Summer Reading Program

Jax participated once again in the library's Summer Reading Program this year. Joy also benefited from the many books we read this summer even though she was not officially old enough to sign up for the program. Both kiddos enjoyed every visit to the library this summer, where they explored books and puzzles, made crafts, met new friends, and encountered all sorts of creatures (even snakes!), both real and imaginary. Jax got a variety of prizes for his participation in the program and for reading 33 books over the summer. Here's a few of our favorites from our summer reading list!

We're Very Good Friends, My Sister and I, by P.K. Hallinan. This was a great story about an older brother and his younger sister. Jax and Joy really are great friends and playmates, so I enjoyed reading this book to them. We love P.K. Hallinan. We own copies of both My Daddy and I and My Mommy and I as well as I Know Jesus Loves Me by Hallinan, all of which are excellent children's books with a Christian message.

We also enjoyed John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith. This was a very cute book about some typical "boys" who turn out to be real characters significant to our country's history, John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. It was a comical tale of each, implying how their childhood may have been an early indicator of their adult successes. Cute and educational; love it.

A really cute book about morality and character development, Do Unto Otters by Laurie Keller is another one of our favorites. We love Laurie Keller! She has written many unique and appealing children's books, and we are looking forward to reading more of them in the future.

Lizard's Home was also a great book to promote empathy, fairness, and prosocial behaviors. We enjoyed George Shannon's book about Lizard, who finds someone else has taken over his home and he responds to the situation with cleverness, rather than aggression. A great lesson-based book; I guess you could say it is a fable.

And, my FAVORITE book that we read this summer was Who's That Tripping Over My Bridge? by Coleen Salley. This story is based on the traditional story of the 3 Billy Goats Gruff, but the author puts a unique CAJUN spin on it by setting the story around Baton Rouge and including south Louisiana traditions and language in the script. Jax and Joy both giggled and snickered all the way through this book, even when we read it for the 472nd time!! If you ever get the opportunity to read this book to your child, I recommend it! This would be a great preface to a planned daytrip to New Orleans or Baton Rouge with your kiddos, especially if you will be participating in mardi gras events. Just typing about this book makes me want to read it the 473rd time! It is so creative!

Of course, we could NOT go through the summer without some Eric Carle books! He's a standard on our list of favorites! Joy also enjoyed Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr., Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, Bambi Gets Lost by Albert Miller, and Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Margaret Wise Brown is another one of our all-time favorite children's authors. Bambi Gets Lost is actually an old book that I had as a small chap. I am thankful that my kids now have most of the books that I enjoyed so much when I was a little girl, thanks to my parents and sister for holding on to them when I'm sure it would have been simply "easier" to just give them away.

We are always looking for recommendations for good children's books! Please share your favorites with us!