Archive for the ‘guys read’ Category

READ ALOUD TO OLDER CHILDREN

Monday, January 22nd, 2018

 

The days of my boys being small enough to curl up in my lap for story time have long past.  Board books, we literally have memorized, are a thing of the past.  However, I still read to my kids and I encourage anyone with older kids to do the same.  My teenager is an avid reader, but he loves story telling of any kind.  My youngest is a reluctant reader.  He does not read by choice and prefers graphic novels over any other text.  I choose books I know they will both enjoy or that I want them to experience.  They also ask for titles they are interested in hearing.  We try to read nightly during the school week.  It is the perfect opportunity to enjoy each other’s company late in the evening.  No screens and a shared experience.  Cozy moments don’t come as often anymore, so I trick them into being close when we read.  Shhhh, don’t tell them!

Here are a few ideas to consider while selecting titles:

1 |  Read a classic.  A few titles we have enjoyed:  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Cricket in Times Square, Where the Red Fern Grows.

2|   Read a book before the movie is released.  We finished reading A Wrinkle in Time and just started Ready Player One.

3|   Read a book full of action.  We loved Hatchet!

4|   Listen to an audio book together.  Perfect on long road trips.  Try a funny title such as The Twits, The Minpins and The Magic Finger,

5|  Read a book that contains themes and plot lines that are better read together. Consider the refuge story, A Long Walk to Water.

Image by Tom Hermans on Unsplash

 

CONNECT WITH YOUR TEEN THROUGH BOOKS

Wednesday, September 13th, 2017

a reading list

Permit me to totally geek out over a book list.  It might be the English Lit major in me, but man I’m excited about my 8th grader’s reading list for the year.  Last night was our curriculum night and his teachers shared the titles he will be reading this year.  The anchor document that his Language Arts teacher is using for the entire year is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Ya, things have come a long way since I was in 8th grade.  I was totally impressed!  Without hesitation, I decided to read all of them too.  (Yep, there’s the book nerd in me!)  Hopefully it will be a way to talk about school and life in a non-evasive way.  One must tread lightly with teens!  In the very least, I will know the topics he is discussing at school.  As school kicks into high gear, consider reading the books on your child’s required reading list.

the required reading:

books 1books 2

 

GUYS READ [THE FLYING BEAVER BROTHERS]

Monday, October 19th, 2015

guys read | flying beaver brothers | Where is June?

Little Man’s love for graphic novels has been well documented.  {Read about other graphic novel series here and here.}   They are engaging, easy to read, and fun.  He has been reading the series The Flying Beaver Brothers by Maxwell Eaton III for quite some time.  He has actually read and re-read each title over and over and over.

Brothers Ace and Bub make him giggle.  Ace loves extreme sports and is always looking for a new adventure. Bub loves napping and, well, napping.  Each new book finds them on a new adventure.  The illustrations are fantastic, the colors simple, and the dialogue is snappy.  Little Man devours these books and anxiously awaits the next title to be released.  Give this series a try!  I bet your kids love it.

The Flying Beaver Brothers is targeted for kids in grades 1-4, but Big W thinks they are hilarious as well.  They are a crowd-pleaser!

Reading for enjoyment is so important for young children.  There is no way to convey how strongly I feel about this topic.  Please allow your kids to have fun with books.  Never mind the mom who is bragging about her three year old reading chapter books.  Forget about the labels they may or may not have put on your child at school.  The goal should be building life long readers.  Whether your child is reading chapter books, comic books, graphic novels, non-fiction titles or poetry, the important thing is that he or she is reading.  Simple but true.  Let them enjoy books and have fun helping them find books they love.

 

GUYS READ [SQUISH]

Thursday, October 23rd, 2014

Guys Read Squish

Little Man adores graphic novels.  His first love is Lunch Lady.  He has read all 10 and we are patiently waiting for a new book in the series!  Hoping to find a new series for him to devour, I recently purchased Squish #1, Super Amoeba.  To my delight, he took it to school and finished it-cover to cover- in one day!   It’s simple with most young boys- get them laughing and you get them reading!

This brother-sister {illustrator/writer} team combine simple a simple color palette and a reader friendly-lay out with story lines focused on navigating school, life and bullies!  That is a one, two punch.   Books that kids want read and parents are happy to buy!

Give Squish a try! There are 6 titles in this series and counting.

For more great resources on how to get your guy to read, pop on over to Guys Read.  It is a web-based literacy program for boys, founded by author and First National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature -Jon Scieszka, with a mission to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers.  Good stuff!!

Need more titles??

GUYS READ [CRYPTID HUNTERS]

GUYS READ [DUMB BUNNIES]

GUYS READ [FLY GUY]

 

GUYS READ [CRYPTID HUNTERS]

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014

cryptid hunters

When your 4th grader NEEDS to get the next book in a series TODAY, you know you’ve hit on a winner!  Big W received Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith for Christmas.  His nose has been in the book for the last week.  As soon as he turned the last page this afternoon he was ready to read sequel!

Cryptid Hunters [as described on amazon.com]:  After their parents are lost in an accident, thirteen-year old twins Grace and Marty are whisked away to live with their Uncle Wolfe-an uncle that they didn’t even know they had! The intimidating Uncle Wolfe is an anthropologist who has dedicated his life to finding cryptids, mysterious creatures believed to be long extinct.

For now there are three books in the Marty and Grace seriesCryptid Hunters, Tentacles, and Chupacabra.

I picked up a copy of Tentacles while my guy was at basketball practice.  When we arrived home, he headed straight to his room to read.  Umm, worth every penny!

Need to keep them reading?

GUYS READ [DUMB BUNNIES]

GUYS READ [FLY GUY]

GUYS READ [LUNCH LADY]

SCAREDY SQUIRREL

 

 

GUYS READ [DUMB BUNNIES]

Thursday, November 14th, 2013

Dumb Bunnies

Reading should be fun and funny!  Oh my gosh, your boys {and girls} will totally dig these books. The humor is aimed directly at boys, in my opinion.  You be the judge.

A line from The Dumb Bunnies’ Easter:   ” Poppa Bunny carved the turkey, Momma Bunny tossed the salad…and Baby Bunny cut the cheese.  ‘That’s my boy,’ said Poppa Bunny.

Nothing like toilet humor, right?  The 4-book series is written by Dav Pilkey, under the pseudonym “Sue Denim”.  It follows a hilarious family of dumb bunnies.  Giggles, from kids and parents, are guaranteed.  The plot lines are outrageous and full of backwards adventures.  Little Man asks for them over and over.  Big W loves to be the one to read them to him!  Win-Win.

PS.  I kind of have a crush on Dav Pilkey.  He writes books kids WANT to read.  {It is quite a mind blowing concept.}  In addition, I think his autobiography {read its entirety here} is the coolest thing around!  Check it out.

dav pilkey autobiogarphy

GUYS READ [FLY GUY]

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

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When you find a book you love, you need to share it!  Little Man devours these books.  With thirteen titles in the Fly Guy series, it is sure to keep him interested and entertained!  The main character, Buzz, is a boy who has an unusual pet.  He names him Fly Guy because, well, he is a fly!  Colorful illustrations and funny plot lines are engaging for kids.  Preschoolers will love this as a read-to-me book and older kids just like the humor.  The reading level is for kids grades K-2.  I am happy to see that the author, Tedd Arnold, has added non-fiction titles- including one on sharks!  The most recent title released, Fly Guy and the Frakenfly, is on its way to our doorstep this week!  If they love it, they will read it!

Keep them reading:  Elephant and Piggie/Wings of Fire, Lunch Lady, Scaredy Squirrel.

guys read

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

We are entering the gray area of the school year.  Not yet over, but motivation is diminishing [on all fronts.].  We have to keep them reading!  Finding a book they are excited about is key.  I wanted to share with you the titles of two series that are huge hits in our house!

little guys read: Elephant and Piggie

Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems are some of Little Man’s favorites.  They are great for new readers.  The text is simple and predictable.  The story lines are easy for kids to relate to and the characters are hilarious!  The newest title, A Big Guy Took My Ball, arrived on our doorstep this week.  We highly recommend these books for kids of all ages. 

big guys read: Wings of Fire

Wings of Fire [Books 1 & 2 so far….] is series about five dragonettes, baby dragons, with a destiny to save their world.  Big W, almost 9, was hooked from the first page.  He devoured the first two books and has been anxiously awaiting the release of the the third installment, due out in June.  My oldest is a reluctant reader, so if he is jazzed about this series I can only imagine that many others would be too.

What books do your kids love to read?

Remember, Guys Read, is a great resource to find books boys [and girls] will love to read.
[Read about other favorites in hour house here and here.]

guys read [Lunch Lady]

Thursday, March 14th, 2013
I will be honest, it hasn’t always been easy to find books my guys [grade 3 and Kindergarten] are eager to read.  When we find one that gets the green light – I promise to share. 

The Lunch Lady series is one such hit!  These graphic novels are funny and imaginative.  The Lunch Lady and her kitchen assistant Betty are the heroines – using crime fighting gadgets disguised as kitchen tools to save the day!  “Serving Justice! And serving lunch! “There are eight books in the series, thus far, and each of them has been equally fantastic.  Boys [and girls] can’t put them down. 

[via]

Book:
Lunch Lady Book Series:  Books 1-8

Author:
Jarrett J Krosoczka
http://www.studiojjk.com/

Read this great interview with the author. 

Remember http://www.guysread.com/ .   This site is the ultimate resource for finding great books for your guys! 

scaredy squirrel

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

Can’t help but share my adoration for a children’s picture book series with all of you.  I will admit, I have fallen in love with Scaredy Squirrel.

Who could resist that face?
My youngest son is equally crazy for Scaredy.  We read his books over and over.   Scaredy is always scared of something.
And he always has a plan, but it always falls apart.  I appreciate Melanie Watt’s sense of humor and her creative illustrations.  She uses captions on many pages that add to the fun. The kids recognize the silliness, which provides plenty of giggles at bedtime.  Scaredy Squirrel has six books and all of them are outstanding.  [The books are aimed for children 4 and up, but the humor entertains children of all ages.]
Find Scaredy at amazon or your local independent book store.  [or the library!]
Scaredy will also have his very own website soon. http://scaredysquirrel.com/
[We are pretty excited about it at our house.]
Where is June?

 

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