes that look wonderful on the shelf), so since my brothers didn't want them, of course I had to have them on *my* shelves. And, of course, since they're on my shelves, I have to read them. They're collections of various kinds of stories from various places, and the better parts of the selections I already have for Charlie's library, but again, a book can't just sit unread on my shelves. So, these are my bathroom books for now.

Charlie is a cutie pie!!!

Thanks, mrstreme! I think so, of course, but I may be a bit biased on the subject :)

12. The Boomerang Clue aka Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie (from the Christie bibliography list)

It all starts with a man 'accidentally' falling off of a cliff on a golf course, and then off the reader is whisked on a wild chase for the murderer and for the meaning - and subsequent answer - to the dead man's last query, "Why didn't they ask Evans?"

Someone on another thread said that this is their favorite Christie book, and I have to agree that of all the Christie I've read, this one I have enjoyed the most. I just couldn't put it down and found myself reading faster and faster, annoyed with myself that I'm not a speed reader. I *needed* to get to the end to find out the answers! A great read, which I highly recommend.

I really need to go back and visit Dame Christie. It has been a while. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? looks like a good place to start.

Hi Amber. I haven't read Why Didn't They Ask Evans? for such a long time! I will have to see if my library has a copy.

Like most of Christie's work it's a quick read and well worth it. The only thing that could possibly have made it better is if Tommy & Tuppence had been in it (they're my favorite of her characters)!

I must be in an extreme minority in that I have never tired, or wanted to try a Christie.

She is however the topic of a family tale, in that she was a family acquaintance. I don't quite recall the specifics, but I know she certainly came to the house once.

If you do recall the specifics, I'd really love to hear that story Jenny! Sounds interesting.:)

Christie is not for everyone, but if you ever want a taste of her writing, you might try And Then There Were None. I've met a few people who started with that one and were hooked. But she wrote a LOT of books, so if she isn't for you, there's 80+ books out there that you can safely ignore, lol!!

Hi Amber! :)

I honestly can't remember what caused me to decide to work my way through her biblio. I'm anjoying it very much, but I also understand that she's not for everyone. Right now my husband and I are working through a Jeeves & Wooster (the tv series version, not the books) marathon, and between that and the Christie books, I feel totally (and happily) ensconced in the England of a few decades ago. I *so* have a crush on Stephen Fry's Jeeves :)

I *so* have a crush on Stephen Fry's Jeeves

Ditto.

lycomayflower: My alarm clock, in fact, wakes me up with the sound of Stephen Fry as Jeeves saying, "Good morning, Madam,..." LOL!

>71 scaifea:: That's excellent.

#71 - I love that. We have teacups decorated with the words 'His Lordship' and 'Her Ladyship' but I'd quite like an alarm clock butler to go with them.

Simply had to share a photo of my four grandchildren...the boys are fraternal twins.

Aww, Linda, they are SO CUTE!!! Don't you just love them? I agree with whoever said grandchildren are so much fun, I wish I would have had them first!

Adorable!

#75

Hmm.........don't think it quite works like that.

Perhaps I could figure out a way, I'd make my fortune!

Wow, how could they get any cuter? :)

They are incredibly cute! Although the red things in the shop window look slightly scary...

The photo was taken during an outing to the Crayola crayon factory. I think the red things are stuffed toy crayons.

You are right...they do look scary.

Wow! What adorable kids - I love that they are holding hands!

>80 Whisper1:: Oh, isn't the Crayola Factory a wonderful place? We visited there when my girls were little and they had a great time.

13. The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum (NEH Children's Classics list)

Dorothy decides to reside in Oz for good this time round, and brings her Aunt & Uncle with her. As they are of on a whirlwind tour of Oz, however, trouble is brewing across the desert sands (or underneath them, as the case may be)... The old crew joins together, though, to defend the enchanted land, and of course all is well in the end (no real spoilers there).

This is the last of the Oz books I'll be reading, for now, at least. I will say, though, that it's one of the better ones that I've read.

#83: I read the first two Oz books and although my local library has Ozma of Oz, it has been overdue for a while now, so I am patiently waiting for whatever patron checked it out to return it.

Stasia: I admit that the Oz books have grown on me. I didn't really like the first two much, but I kept on reading because I already owned a copy of #6 in the series. I recommend reading up through #6 (the one I've just finished), at least, if you can, especially if you can get your hands on a Books Of Wonder reprint of the original (which is what I/Charlie have/has - a friend of mine is friends with an editor at BoW and he gave this particular reprint to Charlie at my shower) - the art is just beautifully done.

#85: I am not sure what the editions are that my local library has, but they are nice. They could be the Books of Wonder editions, I am just not sure. The publisher is Morrow (I checked the library's website), but no idea if that is related to BoW or not.

I think they're different animals, Stasia. You should check out the Books of Wonder website (just google 'Books of Wonder') - they're pretty neat.

OK, I will check. Thanks for the info.

ETA: I took a look at the Books of Wonder website and the volumes shown there are what my library has.

14. The Children of Green Knowe by L. M. Boston (NEH Children's Classics list)

Tolly comes to stay the holiday with his great-grandmother in her rambling old English mansion/castle and makes friends with the other children who 'live' there...

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. The Secret Garden, but with more magical qualities. Loved it!

>89 scaifea:: That series was one of my all-time favorites as a kid. When I was around college-age, they had gone out of print. I ended up finding dumpy paperbacks-rebound-as-hardcovers at some store and snapped them up. I re-read the first one every year or two, usually around Christmas.

#89: I actually liked the second book in the series better than the first one, Amber. I hope you get to read Treasure of the Green Knowe too. Unfortunately, I still have not gotten beyond book two :(

15. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (Banned Books list)

That rascal Tom gets into so many adventures, all of them epic in proportion, either just in his imagination or because the danger is all too real (murder, robbery, buried treasure, and that scary cave!). His friends Huck, Joe and Betsy, along with Twain's descriptions of the small quiet town on the Ol' Miss make this read such a wonderful one. Loved it!

I can't believe I made it through all that schooling without being assigned this one. I also can't believe how much I enjoyed it - for some reason I assumed that I wouldn't like Twain at all. Now, on to Huck Finn's story!

#92: I really enjoy Tom Sawyer too. I am glad you discovered it, Amber!

I'm glad you enjoyed Tom Sawyer as well! Brooks and I just finished it, and now he's boycotting Huck Finn after the first ten chapters. Picky toddlers, bah.

I liked Tom Sawyer but couldn't stand Huck Finn, though that was years and years ago... I wonder if I might think differently if I read it now? I suspect the dialogue got to me when I was younger.

#95: I still cannot stand the dialogue of Huck Finn, Faith, so I know exactly what you mean.

16. The Dark Half by Stephen King (King bibliography list)

Thad Beaumont is a writer who finds literary success after writing under a pen name. But what happens when the pen name takes on a life of its own...?

I love and hate King's work. He's such a great storyteller, but he's also way too good of a storyteller, and his stories tend to leave me troubled long after I've finished them. This one wasn't as disturbing, though. Still dark, sinister, reading-on-the-edge-of-one's-chair suspense, but the ending was nicer to me that many of his books have been. Thanks, Stephen, for that.
Every time I finish one of his books, I tell myself that it will be the last one, but I always come back for more, and I'll probably do so again, especially since this one was kinder to me.

I know what you mean about King's stories leaving you troubled long after you've finished them...me too! I had a conversation with my uncle once about Stephen King, who is his favorite author. He said that the worst scenes from King's novels pop into his head when he's out hunting, alone in the woods and without anyone around for miles. Super unnerving.

Amber

I just finished an amazing book A Dab of Dickens & A Touch of Twain: Literary Lives from Shakespeare's Old England to Frost's New England
(link listed below)
http://www.librarything.com/work/1393671/reviews/57590357

You might be interested in how Mark Twain overcame the nasty attacks by Louisa May Allcott and marketed Huckleberry Finn.

willowsmom: Good to know that I'm not alone about the King business - and *so* glad I'm not the alone-in-the-woods type! LOL!

Whisper: Thanks for the tip - on to the wishlist it goes!

17. Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman (Newbery list)

A collection of Chinese fables for children. Some interesting and fun stories here.

18. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (read-aloud book)

Wonderful story - so inventive, and such an interesting take on the Church. Loved the characters, loved the story, loved it all.

#101: I have not heard of Shen of the Sea. I will look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Amber!

19. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (Banned Books list)

Huck & Jim set out down the River and encounter all sorts of adventures along the way. Yet another work that I can't believe I have the degrees that I have without ever being assigned it. Amazing story. If I had read it when I was a girl, I would've wanted Huck as a best friend; reading it as a mother now, I just want to hug him tight and take care of him (just what he would resist with all his might, of course)! If you haven't read this one, hop to it! :)

20. The Magic Finger Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

A little girl gets mad when her friend's family goes hunting and uses her 'special powers' to vent her frustration...
Strange, but cute. So, typical Dahl.

#98 - What did he think of Dreamcatcher, with so much of that about hunters out in the woods? And The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon?

21. Frog Went A-Courtin' by John Langstaff (Caldecott list)

Cute re-telling (and re-drawing) of the traditional story.

22. Mr. Grumpy's Outing by John Burningham (1001 Children's Books list)

Really liked this one. Sweet, quirky little story, and the illustrations are amazing. Highly recommend this one for moms with little readers.

I love Frog Went A-Courtin, have you seen this animation of it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Inywbpuj9qM

V. cool - thanks Jody!

23. Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins (1001 Children's Book list)

I've had so little time to even pick up a book lately, but this one came from Amazon the other day for Charlie, and we've read it several times together already. Wonderful little book about a hen who goes for a walk and is being stalked by a fox, who gets into all sorts of silly mishaps while Rosie makes it safely home. The story is cute and the illustrations are wonderful. Certainly recommended.

#108: That one looks a little too young for me, but I am glad Charlie (and you, of course) enjoyed it, Amber.

24. Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

Charlie, Mr. Wonka et al. have a bit of an adventure...in space!

IMHO, not nearly as good as the first book, but still a cute little read.

#110: I agree that book is not as good as the first one. Did Charlie enjoy it, sure in the knowledge that the book was about him?

He's still at the age where he mostly enjoys flipping the pages and stealing mom's bookmark. Ha!

Ha! Indeed.

25. Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (NEH & Newbery lists)

This is the story of Caddie, a young girl growing up in the Civil War-era Wisconsin prairie.
A cute little story, but not terribly well-written. Meh, s'okay.

26. Modern English Drama (library book)

This volume includes the following plays:
All for Love, by John Dryden
The School for Scandal, by Richard Brinkley Sheridan
She Stoops to Conquer, by Oliver Goldsmith
The Cenci, by Percy Bysshe Shelley
A Blot in the 'Scutcheon, by Robert Browning
Manfred, by Lord Byron

Of these, I think I enjoyed She Stoops to Conquer the most; The Cenci was too troubling for me, really; All for Love was just silly; the rest were okay. I find it difficult to read plays, so I'm proud of myself for making it through this volume and actually comprehending what I was reading!

#115: I'm proud of myself for making it through this volume and actually comprehending what I was reading!

There is something to be said for that!

Thanks, Stasia! I did enjoy the book, but really I'd rather *see* a play, bot *read* it, of course. I took a recovery day and read some of American Gods yesterday - *loving* it!

#117: I have not tried that one by Gaiman yet (I am currently reading his Coraline), but I imagine I will get to it eventually.

27. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman bibliography list)

As all kinds of people from all over the Old World came to the New one, they brought along, in their minds and hearts (even if only in the back of them), their gods. And so the old, Old World gods came to America. This is, in part, a story about what happens to old gods in a New World, what happens to old gods in general.

Gaiman, bless him, can tell a story, create a myth, play with old stories and myths, like no other. Love him. Too stupefied by the wonderfulness of this book to say anything else even remotely intelligent about it. Just go read it. You can thank me later.

I'm glad you enjoyed American Gods so much. Have to tell you, though, that I liked the kind-of sequel, Anansi Boys even better.

ronincats: That's exciting - can't wait to read it (it's sitting on my shelf waiting for me)!

28. The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (Moore bibliography list)

Moore returns to the small town of Pine Cove for this one, this time for the Holidays. A gang of zombies led by a dead Santa, a talking bat with a weird accent, and a hot schizophrenic chick off her meds = Best Christmas Novel Ever.

29. John Adams by David McCullough (presidential challenge)

I very much enjoyed this bibliography. I love McCullough's style and I appreciate how thoroughly he covered the entire life of Adams. It took me *forever* to finish this one, but this is no fault of the book or it's author, but instead the fault lies entirely with the slowness of the reader.

30. Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James (Newbery list)

A cute little story, much like Black Beauty, that follows the life of a horse through good times and not so good.

31. The Hippopotamus by Stephen Fry (Fry bibliography list)

A constantly-soused and recently sacked journalist (who is also a has-been poet) gets a weird job offer from his god-daughter to spy on his best friend's family and isn't told why. Probably a good thing, too, since the reason behind it all turns out to be very strange (it had to do with the supposed miracles that are being worked by his other godchild - a 15-year-old, slightly weird boy, who is the son of the aforementioned best friend). Some interesting and cool twists in here, along with a few naughty bits.
What can I say - I'm just a little bit in love with Stephen Fry. Loved this novel, too.

I really need to read John Adams. I have enjoyed all of the other McCullough books I have read. Thanks for the reminder, Amber.

I thought that I would also add the things I've been reading for work. Although I'll list them here, I won't be counting them toward my 75, since the majority of them (especially the ancient texts) are multiple-time re-reads. I want to list them, though, on the off chance that anyone wants to discuss them (I love these texts and would certainly welcome the chance to chat about them!).

So, recently, as I'm starting to prep for next year's courses, I've read:
Oedipus Rex
The Persians
Medea
The Frogs
Pseudolus
Suetonius' Life of Nero
and an article by William Batstone (most brilliant Classisict I know) on Plautine theater called "Plautine Farce and Plautine Freedom"

I may have mentioned it before, Amber, but I will never forget the PBS production of the play Medea starring Colleen Dewhurst. It was terrific and the play has been lodged in my brain ever since, lol.

Medea is right up there with Dido as perhaps the best literary female character *ever*. Euripides, despite being in his day the least popular of the Big Three Tragedians, is in my mind the absolute best. Did you know that he changed the story? Before, Medea never killed her children (oh, they still died, but in the earlier version it was the Corinthian people who stoned them to death). So he really shocked his audience with his change to the myth, and if you read the play with this in mind, you can see him toying with the audience throughout as to whether she'll actually do it or not. Fabulous writing.
(Sorry, I can get carried away about this stuff sometimes.)

No, I did not know Euripides changed the story. I am going to have to read the play now (despite my reservations about reading plays - I much prefer them acted.)

I have no problem with you getting carried away by this stuff! I think it is very interesting.

Besides, it is your thread :)

32. Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

A sweet little chapbook about a fox and his family trying to survive the angry vengeance of 3 mean old nasty farmers. Highly enjoyable.

I think there's a movie now, right? Clearly I haven't seen it, but I'd like to now that I've read the book!

>129 scaifea:: Yes there is a movie, only loosely based on the book but good fun. It was directed by Wes Anderson, who has made some very quirky films (Rushmore, The Life Aquatic, Darjeeling Limited ...). It's aimed more at adults than young children.

ETA: I just noticed on the LT homepage that today is Richard Scarry's birthday. Have you and Charlie discovered Busytown yet? I loved those books when my girls were very young -- great characters and very busy illustrations with lots to look at and talk about.

Hi, I know they were from a while back, but I just wanted to say thanks for your recommendations of the Stephen Fry book - I'm a bit in love with him too, but I didn't know he'd written any novels - and for The Stupidest Angel - I was sold on the title alone, but your summary (A gang of zombies led by a dead Santa, a talking bat with a weird accent, and a hot schizophrenic chick off her meds = Best Christmas Novel Ever made me want to read it even more, thanks!

lindsacl: Wed Anderson, eh? Not a huge fan, but I'll probably give it a go anyway...

tash99: I hope you enjoy Fry's novels -they usually make me feel dumb (he's so so smart), but I still love him. This particular one wasn't as difficult to follow than some of the others. And as for The Stupidest Angel, if you end up liking it (and I can't imagine anyone *not*), Moore's got a handful of other books, all just as hilarious.

Well, I decided to read through a largish pile of books that I've ordered for Charlie's shelves last night. Here's the results:

33. The Three Railway Engines by Rev. Awdry (1001 Children's Books)
34. Miffy by Dick Bruna (1001 Children's Books)
35. Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll (1001 Children's Books)
36. Good Night, Alfie Atkins by Gunilla Bergstom (1001 Children's Books)
37. A Tree Is Nice by Janice Udry (Caldecott list)
38. Bedtime for Frances by Russel Hoban (1001 Children's Books)
39. The Elephant and the Bad Baby by Elphinda Vipont (1001 Children's Books)
40. Cinderella by Marcia Brown (Caldecott list)
41. The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward (Caldecott list)
42. Finders Keepers by Will & Nicholas (Caldecott list)
43. The Egg Tree by Katherine Milhous (Caldecott list)
44. Song of the Swallows by Leo Politi (Caldecott list)
45. Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey (Caldecott list)

Did Charlie get to read them too?

Stasia: Not yet. I know it's probably very over-protective of me, but I insist on reading all books first before reading them to Charlie. All the books in this batch have made the cut, so to speak, but sometimes I reject books for Charlie, at least until he's a little older. Of course, once he gets to be a certain age, he can read whatever he darn well pleases.

>135 scaifea:: I think pre-reading is a wise move. I can remember a couple of situations where I realized, mid-book, that I was going to have to improvise to get past something I didn't think my daughter was ready for !

46. The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth (NEH list)

A young boy helps a hen to hatch a, well, rather large egg, and something very interesting breaks out of that shell. This is the story of what happens to the thing that hatches and the boy.

Sweet story; a little dated maybe, but I tend to like those kinds of stories.

#135: Ah, I did not realize that this was the initial reading. I pre-screened books for the girls for years, so I know how it goes. I agree with Laura, it is a wse move.

47. Each Peach Pear Plum by Allan Ahlberg (1001 Children's list)

Very cute and cool picture book - and I, Spy game combined with favorite nursery rhyme characters. Definitely recommended.

>47 scaifea:: One thing I enjoy about this thread -- when it comes to Charlie's books -- is how a cover image pops into my head when I see a familiar title. I'll say, "Oh, is that the one where ... ?" and click on the touchstone to check. It's fun to reconnect with favorites from now long-gone days.

lindsacl: I'm so glad to provide you with an excuse to visit some good memories!

>135 scaifea:. I haven't started pre-reading yet, but probably will very soon. We have a box of books we know he isn't old enough to understand. So far, I've gotten away with skipping the parts I don't feel he's ready for in the books that are on his shelves.

The worst part is he loves the "eat meater" dinosaurs and wants only the gory parts of his dino books. I don't think I'm ready for that, but there you go...

Charlie and I had a very exciting day - we discovered a new (not really, just new to us) branch of the local public library, and it has a *huge* children's section! So of course we came home with some borrowed treasures:

48. My Very First Book of Food (library book)
49. The Foot Book (library book)
50. One More Bunny (library book)
51. Toddler Two (library book)
52. Winnie the Pooh: Blackberry Surprise (library book)

I also finished this one today, from the Newbery list:
53. Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon (Newbery book)

Thought it was about time to post a new Charlie picture. This one is from a couple of weeks ago when we were visiting my parents. Not sure who had more fun, Charlie or Grandpa!

Love the picture! He is getting so big!

Oh my, he IS growing up! What a cutie. Thanks!

That is a precious picture of precious time no matter whose face I focus on!

Fantastic photograph! B is a fan of riding tractors with his Pop-pop, too.

Love the new picture, Amber!

Thanks everyone! What I love about it is that I remember learning to drive a tractor on the very same tractor when I was little!

That's cool, Amber! I bet Charlie is going to look back on his tractor rides with fond remembrance too.

More work-related reads:

Seneca's Letters (selections)
Ovid's The Art of Love
Xenophon on Spartan Society
a smattering of Archilochus and Tyrtaeus
Thucydides' The History of the Peloponnesian War
Plutarch's Life of Aemilius Paullus
Cicero's Letters (selections)
Ovid's Amores
Lysias' On the Death of Eratosthenes
Cicero's First Catilinarian Speech
Euripides' The Bacchants
The Martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicitas
a smidge of the Iliad, a bit of the Aeneid
Plutarch's Life of Cato the Younger
Philotratus' Imagines
Aeschylus' Agamemnon
Aristophanes' Lysistrata

WOW!

Where do you work, Amber?

I'm a professor of Classics at Kenyon College, a small private school in the middle of Ohio.

ETA: All the work-related reads listed here are from my prepwork for the classes I'll be teaching next year, one class in particular at the moment, called Spectacle in the Ancient World. It's a new class that I've put together and I'm pretty excited about it - I think it'll be fun.

54: First Night by Harriet Ziefert

Picked this one up today at the library sale. It's a great picture book about a New Year's Eve costume parade, much in the spirit of Drummer Hoff (which happens to be one of the best children's books ever). Beautiful illustrations.

55: Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

Danny thinks his father is the most wonderful and amazing person in the world, but he discovers his dad's deepest secret, and this discovery leads them both into a delightful adventure.

I can't praise this book enough. Beautiful story, delightfully told. The relationship between Danny and his dad is so sweet and pure and full of love that it nearly brought me to tears - an excellent read for Father's Day!

56: Lugalbanda by Kathy Henderson (from yesterday's library book sale haul)

Another great read and highly-recommended children's book! Beautifully told and illustrated, this is a children's version of the oldest story we have found in writing (from ancient Sumer)! How cool is that?

Very cool! I will have to look for that one.

57: Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)

Henry Huggins finds a stray dog, names him Ribsy and takes him home. The next year of his 3rd-grade life is filled with all sorts of adventures.

I love Beverly Cleary, and I'm glad for the excuse to read more of her!

>155 scaifea:: I'm a professor of Classics at Kenyon College, a small private school in the middle of Ohio.
How about that ... my 17yo daughter will be spending two weeks there this summer, attending the Young Writers Workshop.

lindsacl: !!! Very cool! If you have plans to come and visit her and want to have coffee, just let me know!

>162 scaifea:: that's very nice of you Amber! Unfortunately, I will get no closer to Kenyon than the Philadelphia airport. But if I'm ever out your way, I will let you know!

58. Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
59. Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)

I'm officially addicted to the Henry Huggins books. What a cool 10 year old he is, and what a great dog he has! On to the next in the series!

60. Henry and the Paper Route by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)

Another in the same series.

I remember loving the Henry Huggins books when I was a kid. I am glad you are enjoying them, Amber.

61. The Little Train by Lois Lenski (public library book)

This board book follows a little train's journey from Tiny Town to Grand Central Station. Cute story, good illustrations.

62. Being Bella by Cheryl Zuzo (gift)

I bought this to give to my soon-to-be-neice; can you guess what they're naming her? LOL!

63. Another Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone (book for Charlie)

I saw this in Barnes & Noble yesterday and immediately knew I had to get it. The original The Monster at the End of This Book is, in my mind, tied with another book for Best Children's Book Ever (the other book being Oh What a Busy Day!. Plus, Charlie loves loves loves Elmo (who is the added member of the Monsters at the End of the Book club), so it's perfect!

64. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Caldecott list)

Nice story about a boy exploring his neighborhood after a big snow; nice illustrations.

65. Henry and the Clubhouse by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
66. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary (NEH list)
67. Beep Beep by Petr Horacek (public library book)

So I've finished the Henry Huggins series and I enjoyed them so much that I will return soon to read more of Cleary's stuff (I only read the Ralph S. Mouse series when I was a kid). #67 is cute, but nothing special.

I loved The Mouse and the Motorcycle when I was a kid too. I did not like Cleary's Ramona series nearly as much as I liked the Henry Huggins and Ralph S. Mouse series.

68. A Red Train by Bernette Ford (public library book)

Board book. Very nice approach to teaching colors - the pictures are simple, the colors bright, but there's still a lot to talk about on every page. Charlie and I had fun with this one.

69. Just a Tugboat by Mercer Mayer (public library book)

Board book. Meh. This one's okay, but I have a feeling that I'm not a big Mayer fan. Nothing particularly special about the story or the illustrations.

70. The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric Kelly (NEH & Newberry lists)

The story of a 15th century young boy and his family, who are forced to leave their home in the Ukraine and make their way to Krakow to start a new life and new identities, all the while hiding a borderline fantasy (I'm referring to genre here) family secret while waiting for an audience with the king himself and fending off attacks from the baddies who want to steal the precious secret. All of this dovetails beautifully with a parallel sub-plot story of the legend of the boy-trumpeter of Krakow. I'm not doing this book justice at all in my jumbled summary. Sorry.

This is an amazing book. I love discovering books on these children's/YA lists that have such wonderful(ly told) stories that they easily cross the boundary between children's book and full-on literature. Highly highly recommend this one!

#170: The girls and I read The Trumpeter of Krakow together years ago. Thanks for bringing back that memory. I should give the book a re-read.

Stasia: I know I'm already looking forward to a re-read! I also very much want to visit Krakow now - I know so little about the city, but the book describe it so lovingly and it sounds so beautiful.

I will join you for the Krakow trip - just give me half a lifetime to save up the money!

LOL! I think we're in the same financial boat then, Stasia!

71. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

Another good Dahl kid's book. If you like Dahl and haven't read this one, add it to your TBR pile!

#174: Nice to know I have company :)

#175: I have not read that Dahl book yet. Into the BlackHole it goes!

72. My Puppy Friends (public library book)

Board book: Pictures of puppies. Yep, that's pretty much it.

73. Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (NEH & Newbery lists)

A doll, now living in an antique shop, tells her 100 year history.
I give this one a big fat Meh. Some of the adventures the doll has are nice, but it was hard getting all the way through the book when I didn't like Hitty's character at all.

74. The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth (NEH & Newbery lists)

A cat named Good Luck plays an interesting part in the creation of a painting for a Buddhist temple. Very cool story, well told and nicely illustrated.

75. The Twits by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

A ridiculously nasty couple of baddies get their comeuppance in true Dahl style. Another Dahl story that I can't wait to share with Charlie.

76. Smiley Shark by Ruth Galloway (public library book)

Board book: cute story about a kindly-natured shark who has trouble making friends for the obvious reasons.

Awww, thanks Stasia!

Congrats!

77. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite De Angeli (NEH & Newbery lists)

A young boy of noble birth watches his hopes of following in his father's knightly footsteps as he is the victim of an illness that leaves him with very weak legs. He slowly regains his health and strength in the care of a monk and we follow him on his journey to meet his would-be mentor and ultimately to play a larger role in important events than he ever imagined.

A very enjoyable read. For some reason I was expecting more of a fantasy book (I think the title sounds like fantasy to me maybe), but that doesn't mean that I was disappointed - fantasy or no, this is a great little book - a well-told story of a sort-of bratty boy learning various virtues and being influenced by the kindness of those around him.

Your new class sounds very interesting. I'd love to see your final reading list!

Amber

I love visiting a thread where Roald Dahl and Newbery winners are read!

I'm on a quest to read all Newbery medal and honor books. I've made a dent, but need to get back to this goal and read more.

I'm particularly interested in The Trumpeter of Krakow.

Congratulations on passing 75!!

drneutron & ronincats: Thanks!

Luxx: Send me a PM to remind me and I'll send you the reading list & syllabus.

Whisper1: Me too! I'm working my way through the Newberys chronologically. The Trumpeter of Krakow is great - I'm certain that you'll love it.

Reading the Newbery award books in chronological order is a great goal. I've skipped around. Are you having any trouble obtaining the early ones?

You know, I thought I would, but I've found them all so far on amazon.

>188 scaifea:: I wonder if they've all remained in print simply because generation after generation, parents keep returning to these books to read to their children? Every time I peruse the Newbery and Caldecott lists I get all nostalgic over familiar titles -- not just ones from my own childhood, but many that were published earlier too.

78. Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (gift to Charlie from the in-laws)

Board book. Cute little read.

Hi scaifea,

I came across your thread on Cicero's Letters work page, because you included it in your "work-related reads". Glad to know that you're a professor of Classics. :) What do you think of the selection of letters in that book?

ETA: I also enjoyed your posts on the Aeneid thread.

booksontrial: To be honest, I'm not fond of most collections/anthologies because they never have all the works I want to teach and I generally end up making my own anthologies in the form of course packets. I also have to confess that I'm pretty lazy when it comes to checking the links for the books I list - I wasn't reading the letters out of this selection, although I do own it. I was reading the Latin this time around (as I usually do with Cicero - I'm a bit in love with his Latin, really). I'm afraid that if you really want the proper experience with Cicero and his letters, you ought to go whole hog and read (gulp) them all. D.R. Shackleton Bailey's Loeb editions are fantastic, and they're in chronological order, if I'm remembering correctly, within their categories (letters to his friends, and then separately, letters he wrote to Atticus and his brother).

>192 scaifea:: scaifea,

Thank you so much for the book suggestion. Our library does hold copies of D.R. Shackleton Bailey's Loeb editions, so I'll go check them out today. It would be best to read Cicero in the original Latin, but alas, I'm already having enough troubles with English.

79. Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer (Newbery list)

A Native American boy comes of age while following his spirit's call to become a medicine man.
Not a bad story, although in some places not told very eloquently. Meh.

80. George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

George has an unbearable old hag for a grandmother. He decides to do something about that.
Weird and delightful, as usual with Dahl. Recommended for certain.

81. See Inside Ancient Rome by Katie Daynes
82. See Inside Famous Buildings by Rob Lloyd Jones
83. See Inside Castles by Katie Daynes

Picked up these three when I saw them at a toy store awhile back. Very cool illustrations with tons of things going on in each picture and little flaps to open up and see inside. These are the kinds of books you can sit together and talk and giggle and make up stories to for hours. Again, recommended.

84. Wheels on the Bus (public library book)

board book: Illustrated version of the children's song. Meh.

I'm adding Waterless Mountain to the Newbery tbr list.

Do you have a favorite Newbery?

Hm, a favorite Newbery, eh? Well, out of the ones I've read so far I'd have to say The Trumpeter of Krakow, although I read Island of the Blue Dolphins when I was a kid and I remember that I really loved it then.

Re: Cicero

Have you read Cicero: Classical Life and Letters by Shackleton Bailey? What do you think of it?

booksontrial: I have, but long enough ago that I can't remember much about it. I'm a big fan of Shackleton Bailey, though; he has done a fantastic job editing all of the letters, so I'm sure it's good.

85. Roll Over! (public library book)

board book: cute (and nicely illustrated) version of the children's song.

86. Young Fu by Elizabeth Lewis (Newbery list)

A boy and his mother are forced to leave their farmland and move to the city in war-torn China. This is the story of his coming of age as he apprentices in a brass shop.

At first I didn't think I was enjoying this one much, but by the end I realized that Young Fu had sneaked up behind me and grown on me. So, final verdict is that this is a good one.

87. The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert de Jong (NEH list)

A young boy gets separated from his family in, again, war-torn China and gets rescued by a troop of American pilots.

This one was okay, but there was a little too much death and realistic war business for my taste (or rather for a mom's taste), so I think this one won't make the cut and will not be living on Charlie's bookshelf.

88. Polar Babies by Susan Ring (public library book)

board book: Meh. Cute but nothing special.

89. Off We Go! by Jane Yolen (public library book)

board book: Again, okay but nothing special.

I'm frequently disappointed in board books, so we treat them like toys more than anything. Boyton can be cute, and the one board book I truly like is The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Other then that .. meh.

B loves the Touchy Feely books, such as That's Not My Monster.

Amber, I'll be sure to read the Newbery award winning book The Trumpeter of Krakow. Thanks for the recommendation.

Whisper1: Welcome! Definitely stop round and tell me what you think once you've read it.

Luxx: Well, part of it is that I'm uber-picky when it comes to books for Charlie (not that we didn't read these together, but since they're library books I certainly won't be buying them for multiple re-reads). There are excellent board books out there, though. Charlie really likes the ones with actual photos of babies - he chatters to them and giggles. :)

90. Where's Spot? by Eric Hill (1001 Children's Books list)

Well, here's a board book that is certainly a winner. Very cute and clever use of the 'flap book technology' bit - looking for Spot inside and under everything. Delightful illustrations too. The cover of Charlie's edition says it's been a classic part of childhood for 30 years - wish I had had it when I was a kid!

91. The Chanticleer and the Fox by Barbary Cooney (Caldecott list)

Lovely children's version of the Chaucer tale. Beautiful illustrations. Another winner!

92. The BFG by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

A little orphan girl sees something she's not supposed to in the witching hour (a giant). Good thing he turns out to be the only Big Friendly Giant in existent. Together they foil the plans of all the other (there's only 9 others, apparently) giants, with the help of the Queen and her army.
Another deliciously silly story from the master of silly stories.

I love The BFG!

Me too! But, so far, Danny the Champion of the World still stands as my favorite Dahl book.

#208: I still need to read that one.

Went to the Friends of the Library book sale this morning and picked up these for Charlie:

93. My Little 123 Book by Bob Staake

board book: A great, brightly colored learn-to-count book.

94. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

I've seen this one in bookstore off and on and just never got round to picking it up. Love the sparkly illustrations!

95. Hide and Seek: with Lovable, Furry Old Grover by Jon Stone

Another in the vein of The Monster at the End of This Book (as I've said before, this is one of the best kid's books ever).

96. The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Tim Wynne-Jones

A children's re-telling of the story - nicely done; not too violent or depressing, but not too Disneyfied either. Illustrations are good too.

97. Pyramid by David Macaulay

A cool picture book about how the pyramids were made. Explains it clearly and yet in a language that isn't talking down to the reader either.

#205 - That's adorable. Now that Brooks has a little brother he calls any and all babies "Max". It's usually something along the lines of: "Max! Baby! Baby Max!"

I've always wanted to read BFG; that's probably a good one to pick up for the monsters! We're reading Odd and the Frost Giants right now, and love it.

#210: Catey loved The Rainbow Fish when she was growing up.

I just mentioned this on Landshark's thread, but will mention it here as well in case you are interested. Several of the Macaulay books were made into documentaries by PBS. I believe there were 5 in all including Pyramid, Cathedral, Mill, Roman City and Castle. They are all available through Netflix.

Thanks, Stasia! I'm off to my Netflix queue to order those!

#213: I enjoyed a couple of them, so I hope you do too. I have not seen the Mill or Castle ones, so I am adding them to my queue too.

98. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths

Being a Classicist, of course, I think that every child should have this book on his/her shelf. As always, the D'Aulaire illustrations are beautiful and the stories, well, you know I think the stories are great (although it's amusing to see how the get around the more graphic elements of myth). Definitely recommended.

#215: it's amusing to see how the get around the more graphic elements of myth

I bet, especially considering some of the, shall we say, romantic entanglements they managed to get into?

Indeed - their version of Pasiphae and the bull is my favorite (she has Daedalus create the hollow cow so she can 'be near' the bull!).

Ooh, those David Macaulay books are fantastic! I believe I have Pyramid and Castle, and read others as a child. The artwork really brings everything to life.

#217: lol!

99. The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong (NEH and Newbery lists)

Little Lina dreams of seeing storks in Shora and as her dream turns into reality, the whole little town comes together and grows.

Cute story, although I found myself getting impatient to be finished with it. Could just be my mindset the last couple of days, especially since so many LTers love this one.

>220 scaifea:: Ah, I'm one of those. I loved that book when I first read it.

TadAD: I wonder if it's a matter of sentimentality, fond remembrances of a good childhood read? I have that with LotR, too (I didn't read them until adulthood and I'm not as gaga over them as many are who read them as children).

>222 scaifea:: That's possible, even likely.

I've been on the other side, trying a book as an adult that others read as a child and not quite understanding the wild attraction. For example, while I wouldn't hesitate to recommend something like A Wrinkle in Time to my kids, I don't rank it as one of my favorite books...something my wife simply cannot understand. I read it later in life; she read it as a kid.

Ooo, I have D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths on my shelf, and didn't realize they had a Greek myth book as well. I'll have to find that one for the monsters!

LOL - I have the Norse Myths one on my wishlist!

100. The Baby's Catalogue by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (1001 Children's Books list)

board book: Sweet picture book that looks at everyday things that babies encounter. Definitely has a British flavor to it, which I like and The Husband loves, since he's a big anglophile. He loves the idea of Charlie learning the British terms for things instead of the boring old American ones. LOL!

101. Ready, Steady, Go (public library book)

Just another run of the mill picture book; cute but nothing special.

102. There's a Wocket in My Pocket! by Dr. Seuss (public library book)

I love Dr. Seuss and I wish I had had his books when I was growing up. I guess the good part of that is that I get to experience them for the first time along with Charlie, and that's fun too.

#102: I guess the good part of that is that I get to experience them for the first time along with Charlie, and that's fun too.

Definitely! I hope Charlie enjoys Dr. Seuss!

I keep forgetting to list my work-related reads here. Anyway, here are a few more recent ones:

The Political Art of Greek Tragedy
Cultural Responses to the Persian Wars

Both of these were for digging up little nuggets on Aeschylus' Persians, which I'm teaching in the fall.

Oedipus at Thebes
Oedipus

Yep, I'm teaching Sophocles' Oedipus in the fall too, so these were for nugget-hunting too.

>220 scaifea: I definitely enjoyed DeJong's Wheel on the School, but I think that it could very easily have been 50 to 75 pages shorter. It has parts that drag somewhat, especially for children.

#226 I (and Teresa) **loved** The Baby's Catalogue! Didn't know it's on the 1001 children's list (because I haven't looked at the list).

cmt: Yay! I love hearing about others who have read the same books to their munchkins. Charlie seems to enjoy this one too!

103. Dr. Seuss' ABC by Dr. Seuss (public library book)

board book: Another super-fun read - love Dr. Seuss.

104. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff (public library book(

Like this one so much that I've added it to Charlie's Amazon wishlist. Definitely want to have it around to read over and over.

Brooks loves If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, If you Give a Moose a Muffin, and If You Give a Pig a Party as well! Very cute series.

>233 scaifea:: Yay! If you Give a Mouse a Cookie !! Definitely a must-have for Charlie's permanent collection.

Luxx and lindsacl: We have If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, which Charlie's granny got him for Christmas last year (it came along with a stuffed animal version of the mouse which is adorable) and it's really good too, but silly me, I didn't know there were others! Glad I know now!

105. Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs (Newbery list)

Nice little biography of Louisa May Alcott. Enjoyed it very much and learned quite a lot too!

106. The Witches by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

A little boy discovers by way of his grandmother that witches truly exist, and none too soon, as he quickly starts having witch misadventures of his own!

What more can I say about Dahl? I'm thoroughly enjoying every one of his books, and this one is no exception.

#237: I remember reading that one when I was about 12 - and being accused by the library of not returning it. I was appalled, even at that age, of someone not returning a book. It took the library a while, but they did eventually find the copy I resolutely informed them that I had returned.

Stasia: That's why I *always* ask for a receipt of return now, because a similar thing happened to me in grad school, except they never found it (and I *know* that I did in fact return it), so I had to pay a ridiculous amount to replace it, which was very hard to do on a grad student salary!

#240: My local libraries do not have receipts of return unfortunately even now. I know they did not have such a thing 30+ years ago when that incident occurred!

107. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl (Dahl bibliography list)

A giraffe, a pelican and a monkey have a window cleaning business. And there's a young boy, who dreams of owning a sweet shop. Yep, this must be a Dahl book. Another good one.

108. Maisy Drives by Lucy Cousins (public library book)

Board book: Cute. I'll have to keep my eye out for more Maisy books - the illustrations are quite good.

109. New Tracks for Thomas

Charlie got this book for free as a prize for finishing the local public library summer reading challenge (for toddlers, of course, we can count books that we 'read' together). We pledged to read 25 books and ended up with a list of 50+! He got to pick the book out himself from a large table chock full of free books. Great program. Good book, too (we're fans of Thomas the Train 'round these here parts).

110. Fire Truck by Peter Sis (public library book)

board book: Weird little book; tries to be clever, but turns out just, well, weird. I wouldn't run out looking to get this one for your little ones.

111. Cake Decorating for Dummies by Joe LoCicero

I've had really good luck in the past with the For Dummies series: the Sewing one is a great reference tool, I learned to knit from the Knitting one, and I'm teaching myself to quilt with the Quilting one. But this one is a bit of a dud. The sample cakes look amateur and outdated. The actual cake recipes are pretty good, though, and there's a nice list of the proper basic tools needed for cake decorating. So, although it's the worst of the series that I've read so far, it's still not absolutely useless.

#242: Congratulations to Charlie for winning New Tracks for Thomas!

LOL - I'll pass that along, Stasia! Seriously, though, these reading programs are wonderful things, I think. I remember that when I was in school I'd get very excited about getting my BookIt certificates - If you read so many books (I can't remember how many now), then you'd get a certificate and a voucher for free personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut. Then my mom would take me out to lunch to get my reward. It just felt good to be patted on the back every once in a while.

#245: I love the summer reading programs. I think they are a terrific idea. I am glad you have started Charlie young :)

I enjoyed the BookIt certificates too - I remember the personal pan pizza, and I also remember wearing a pin with gold stars you could stick on it...

I also loved the programs where people would come to the school with free books. It was glorious. We were allowed to walk around and pick one, or sometimes two. Can't remember the name of the program, though.

I don't think we ever got random traveling free books, but I wish we had! I do remember the book fair every spring; I'd save up my allowance for weeks beforehand and then agonize over which 1-2 books I would purchase - lol!

112. Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge (NEH list)

Hm. I'm not really sure how to summarize this one. Maybe because it's late (for me, anyway) and I'm tired. It follows the lives of a group of children in small-village Holland and their various little adventures, in particular those of a poor brother and sister with a chronically injured father. Well, that sounds depressing when the story really isn't at all - it's a lovely little book, and I really enjoyed how neatly various elements of the tale were all tied together in the end. I liked this one very much.

113. Harold and the Purple Crayon: Things That Go by Jodi Huelin (public library book)

Board book: Meh. I like the original, but this spin-off is not anything special.

OK, this is going to sound like a stupid question (and I have been meaning to ask for a while now), but what is the NEH list?

National Endowment for the Humanities

ETA: If you want to see their bookshelves: http://www.wethepeople.gov

#252: Thanks, Tad!

The National Endowment for the Humanities Timeless Children's Classics list. I have the list in pamphlet form; I've had it forever and I don't remember where I got it. You can probably find it online somewhere.

#254: I am off to search . . .

. . .Found it here: http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/timeless.html

Yep, that's it.

#256: Good, now all I have to do is see how many of them I have actually read.

>257 alcottacre:: It's a bit hard to count, Stasia, since some are individual books and some are series. I've read just about exactly 40%.

If it helps, I converted them to a spreadsheet for a new challenge I'm going to start. It's here: http://www.deffler.com/lt/lists.xls. A click should trigger a download to your machine.

ETA: It's not as well-rounded as it might be, imo. They absolutely love Ibsen & Dickens and disdain a few other authors. Oh well, it's all data...

114. Dobry by Monica Shannon (Newbery list)

This story follows a young Bulgarian peasant boy and his family through what seems to be about 5 years' time. Essentially a coming of age story about the boy, full of little tidbits about Bulgarian culture. It started a little slow, but got much better as it went.

115. If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff (public library book)

The more I read from this series, the more I like them. Definitely recommend these for the little ones.

#258: Is this new challenge you are starting a personal challenge or one you are sharing with the group, Tad? Thanks for the link to the spreadsheet, BTW.

>260 alcottacre:: More or less personal. I finished the goal of reading Austen's books this year, so I need something to replace it. I'm a bit ahead of what I had planned on global reading.

So, I'm looking around for the next "you should have read these before" author. I missed a lot of the standard reading because of the way I went through junior high and high school, so I want to fill in the gaps. I'm trying to decide whether to just pick another author or, instead, to compile a 100 or 200 book list from the various "top" lists and read it.

#261: OK. I understand what you mean about missing a lot of the standard reading in Junior and Senior High school. I missed a lot of it as well since I 'technically' graduated as a sophomore.

'scuse me; sorry to break up the conversation. I'll just sneak in here and report of few more books ;)

116. Thomas the Tank Engine Story Collection by Rev. W. Awdry (1001 Children's Books list)

I'm now officially a Thomas fan. Adorable stories, wonderful illustrations. Each book/chapter has a brief introduction by the author to his young readers, much in the vein of Frank Baum's introductions to the Oz books, and that's a really nice touch.

117. The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmunds (NEH & Newbery lists)

A young boy helps defend his family from attack in colonial New England by using the title weapon. Strange(ly brief) little story, but at the same time very likeable. Again, lovely illustrations.

118. How Do Dinosaurs Learn Their Colors? by Jane Yolen (public library book)

board book: Meh. The words "random" and "unnecessary" come to mind. Also the phrase "not good". This is definitely a skipper.

Looks like you found at least a couple more for Charlie's shelves. Too bad about the Yolen book.

I think I'm just spoiled by all the award-winning children's books I've been reading; the plain old, run-of-the-mill books I pick up at the library just done compare. LOL!

Well, if you are going to read, the books may as well be the best, right?

Hahaha - true!

260+ posts seems to be gettin' long, so I've started a new thread (I'd post the link, but am totally ignorant as to how to do such a thing).

Amber can now be found in her new place here:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/95145

Thanks for looking out for me, Stasia! LOL!