What Do We Do All Day?

How To Find Good Children's Books: Seven Ways

2012-01-27T04:30:00.000-05:00

I was quite flattered a few months ago when a regular reader of this blog contacted me to ask for early chapter book recommendations for her child for Christmas. After I sent her a list of books I found myself continually thinking of even more book titles I could have given her.

So today, instead of my regular book feature post, I will share with you some of the ways I go about locating children's books.

1. I read a lot of book blogs. A lot. Probably an unhealthy number. You probably are not quite as far along in the "I am obsessed with finding good books for my children" category as I am so I'll only list a few of the ones I find most useful. (You can find a few more in this blog's sidebar.) They are as follows:

Fuse #8. This is the blog of New York Public Librarian, Elizabeth Bird. She writes fascinating reviews of children's books and one of my favorite features is that she posts about librarian previews. These are events hosted by publishers to let librarians take a peek at upcoming book titles.
Chicken Spaghetti. My favorite aspect of this site is the author's devotion to cataloging every book list ever made. She also includes book lists from the UK and Canada. I need to join a book list junkie support group.
The Cath in the Hat. This blog focuses on easy readers and early chapter books, a category often overlooked by book bloggers.
32 Pages. This blogger posts just a few times a month, but each post is a gem.

2. I mine book lists. As I said above, I am addicted to book lists. Guess what just came out? The American Library Association's Notable Children's Books of 2011. And yes, they have lists for years past, too, so prepare to spend some time on the site. But as I said above, check out Chicken Spaghetti for more lists.

3. I visit professional sites devoted to reviewing and discussing children's literature. The Horn Book's website has a rich array of materials and articles about choosing books, using books at home and about the authors/illustrators. You can also check out Kirkus Reviews, or School Library Journal.

4. I visit independent bookstores. Independent bookstores have much, much better curated collections than chain stores like Barnes and Noble, which are often overpopulated with syndicated characters and books which play music. I can't visit bookstores very often due to my intense desire to purchase books, but whenever I do, I always find some little-known (at least to me) gem.

5. I visit the library, of course! When I go to the library with the boys I am rarely able to spend quality time perusing the shelves. Most people take a look at the "New Books" shelves, but don't forget the librarian display. I always snag books from the display! Attending story time will also introduce you to books librarians know will appeal to children. Those librarians know their books, people.

6. I pay attention to Amazon's "Customer's who bought this item also bought" feature. This can be hit or miss, but when you when you check out the book from the library instead of buying it you can't loose.

7. Occasionally I visit personal library sharing sites like Goodreads or Library Thing. These sites are not as useful for me after I've already gone through the previous 6 techniques, but they offer recommendations based on your likes and dislikes, plus you can view lists of what others are reading and read reviews.

And there you have it: seven methods of finding books to add to our ever growing list of to-read books. I've started pinning some of my to-read books on Pinterest. Follow this link to see a selection. How do you find good children's books?

I'm linking to What My Child Is Reading and Book Sharing Monday.

Counting with Pom Pons

2012-01-24T05:40:00.000-05:00

New Kid is just about the age Kiddo was when I started this blog. This is significant because it means you will probably be seeing more preschooling ideas around here. Well... maybe. I make no promises.

Case in point: sorting and counting.

I turned the very useful egg carton into a pom pon sorter, counting up to 5. New Kid is not the numbers genius that his brother is, so we started small.

We have gotten a lot of mileage out of pom pons around here. We've picked them up with tongs, catapulted them across the room, pushed them through slots, stuck them on sticky paper, shaken them with paint and had a free-for-all with toilet paper rolls.

What have you done with poms lately? We're always up for new ideas. We do have a pound of them.

Mom's Bookshelf, Vol. 5

2012-01-23T01:35:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that I find the exercise of writing Mom's Bookshelves posts quite delightful, whether or not you actually pay attention. I haven't written one in a long time and have read quite a few more books than these listed.

What about you? Got any books to recommend?

What Language Is (And What It Isn't and What It Could Be) Grammar and language snobs: take cover.

A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen. All Jane, all the time.

Why Jane Austen? Let me count the ways.

The Warden. While I can only admire a book in which the protagonist is named Septimus, it is easy to see why Trollope's more topical work does not enjoy the same lasting influence as say... oh... Jane Austen.

The American Heiress: A Novel. Channeling Wharton and James: not as good of course, but frankly I was relieved that the ending did not send me into a depressing spiral of hopelessness.

The City Out My Window: 63 Views on New York. Enjoy what you see.

A Secret Life: The Lies and Scandals of President Grover Cleveland. Oooh, juicy.

The Ripple Effect: The Fate of Fresh Water in the Twenty-First Century. Such an important issue, I cannot joke. Why are people not outraged? Why do people continue to support politicians who claim no interest in science. Why? Why? Why? Somebody, please explain.

A Brief History of the Vikings: The Last Pagans or the First Modern Europeans?. It wasn't all pillage and plunder. Mostly it was, but not all of it.

The Dud Avocado (New York Review Books Classics). Ah, to be young, free and in Paree.

Old Fashioned Read Alouds

2012-01-21T05:35:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I read this terrific article about reading chapter books to children. The article pointed out that children's listening level is far beyond their own reading level. (The website also includes a useful series of reading recommendations, so head on over then when you have some time to browse.)

While Kiddo chooses his own reading material at the library (hence the abundance of Zapato Power -- clever -- and Pokémon -- please put me out of my misery -- books littering our table) I choose the read alouds.

Often I like to choose books that were written ... shall we say ... before I was born. They contain interesting vocabulary, phrasing and situations (this is doubly true for British books) that Kiddo will not be encountering in his own library choices. NOTE: I am NOT criticizing contemporary writing! There is a plethora of rich, varied and intelligent contemporary fiction for children and it irritates me when people suggest otherwise.

I know everyone's favorite "old-school" books are The Little House on the Prairie books, but for some reason the idea of reading this series to Kiddo bores me. Here are some alternatives.

Freddy the Detective (1932). Walter R. Brooks wrote a zillion Freddy the Pig books, we've only read one. The New York Times Book review called it the American Version of the Pooh books. Need I say more?
Mary Poppins (1934). If you want sunshine, watch the movie (which I do like!). If you want magic and mystery, read the book.
The Saturdays (1941). Children having fun in the city (gasp!) without their parents. Not to be missed. I repeat: not to be missed.
The Four-Story Mistake (1942). I'm cheating a bit here, since this is the sequel to The Saturdays. The Melendy family moves to the country and the kids have even more independent adventures.

Incidentally, I read none of these books as a child. How on earth did that happen? What are your favorite chapter read alouds? (Besides Harry Potter, people! Besides. Harry. Freaking. Potter. I love Harry Potter as much as the next person, but I will NOT be reading that to my kids. You're curious as to why, aren't you?)

I'm linking to What My Child Is Reading and Book Sharing Monday.

Is It Winter Yet? Winter Activites Part II

2012-01-19T05:40:00.002-05:00

Last week I shared some winter activities from this blog, now I share some interesting ideas that I have found on others' blogs.

Snowflake resist watercolor grid @Art Projects For Kids

Ice Play @Teach Preschool

Ice Sculptures with salt and liquid watercolors @The Artful Parent

Maple Syrup Candy @Impress Your Kids

Ice Lanterns @Naturally Educational

Have you tried any of these? What are your favorite winter activities? I always love new ideas.

Transportation Tuesday

2012-01-17T05:12:00.000-05:00

New Paint Job.

After School: What It's Really Like

2012-01-15T05:28:00.000-05:00

After a week of having either no internet or no computer (our 7 year old computer finally gave up the ghost and now I compose this on my new laptop, which is sadly only 13 in. instead of a luxurious 17. Boo.) I find it is my week to host the After School linky. So instead of chatting about some wonderful activity we did, I shall share what After School Time is really like.

Brace Yourself.

Just before dinner, Kiddo decided he NEEDED to make 10 large glittery, sparkly, numbers. (Another idea he got from Games for Math.) Fortunately, I was able to explain to him that he needed to wait until after dinner by pointing out that if he started gluing he would have to stack his sticky papers in 5 minutes when it was time to eat. I barely caught my breath when dinner was over before he started declaring that he NEEDED the crafts box. I then tried desperately to start cleaning up after dinner (at least I had made him clear his dishes) but of course New Kid, who MUST do everything his brother does, ~~declared~~ ~~demanded~~ whined that HE needed to make gigantic sparkly glamorous numbers, too!

Now one of the reasons I don't do involved crafts with my kids is because it is tons of work and chaos for ME. For New Kid, I basically had to do everything except stick on the collage materials, but even then he was whining loudly about how they wouldn't stick, or how they got stuck to his fingers. Or... WHATEVER.

So I am running back and forth between the kitchen, the table, and the closet, fetching God Know What for this project while the kids are having some complicated impromptu festival involving googly eyes and glue sticks. I had hoped that New Kid might spend a little time sticking things on each number but each time I drew him a 7 or a 5 he was done and demanding the next before I could even think. When Kiddo asked for glitter glue I put the brakes on. Do you know how long that stuff takes to dry when you pour it in globs? I was not going to have 20 pieces of paper strewn all over the table for a week.

And then Kiddo started having a melt down because New Kid took one of his numbers away. New Kid's response to this was to laugh maniacally (yes, maniacally) and reach for another one.

Oh God, the horror.

I asked Kiddo what he planned to do with these numbers once he was finished. "Put them up on the wall for decoration."

Oh, really.

I convinced him that his high quality art would be better served stacked and stapled in book form.

However, I shall tell you that these lovely, glamorous, oh-so-important numbers now lie forgotten in a toy bin.

And they are not even stapled together.

So how was your After School this week? Calm? Relaxed? Do tell me about it.

After School is co-hosted by the following blogs:

The Educator's Spin on It

Little Wonders' Days

Mouse Grows, Mouse Learns

Just Playin' Around

Mama Smiles

Is It Winter Yet? Winter Activities Part 1

2012-01-11T05:54:00.000-05:00

We lost our internet connection for a few days, but I don't complain because the most wonderful neighbors in the world let us mooch their wireless service from them. When one's internet is restored it's a) surprising how long it takes to catch up on all that one "misses" when service is lost; and b) a reminder that most of the things one does on the internet are, in fact, not essential to daily life. In any case, this post was meant for a few days ago, but here it is now.

I don't know about where you live, but it has been unseasonably warm this fall and winter, and every time I check the 10 day forecast it would appear true winter is taking a break this year. We have not yet had to resort to our Indoor Activities List yet since we simply head out to the park whenever we need to. My relatives in Sweden tell me the winters of today are not the winters of their childhood. But we will not discuss that disaster on our doorstep here at What Do We Do All Day?

Just in case some colder weather does arrive soon (and no doubt we will have some, at least), here are a few things we are looking forward to:

Making Ice Wreaths (I'm addicted!)

Blowing Frozen Bubbles

Playing with Snow Inside

Putting up Rainbow Snowflakes

It has not been cold enough to do any of these (except the last one, of course).
Next time: Part II, Winter Activity Ideas from other blogs. Do you have one I should take a look at and possibly list?

Easy and Fun Math Game

2012-01-04T04:56:00.000-05:00

As soon as Kiddo found the book, Games for Math, in the library bag he dove for it. Really. I love that I have not even had to look at the book, he has been reading it cover to cover and detailing instructions for the math games he would like to play with me.

Here are the instructions for a simple game we played last night called "Make 10": After removing the face cards from a deck of playing cards, each player chooses 5 cards. Using the 5 cards create as many equations as you can in which the sum equals 10.

For example, using the cards in my hand you see above:

9+4-3=10

9+3-2=10

Once I was able to use all five cards at once: 8+5+3-5-1=10. Kiddo thought that was terrific. You don't necessarily have to write the equations down but Kiddo enjoyed doing that as part of the exercise.

Keep a deck of cards stashed in your purse and this would be a great travel/waiting/restaurant game.

This is probably not the last time you will see games from this book on this blog!

I've linked this to After School.

Transportation Tuesday

2012-01-03T05:03:00.000-05:00

When going out with your field bag on a nature walk, be sure to take a cab.

Weekend Snapshots

2012-01-02T05:51:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012 everyone. Did you have a lovely weekend? Why not join the linky and tell us about it? I'm going to take a break from Weekend Snapshots for the rest of January, but will leave today's link up open for the rest of the month if you have it in you to join up later. So, no hurry!

We took down the tree and the boys had a good time sweeping up.

I took Kiddo on the New Year's Day Birder's Walk in Prospect Park. None of my photos of birds came out but there's an owl in this tree. Good luck trying to get a glimpse of it.

The park has a feeder set up. Everyone was oohing and aahhing over a Carolina Wren. It's all Greek to me, but if you look closely you can see the Downy Woodpecker.

I love the park's Audubon Center Boathouse. (The first urban-area Audubon Center in the nation!) It's gorgeous and my poor photographic skills just don't do it justice.

On our walk around the nabe we saw this interesting decoration. Aloha to you, too.

I find this building's light display quite charming. I hope they leave it up all winter. It's so lovely in the evening.

2011, In Photos

2011-12-31T05:57:00.002-05:00

I know I said yesterday was going to be my last post of the year, but this morning I have been perusing in awe some sublime photos that I feel compelled to share. Head over to The Boston Globe's The Year in Pictures: Part I (#25 was especially interesting, note the total absence of anything growing) and Part II. They're a good reminder to stay involved with the world.

Peace.

Popularity Contest #1

2011-12-30T04:51:00.001-05:00

This is my last post of the year and you are eager to know the most popular post of 2011, aren't you? I have a surprise for you.

There is a twist.

Originally I had planned to stick with whatever the top ten were when I started the countdown in November. However, in December one post received so much traffic that it launched from total obscurity to the very top. I think that deserves special mention, don't you?

The original top post of 2011 is this very simple fog in a bottle experiment I did with Kiddo in 2009. The reason it became so popular is because in March a Swedish preschool education site linked to it.

You just never know what will happen in internet land.

And the current top post of 2011? Last year I told you about children's book author/illustrator Melanie Hope Greenberg's free coloring pages and included a link to this lovely winter scene she has available for download on her blog (scroll to bottom of page). You need to go to her site to get a large image.

You would not believe the number of people searching for "winter scene coloring pages" on Google. If you like coloring pages follow this link to see posts of all her free coloring pages to download and print out.

By now (if you are still with me) you must be wondering what is my favorite post of all time. I am going to cheat a bit and make it an entire category of posts.

I really enjoy writing book posts. I've occasionally thought I should have only a book blog instead of this one, but have immediately realized that would bore me. However, I attempt to write one book post a week. Some of my favorites include: children's books I hate, my favorite childhood book (a princess book, no less!!), why I let Kiddo read books about burping, and how I read to differently aged children at the same time, among others.

And that's it. That concludes my list of your top posts v. my top posts.

What will be the top posts in 2012? We shall have to wait and see. Until then, Happy New Year!

Popularity Contest #2

2011-12-29T05:13:00.001-05:00

Number 2 on the most-popular-posts-this-year list is Distracting Your Toddler 101 -- an important introductory course that should be required for every ~~student~~ parent.

It's amazing what kids find interesting.

My second favorite post of all time is this Moon Viewer, a project I made for Kiddo two years ago. It has provided much entertainment since then.
It works by projecting the phases of the moon on the wall. all you need is a cylindrical container (think: salt) and a small flashlight. Go ahead and make one for yourself.

Popularity Contest #3

2011-12-28T05:14:00.001-05:00

Google Analytics tells me that Best Toddler Puzzle Ever is the third most visited post in 2011. Search terms are a curious thing. Suddenly a minor post can become a craze!

Sadly, it appears that Kid O has discontinued this puzzle as well as all their other awesome Montessori puzzles (I'm particularly irked I never got that fraction puzzle!) You can check out some of the other stuff the design-oriented company makes, but nothing is nearly as good as their discontinued puzzles, IMHO.

My top 3 post of all time is this clever idea (if I do say so myself) to reinforce spelling and literacy. I call it "Sift 'n' Spell". I first published it 2 years ago (and then later as a Friday do-over).

It's been pinned at Pinterest a few times by some discerning souls. Take a look at the original post, here.

Popularity Contest #4

2011-12-27T04:01:00.000-05:00

On the list of top visited posts of 2011, number 4 is actually a post from 2009: making marbled paper with shaving cream.

Most likely you've seen this art project on other sites, as well. Go ahead and take a look at our version, which uses watercolor paint instead of food coloring.

My #4 is a series of posts I really like to put together, but don't get much traffic. (This is a common theme with my favorites versus your favorites!)

In my Mom's Bookshelf posts I give you a bit of a peek into what I've been reading. I feel incomplete if I'm not currently reading a book, so naturally I read a lot. I find it entertaining to come up with micro-blurb opinions of the books. I'm overdue for another edition. Perhaps in the new year I will be more diligent about writing, not just reading.

Weekend Snapshots

2011-12-26T06:01:00.000-05:00

Spread some cheer and share your holiday photos. The linky is open all week so take a few extra days to relax and gather your strength. If you like, include a text link or button (code in the sidebar) back here to the home of Weekend Snapshots. I look forward to seeing how you've been celebrating.

You'd think I'd have a lot of photos to share from such a busy weekend. On Friday we had our annual Christmas Eve fondue party but I forgot to take a single photo, probably because of the ~~25,000 monkeys~~ 4 boys running around, or maybe because of the wine.

Christmas morning Kiddo was the first up (at the late hour of 7:30!). He was not allowed to touch the stockings, but that did not prevent surreptitious inspection.

Hanukkah continues and New Kid helps out with his new headlamp.

Happy Holidays! (Hmmm, someone is not practicing match safety.)

The Perfect Holiday Gift -- And It's Free!

2011-12-23T06:08:00.000-05:00

If you need a little last minute inspiration for your child's holiday gift, let me inspire you:

If your child does not have his or her own library card, now is the time.

It's the perfect gift: it's free, portable, lasts forever, provides access to a constant source of entertainment, and teaches responsibility. It also easily slips into that Christmas stocking.

No more excuses! ("But he'll lose it!" "But how will I need to keep track of all the books!"). At the risk of sounding melodramatic, having one's own library card is the key to freedom no matter what your age.

Even my ~~2 year old~~ 3 year old hands his own card to the librarian at check out time. Although I do keep his card in my wallet -- let's be realistic.

So what are you waiting for? Does your child have his own library card? Be brave: get him one and let him take responsibility for it.

(Parent Bonus: think of all the quiet time your child will eventually spend reading. That's your free gift.)

Not Getting Any Shorter

2011-12-22T04:47:00.001-05:00

Today may be the shortest day of the year, but yesterday was one of the most important.

(In case you feel the need to point out something, it's a "3" to him, right?)

Transportation Tuesday

2011-12-20T04:59:00.000-05:00

Sand boxes: not just for summer.

Popularity Contest #5

2011-12-19T05:48:00.000-05:00

At the midway point in my countdown of popular posts this year is this idea that I came up with for creating my own popsicles without plastic (and sugar!). I try to avoid storing and making food in plastic whenever possible. I think this is important, whether or not the plastic is BPA-free. You can read more about why in this article (note, at end of the article it mentions avoiding extreme cooling, e.g. freezing popsicles)

This post has become so popular, not only because it was linked on several other blogs but because you would not believe how many people search for the term "watermelon lime popsicle!"

While I must admit I was fairly proud of my plastic-free popsicle idea, my personal #5 of all time is in a completely different vein and, as a group, have one of the lowest page view rankings on this blog: Transportation Tuesday.

I enjoy these posts because they showcase my boys' quirky obsession with toy vehicles of all sorts. However, they almost never get comments, do not offer any activity or educational activity ideas for you to try and, of course, no one ever puts the term "Transportation Tuesday" into Google's search engine! No matter, I love them and will keep posting them from time to time (maybe even tomorrow!).

Weekend Snapshots

2011-12-18T06:15:00.000-05:00

Time again for my weekly link-up. If you'd like to share a photo or two of your weekend, this is the place. If you so desire, include a text link or button (code in the sidebar) back here to the home of Weekend Snapshots.

This was get-the-tree weekend and I have to photos to prove it.

We live in the city without a car and therefore do not drive to an idyllic tree farm, cut our own tree, tie it to the top of the car and drive home with fingers crossed it doesn't fall on to the highway.

Instead we head to a sidewalk vendor...

and push the tree home in our shopping wagon. Since my husband pushed it home, he insisted upon calling it the Hanukkah Bush.

I'm a little obsessive about our tree being decorated exclusively with Scandinavian ornaments.

Ta Da!

Also a very important letter was finally written.

I like to wait as long as possible to get the tree, otherwise it doesn't seem as special to me, hanging around forever. I would have preferred even a few more days, but it's too difficult to get it up on a weekday. If you get a tree, when do you put it up?

Our Snow Book Picks

2011-12-17T06:10:00.000-05:00

Things have been slow around here. I know a lot of folks like to ratchet up their activity levels in December with all sorts of crafts and holiday-themed activities. I don't do this because -- for me -- the frenzy interfers with the enjoyment of it all.

However, we still read tons of books and I purposely search out snow-themed books, one of my favorite genres. Snow-themed books are an entire genre, right? Try some of my favorites, next time you head out to the library in 2 feet of.... nothing (sigh).

An onomatopoeic snow poem.

Snowflakes wisely head towards one of the greatest cities for Christmas: New York.

If you wish it, it will come.

I love a subtle touch of absurdity in my picture books.

I mentioned this book last week, and it's worth mentioning again, it is so wonderful.

There are other snow books we love, of course, but this will get you started. What snow books do you love?

I'm linking to What My Child Is Reading and Book Sharing Monday.

Lussekatter

2011-12-13T05:51:00.001-05:00

On December 13, St. Lucia Day is celebrated in Sweden. Kiddo and New Kid helped me make the traditional lussekatter, or saffron bun. When New Kid saw the S shape he thought we were making the alphabet so we made a couple of As, but with the raisins they look like Å, so it's still appropriate, yes?

The S shapes are actually called a cats (katter), probably because they are reminiscent of cats' curling tales. These buns are so delicious, don't let the Dec. 13th deadline stop you from making them. You can find the yummy recipe through an internet search, but we used the recipe in Beatrice Ojakangas' Scandinavian Feasts.

Incidentally, even though my maternal family is from Sweden we never celebrated this holiday. I only recently found out why. St. Lucia Day was not widely celebrated until the1920s. Since my grandparents were in this country before then, they did not bring the tradition with them. No matter, we can still enjoy a yummy bun with a candle-lit breakfast every December 13.

You can read more about St. Lucia Day here.

Extra Credit Reading:
Lucia and the Light
Hanna's Christmas
Lucia Morning in Sweden
Lucia, Saint of Light
God Jul: A Swedish Christmas

Popularity Contest #6

2011-12-12T05:16:00.001-05:00

No. 6 on the list of popular posts is our balloon experiment. We did this two ways: with yeast and with baking soda and vinegar.

There is nothing unique about this experiment, but the post gets a lot of hits from search engine.

I had a lot of trouble deciding what was my no. 6, so I'm going to cheat a bit and choose these two posts, both of which feature super-easy super-sneaky ways of getting the children into the bathtub -- back when Kiddo hated baths. Now they both love baths.

Frozen Word Scramble

Bath Bubble Science