In 2014, we will read.

Happy 2014!  2013 was a successful reading year for us.  Our circle of books seems to grow with every trip to the library.
Here is what we have been up to...

Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb by Al Perkins
That's right, it takes up a lot of space.  This is due to reading it EVERY DAY.  Scarlet loves it and can recite most of it along with me.  We particularly enjoy saying "hands play banjos strum strum strum, hands play fiddles zum zum zum."    All very silly.

We have gotten some very lovely books from the library.  Here is one



Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett
 

  GREAT book about a little girl that just keeps knitting until her world is filled with color.  Despite that fact this book is a children's book about yarn bombing (fantastic) what a great example one person's ability to change the world by just doing a little more.  Both Parker and Kendall loved this book and were bickering about who got to look at in bed first.  I will count this as a win.




                                         
Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson

A very beautiful and simple book.  The author requests that the child do something specific on each page to take the tree to the next season.  It demonstrates the power and magic of each phase in a tree's life.  As you progress through the book, it feels like you are performing some kind of magic spell.  We breathlessly awaited the outcome.  Sweet smiles spread across Parker and Kendall's face (not Scarlet...she will only read Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb) as we discovered that the magic at the end of the book was baby birds!  I honestly thought that Kendall would lay sole claim to it after story time but was surprised to find that Parker also wanted to look at it before bed.  He typically likes to peruse books with a more intricate detail.  Something about the simplicity of this is captivating.  I believe we will not be able to settle with this a a library-check-out-only; this will be one that we seek to buy!


The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
This book had a lot of hype around it.  A LOT.  She was supposed to be the next JK Rowlings.  I wouldn't go so far as to say that.  First I would like to air one of my pet peeves.  Information Dumping.  Wow.  This book is guilty of it.  It takes place in futuristic London and is about clairvoyants.  Everything you could wanted to know about clairvoyants (and of course some things she made up about them).  It is too much.  This book is supposed to be the first of seven, I think, so hopefully that will mellow out in the second book.  My other complaint is (as it always is) the characters.  With the exception of Paige and Warden, the rest are unremarkable.  I have a hard time remembering their names.  Without giving too much away, I will say that soon as Warden is introduced, it is utterly apparent what will happen (eyes rolling).  It is a YA book, what can I say.