I’m pretty excited to spend the weekend reading! I’m not one of those crazy people that wake up at the crack of dawn to go shopping.  Instead, I’ll curl up with a book or two instead.

So, here is a list of books I plan on reading this weekend.

Ok!  It’s time I get back to reading!  If you are participating in Thankfully Reading Weekend, please be sure to link your posts to the Mr. Linky here.

My Plans for Thankfully Reading Weekend is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

The people of El Camino Street enjoy the peace and quiet.  They don’t like kids, people with big families, or pets. They enjoy spending their time enjoying the peaceful things in life. A new family moves in, a new family with three kids and a pet fish.  Still, their peace and quiet seems to go on uninterrupted. 

Then suddenly, a giant camper pulls up in front of the new family’s home, a camper that took up half the block.  People start streaming out.  It started with three teenage cousins.  The neighbors shook their heads in astonishment and say “Too many visitors for one little house!” But family members continue to come out of the camper and each time they do, the neighbors respond with the same comment. All together, fourteen people (and a wandering stray dog!) arrive and enter the new family’s home.  The neighbors are in an uproar! They don’t appreciate all the noise that comes along with this many house guests!

But on their way to filing a complaint with the city’s complaint department, they are greeted by the Mom, holding a plate of Nanny’s apple strudel!  They are invited into the family’s home and instantly remark: “There are never too many visitors for one little house!”

My boys LOVED this book!  The illustrations, done by Veronica Walsh, were very colorful and vivid.  They enjoyed the repetitive text “There are too many people for one little house” and enjoyed repeating it each time a new group of visitors entered the house.  My four year old son, Justin, liked counting the guests as they arrived. My oldest son, John, thought Grandma, with her prune juice, and Grandpa, with his rolls of toilet paper and plunger, were downright hilarious!  So, kids of varying ages each take away something different from this hilarious tale!

About the Author:  Susan Chodakiewitz is a writer, composer and producer. She is the founder of Booksicals Children’s Books- Encouraging the love of reading through the arts. Through her company Booksicals she has created the Booksicals on Stage literacy program which is currently presenting musical performances of the picture book Too Many Visitors for One Little House at schools, libraries, and special events.

Susan lives in Los Angeles in a lively household filled with music, three sons, a husband, a Dalmatian and lots of visitors. Susan loves picture books and when she wrote a musical based on one of her favorites, she realized it was time to start writing her own picture books. Too Many Visitors for One Little House is Susan’s debut book. You can visit her website at www.booksicals.com.

Review & Blog Tour: Too Many Visitors for One Little House by Susan Chodakiewitz is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Update:

We're Ready to Eat!!!

Dinner is served!

Don’t forget to stop by the Book Blog Social Club site to sign up for Thankfully Reading Weekend, which officially kicks off tomorrow!

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library.

This is the first I’ve every participated in this meme.  I’m not sure why I haven’t done it before! I’m constantly at the library!  And since I’m participating in the 2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge, I think participating in this will help me keep track of all the library books I have out!

Here are the books I obtained this week:

Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
The Arrival by Shaun Tan
The Lost Thing by Shaun Tan

Do you sense a theme here? My son and I really enjoy looking through Tan’s books together. The artwork is stellar; you can literally lose yourself in it!

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

I’ve been waiting on this one for ages!

Have you supported your local library this week? If so, what did you get?

Library Loot…the First! is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Nicole from Linus’s Blanket hosts an amazing Blog Talk Radio Show called “That’s How I Blog“, during which she chats with various bloggers about their lives, how they blog, their favorite books, etc.   She’s chatted with quite a few outstanding bloggers, including:

Trish, Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?

Kathy, BermudaOnion

Beth, Beth Fish Reads

Michelle, Galley Smith

During the last portion of the show, Nicole and the blogger have a quick 20 minute book club and discuss a a book.  Tonight at 9 PM Eastern Time, Nicole will be chatting with book blogger extraordinaire Amy, from My Friend Amy.  Once the interview is over, they will chat about Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.   Be sure to log-in to the very lively chat room or call in (646-381-4606) to ask your questions.

Next Tuesday at 8:30 PM Eastern Time, I will be chatting with Nicole about my blog!  Our book for discussion will be Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane! There’s still time for you to read the book and join in on our discussion!

If you have any questions to ask about me that you’d like to be asked during the call, you can send them to Nicole at: nicole AT linussblanket DOT com before the show!

That’s How I Blog! is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from The Divorce Party by Laura Dave:

“Gwyn can feel her jaw drop in disbelief, can feel her disbelief running through her–and something like anger.  Because he looks in this moment–she sees it in him–like his father.”

What is your teaser this week?

Teaser Tuesday: November 24 is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? This is a weekly event to list the books completed last week, the books currently being reading, and the books to be finish this week. It was created by J.Kaye’s Book Blog, so stop by and join in!

Books Completed Last Week

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Currently Reading

While I Live (The Ellie Chronicles) by John Marsden
The Divorce Party by Laura Dave
I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Books to Complete This Week

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal
Where the River Ends by Charles Martin

What are you reading this week?

Don’t forget! You still have time to sign up for the Thankfully Reading Weekend!  Spend your downtime during the Thanksgiving Holiday reading along with your closest blogger friends!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading This Week? is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

When I read about this challenge J.Kaye is sponsoring, I knew it was the perfect challenge for me!

The rules are very simple:
1. Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels:

–The Mini – Check out and read 25 library books.

–Just My Size – Check out and read 50 library books.

–Stepping It Up – Check out and read 75 library books.

–Super Size Me – Check out and read 100 library books.

(Aim high. As long as you read 25 by the end of 2010, you are a winner.)

3. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Young Reader – any book as long as it is checked out from the library count. Checked out like with a library card, not purchased at a library sale.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

6. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
Easy peasy, right?  Since I’m trying to cut down on the amount of money I spend each month on books, I’ve been going to the library pretty frequently. I think this will be an easy challenge for me to fulfill! Therefore, I’m going for the “Just My Size” level and will attempt to read 50 library books next year.

Once the challenge has started, I will add a button to the sidebar so you can check in and view my progress!

Interested in signing up?  Visit J.Kaye’s blog now!

2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from Hate List by Jennifer Brown:

“I started forward again, only this time it was like I was running through sand.  My feet felt heavy and tired; my chest felt like someone had tied something around it, squeezing the breath out of me and dragging me backward at the same time.”

What is your teaser this week?

Teaser Tuesday: November 17 is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802797725

Felix is not happy, not happy at all.  His Mom and Dad are bringing home a baby sister.  Before he even meets her, he has decided he doesn’t like her.  Afterall, he already has his best friend Poncho (his stuffed Donkey), why would he need anyone else?

When his parents bring home his baby sister, he wants nothing to do with her.  She goes to bed late and wakes up wailing every morning.  Felix believes his parents should just take her back!

One day, Felix and his parents (and yes, unfortunately his little sister too!) go to the zoo. Felix LOVES the zoo. As they walk along, he devises ways of getting rid of his sister.  For example, the elephant is big enough to sit on his sister and the giraffe’s neck is long enough to place her up in a tree where she can never bother him again.

Felix loves the zoo so much he doesn’t want to leave.  He cries the entire way home!  His parents can’t seem to quiet him.  And then, his sister hands him his best friend, Poncho, and his tears stop.  How is it that the thing he despises so much could understand what he wants? He then discovers that his baby sister isn’t as bad as he made her out to be!

I read Bye-Bye, Baby! to both of my boys: John (10) and Justin (4).  To be completely honest, John has entered the phase in which he can’t stand his brother.  Justin gets on his nerves in a matter of seconds.  We remind John that Justin simply enjoys spending time with his big brother and that he should feel special that Justin cares for him so much.

Well, after we read Bye-Bye, Baby! we talked about John and Justin’s relationship with one another.  John was a bit different than the character in the book, Felix.  John loved Justin as soon as he saw him (he was in the delivery room) and cherished his sweet little brother.  It wasn’t until Justin was able to walk into his room (and steal some of his toys) that we had a problem.  We discussed this, and how much nicer it would be if the two of them got along.  I think it had an effect on him, which you can see in his mini-review below.

John’s Review:

I think Felix was being a little too rough on his baby sister.  When they went to the zoo, Felix was crazy with all these ideas.  I know his parents were trying to do everything to stop him from crying but it didn’t work.  Now he knows, when you have a baby sister, you must always give her a chance.  And now YOU must do the same with YOUR brother or sister!

Do you sense a bit of guilt there?

My review:

The author, Richard Morris, did an outstanding job of portraying a very series subject among young children: the arrival of a new sibling. He puts it in a format and language that young children can easily understand.  Each page has very elaborate illustrations (by Larry Day) and a small amount of text, so it does a good job of holding a young child’s interest. While neither one of my children have to be worried about another child coming into our house, it allows them to realize that siblings are there for one another, to help them when they need it. I highly recommend this book for any family getting reading to add a child into the family or, as in my case, a family with siblings that sometimes don’t get along.   John, Justin, an I really enjoyed reading Bye-Bye, Baby! We keep it in our “Bedtime Reading Bin” and reach for it very often!

Review: Bye-Bye Baby! by Richard Morris is a post from: Jenn's Bookshelves. Reproduction of this content is forbidden unless approved through prior written consent.