Blue Bloods Season 1DVD*

 The Reagan family serves NYC in various roles-Police Commissioner, detective, Assistant D.A., and a beat cop. This Catholic family bonds over Sunday night dinners. The grandfather, a former Police Comissioner, adds humor to the conversation. I love how this series celebrates family.

*Highly recommend for adults. Proceed with caution with teens. Not suitable for younger than high school. See warnings.

Warnings: murder/violence,drug use, sometimes cases take the investigators/police in questionable places (usually you can tell when & can fast forward/turn eyes), whenever the Reagan family is relaxing or meeting together, they usually drink some sort of alcohol (not getting drunk)

-Borrowed from the library.

Saving the Countryside -The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit by Linda Elovitz Marshall illustrated by Ilaria Urbinati*

 This beautifully illustrated picture book shares how Beatrix Potter's success as a writer and illustrator helped her preserve thousands of acres of countryside in the Lake District. Her story is inspiring!

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Wild Muir selected and introduced by Lee Stetson*

 The title is apt. I have never read or heard of anyone as continously adventurous as John Muir. The essays  selected from his various publishings display his love for the outdoors and fearlessness. The writing is superb. I especially appreciated the word choice and figurative language. Mr. Stetson is an actor who portrays John Muir.

*Highly recommend for readers who love nature, autobiographies, and essays.

-Borrowed from a friend.

Consideration: one swear word

Houses with a Story by Seiji Yoshida**

 What a creative, imaginative book! 

Mr. Yoshida has drawn and described fictional homes from across the world and centuries. He provides brief bio sketches of each home's dweller. I can envision teachers and parents giving this book to their students and children as a story stimulator. 

I noticed that the illustration with the forward contained items from the various houses. Very clever!

This gentleman, Mr. Yoshida, is talented. 

**Highly, highly recommend.

Consider: once resident is a witch, a couple of residents are ghosts

-Borrowed from the library.

The Dirt Book by David L. Harrison illustrated by Kate Cosgrove

 Poems About Animals That Live Beneath Our Feet

Through rhyme and various poetic forms, Mr. Harrison introduces the reader to interesting facts about dirt and underground animal. I liked how the reader must hold the book up vertically to read the poems.

Point to discuss: Author says dirt is about four billion years old.

-Borrowed from the library.

What's New, Daniel? by Micha Archer**

 Ms. Archer is an amazing collage artist. The reader can gaze and marvel at just the illustrations. Each page is a piece of art. The story is engaging and endearing. Daniel meets his grandfather in the park. When his grandfather asks, "What's new, Daniel?", Daniel dashes around the park, investigating the surprises spring has persuaded to emerge. As I read, I smiled and thought about my own delights over spring this year.

**Highly, highly recommend.

Point to discuss: Rock tells Daniel that it has been soaking up the sun for a million years.

-Borrowed from the library.

Zany Zoo by William Wise illustrated by Lynn Munsinger*

 Rhyming poems about various animals integrated with humor and word play. Although the illustrations may attract younger readers, they may not understand the word play, puns, and allusions. 

*Highly recommend for astute 2nd graders and older.

-Borrowed from the library.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley*

 My eighth grader finished his literature course this school year by reading Frankenstein. He really enjoyed it and shared some interesting thoughts and conclusions about mankind with me. I could not keep up with his reading pace, so I finished it a couple of weeks later!

I too really enjoyed the novel. Ms. Shelley's writing is superb. I could have enjoyed the novel simply by the word choice and how Ms. Shelley communicates her ideas/the story. In addition to the well-written prose, I appreciated the opportunity to contemplate humanity's natural state (fallen and sinful) and humanity's responses to that natural state. Both my son and I did not like any of the characters but that did not take away from the enjoyment of the book. Ms. Shelley's purpose was not point out our need for God but accomplishes it!

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward illustrated by Diana Sudyka**

 With humor and practical advice, Ms. Ward offers young readers and beginning birders tips on how to find birds. Once again I would love to frame some of the pages' illustrations. Ms. Sudyka's art is charming (I especially love the endpages).  Her illustrations greatly enhance the story and the text.

**Highly, highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Wonderful Habits of Rabbits by Douglas Florian illustrated by Sonia Sanchez*

 A perfect read aloud with its rhythm and rhyme

A fictitious account about how rabbits spend their days 

Rain by Cynthia Rylant illustrated by Lisa Congdon

 Creatures and children anticipate rain and react diversely to the actual event. A celebration of rain!

-Borrowed from the library.

Celebrate! Stories of the Jewish Holidays by Gilda Berger illustrated by Peter Catalanotto*

 Recently my library displayed some Jewish history and celebration books. This one caught my attention. How I wished I had known about it when we studied ancient history. Ms. Berger explains the major Jewish holidays by sharing the traditional stories, what they celebrate, how they celebrate, and craft and food ideas. 

If you are from a Christian background, the stories vary a bit from Christian scriptures. The differences would create an opportunity for discussion.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Always Remember Me How One Family Survived World War II by Marisabina Russo

 As her grandmother pages through a family album, a granddaughter listens to her relate how she and her daughters, Jews living in Germany,  survived WW II. Based on the author's family's story. The endpages contain the author's family's photographs from this time period.

-Borrowed from the library.

Angela's Glacier by Jordan Scott illustrated by Diana Sudyka

 From her infancy, Angela climbs (in a baby carrier attached to her father!) Snaeffellsjokull in Iceland. He teaches how to speak the glacier's name in the rhythm of his steps.  Ms. Sudyka depicts Angela growing bigger and bigger in the carrier. As she matures, she walks the glacier herself, listening to the unique sounds it emits. Then her preteen/teen years arrive. She doesn't have as much time to walk the glacier. Feeling unsatisfied, she returns to walking her glacier and vows to continue to hike it, no matter how busy life becomes.

I loved the blues, greens, and grays in the illustrations. How the author explains how to pronounce Snaeffellsjokull was helpful.

Global warming mentioned in the illustrator's note.

-Borrowed from the library.

Orris and Timble The Beginning #1 by Kate DiCamillo illustrated by Carmen Mok*

 Orris, the rat, lives in a hole in an abandoned barn. One night he hears a screech. An owl is caught in a mousetrap nailed to the floor. Should he help an enemy? A sweet book about being noble and about friendship. I love the inclusion of Aesop's Fable.

Simple words, short chapters with full-page illustrations-perfect for transitional readers who need to build stamina  and to gain confidence.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 3 by Beth Brower*

 How I love this series! 

During July and August Emma continues to be a foil for her cousin, Arabella. In this book the plot focuses more of Emma's interactions with Pierce, her border/renter. I love Ms. Brower's writing style. It is easy to read yet she includes sentence variety, clever alluisions, and apt word choice. Most modern books I read leave me feeling unsatisfied and unimpressed. Ms. Brower gives me hope!

The amount of male interactions Emma has and the simmering, alluding romances are unrealistic. 

*Highly recommend.

Considerations: some swearing

-Borrowed from the library.