Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

You know when you hear that song. You know the one. The one that makes a bad mood better or a tired body and mind suddenly re-energized. 

Anne of Green Gables is the novel equivalent of that song. 

It has been years since I read this series.I used to re-read them all of the time when I was a teenager and didn't have as many other books to read. I read Anne out loud to Abi when she was really little but didn't read the rest of the series to her. 

So, the last time I read this book was about 8 years ago, even longer for the rest of the Anne books. 

Reading it again meant so much to me. 

I was happy while reading it, I learned valuable lessons even after having read it so many times before, and I felt a real call to that part of myself that has always loved Anne. 

I am suddenly finding myself dying to go to Prince Edward Island again. Lucy Maud Montgomery influenced so much of who I am because of this book and reading it again reminded me of that. 

The other day my daughter, Abigail, said to me, "Mom, you know my personality is like 3/4 My Little Pony." 

It was funny at the time but then upon reflection I realized I feel the same way about reading in general for me. Books have influenced my life so much and continue to do so every day. I would say that most of the books that I read are just entertainment. They transport me to somewhere else, to the life of someone else. They let me see through the eyes of another and a world different from my own. There is something to be said for that. There is also something to be said for the rare book that takes you home.... even if it is not a home you have ever had. 

You hold that book in your hands and you know it was meant for you to read. 

That is Anne for me.

As I read I was also struck by how many times I thought to myself, "Lucy Maud Montgomery was a genius."

She could introduce you to a character in one sentence. 

For example on the very first page of the book we read, "...for not even a brook could run past Mrs. Rachel Lynde's door without due regard for decency and decorum;"

The next few pages introduce us to her husband Thomas and to Matthew Cuthbert: 

"... a meek little man whom Avonlea people called "Rachel Lynde's husband"..."

"...for Matthew Cuthbert had never been known to volunteer information about anything in his whole life."

Later we meet Marilla, " Here sat Marilla Cuthbert, when she sat at all, always slightly distrustful of sunshine, which seemed to her too dancing and irresponsible a thing for a world which was meant to be taken seriously."

Later on I plan on writing another post on what Anne herself meant to me as a child and what she means to me now as an adult but for now I want to point out a few of the other things I noticed during this read through. 

I love Marilla. She is hard to love at first. She is so stern and strict. Next to Matthew, who is an angel of a man, she seems downright unpleasant. However, as you read the book you see the things that you don't always think of when you think of Marilla. You see her falling in love with Anne. You see the things she thinks but doesn't say. She is truly a kindred spirit. 

Also, in the mini-series they don't show us Anne's friendship with Mrs. Allan, the Reverend's wife. They have such a wonderful friendship and I had forgotten all about it. I really enjoyed getting back to all the details and back stories that I didn't remember because I have, at this point, watched the show more. 

Gilbert. 

Gilbert was my first love. I think he was a lot of people's first love. It is easy to be frustrated with Anne and her mistreatment of Gilbert but when it comes right down to it, I think it was good for him. 

We learn early on that Gilbert teases all the girls... and she is the first one he has apologized to. 

I imagine that Gilbert was a product of the "boys tease you if they like you" mentality and maybe Anne taught him that it isn't supposed to be that way. 

In the end, Gilbert respected her and her wishes. He let himself fade into the background hoping someday she would realize that he was still there. He sacrificed for her and that finally allowed her to let go of her pride and face the fact that for a long time she had been wishing to reconcile with him. 

"We are going to be the best of friends, " said Gilbert, jubilantly. "We were born to be good friends, Anne. You've thwarted destiny long enough. I know we can help each other in many ways."

As I finished reading Anne of Green Gables my thoughts echoed the last words, 

"God's in His Heaven, all's right with the world."

A Year with Maud

If you follow me on Instagram you will already know that I am planning a 2017 read-a-long of all of Lucy Maud Montgomery books, journals, and magazines. 

I have a lot of them. I own every novel of hers, as far as I know I have all of her short story collections. I have two of her journals, one biography, one scrapbook like compilation, and a handful of Kindred Spirits magazines.

I will be posting here and on Instagram at the end of each month to outline which things I will be trying to read during the following month. If you would like to I would love it if you joined me!

If you want to just read a few of her novels that is great! I will be finishing the Anne of Green Gables series very early on in the year but if you want to read it throughout the year I would love for you to come back to my posts after each book!

It has been way too long since I have read through her works and I have never read the 2nd journal (I just got it for Christmas). I am hoping to get to the rest of her journals later but for this year I am focusing on the ones I own. 

So, for January I will be trying to get through....

I will be starting Anne of Green Gables and hoping to get through Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars. 

I will begin the first volume of her journals but will be reading this over the course of a couple of months. 

I will be reading the Winter 2000/2001 edition of Kindred Spirits. 

As I read I will post my thoughts. I also have a new journal that I will be writing in throughout this journey and I will share the things that I record there. 

I will be posting a lot to Instagram so make sure you follow me there if you want to see that!

Let me know if you plan on joining in!

Happy reading!

Last day of the Staycat

For our last day of the staycation we stayed in our pajamas all day and had a read-a-thon.

After such a long and busy week it was so nice to rest and read all day!

Summer Reading Kickoff

We got a late start on our summer reading program this year. But I wasn't too worried since they are always reading anyway. 

We pulled out some foam bookmarks for them to decorate and some coloring bookmarks that they can color in. 

We talked about what the expectations were this year. It wasn't a number of books this year. It was an amount of time each day. 

They were supposed to read for 20 minutes every day for at least 5 days a week to earn the summer reading prize. But for every book they read they could guess a number on their book buck chart. (I pick a number and when they guess the right one they get a book buck which they can use toward the purchases of books). They also had bingo sheets they could use that had subjects from books and places to read that they could pass off for more chances at prizes. 

It was a lot of fun. 

 

I gave them each two books to start off the program with. 

They wanted to mark something off their bingo sheets right away by reading outside while having a picnic. 

(Notice that Maddy just made two bookmarks and yet she is still using her pair of scissors as a bookmark. Haha.)

We love doing our reading program each summer!

August Reading Wrap Up

August was a great reading month for me! 

I finished a total of 13 books with the help of a read-a-thon with the girls during our staycation and then my week long Scones and Crackers read-a-thon. 

These are the books I read in the month of August: 

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling

"Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places." (goodreads)

This book/play/script has been getting a lot of mixed reviews. It seems you either love it or hate it. 

I loved it. 

I felt like it was really fun and it made me happy while I was reading it. I felt like I was really transported back into that world that I love. And I met some old characters I love and a few new ones that I love now as well. 

I will do a full write up with all of my thoughts on Scones and Crackers very soon and as soon as it is up I will link it here. 

 5 stars *****

 2. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

"Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are."

 (Goodreads)

This graphic novel was pretty fun. It started out great and it did make me laugh out loud a few times. It was a quick read and definitely entertaining. 

But I didn't love it. 

The ending had me a bit confused and I just wasn't sure where the story was really going at that point. It left me a little disappointed. 

Overall, it was fun but not my favorite graphic novel. It didn't quite live up to the hype for me. 

3 stars ***

3. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Mass

I am not going to post the Goodreads blurb for this one as it would contain spoilers for the first book. 

This is the sequel to the book A Court of Thorns and Roses that I read last month. 

And I actually liked this one even more than the first. 

Again, my only problem with these books are the sex scenes. It is so unnecessary. 

They are grouped into the new category of "New Adult". 

But my problem with that is that they are put in the YA section at the library. 

These are not YA. Not with those sex scenes.

I really wish she would have left them out because I feel like they are the only reason I can't give this series a 5 star rating. They take me out of the story and make it so I can't fully recommend them to everyone. 

But if you can overlook those kinds of things, it is such a great story. 

The characters I love, the writing is really good, and I will definitely continue reading this series. 

4 stars ****

4. Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

"In Large Family Logistics, Kim outlines practical solutions she has learned to effectively manage a busy household. This how-to manual is filled with step-by-step procedures, easy-to- understand organizational advice, and a myriad of tips and hints for managing a bustling home with greater efficiency in a way that honors God and builds up family relationships."

(Goodreads) 

I heard about this book from a blogger that recommended it for everyone, not just large families. 

I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise since we are hardly a large family with just two kids. 

And she was right- it did have helpful information for everyone. 

There was a lot of good advice and I did enjoy parts of it. 

I went back and forth between lower and higher ratings based on which section I was in and how much it applied to me. 

I think that it would apply the most to large, homeschooling families. 

It is also Christian based so I wouldn't recommend it to you if you are not religious. 

Overall I ended up taking some good advice from it and give it 3 stars. ***

5. The Rook by Daniel O' Malley

"The body you are wearing used to be mine." So begins the letter Myfanwy Thomas is holding when she awakes in a London park surrounded by bodies all wearing latex gloves. With no recollection of who she is, Myfanwy must follow the instructions her former self left behind to discover her identity and track down the agents who want to destroy her.

She soon learns that she is a Rook, a high-ranking member of a secret organization called the Chequy that battles the many supernatural forces at work in Britain. She also discovers that she possesses a rare, potentially deadly supernatural ability of her own. "

(Goodreads)

This was a really interesting book and very well written. 

I have heard this book compared to Ghostbusters + Men in Black+ X Men and I think that is pretty accurate. 

I was intrigued by the main character and liked the premise of the story. 

There were some characters that were really drawn out and fascinating and others who I kind of forgot about as the book went along and then wondered who they were when they were re-introduced. 

There were a few 3 star moments for me but by the end I felt like overall it deserved a 4 star review. I will probably do another write up on Scones and Crackers and I will link that here as well. 

4 stars ****

6. Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis

"Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life is a partial autobiography describing Lewis' conversion to Christianity. The book overall contains less detail concerning specific events than typical autobiographies. This is because his purpose in writing wasn't primarily historical. His aim was to identify & describe the events surrounding his accidental discovery of & consequent search for the phenomenon he labelled "Joy"."

(Goodreads) 

I really enjoyed this book. 

I underlined a lot throughout the book and will share some of my favorite parts in my review on Scones and Crackers. 

I felt like this book was a quick read and very interesting to get Lewis' take on his early life. 

He is a great writer that has the ability to explain things in a way that are the same time beautiful and easy to read. 

4 stars ****

7. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

 "The action is set in Sicily, where Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, has recently defeated his half-brother, the bastard Don John, in a military engagement. Apparently reconciled, they return to the capital, Messina, as guests of the Governor, Leonato. There Count Claudio, a young nobleman serving in Don Pedro's army, falls in love with Hero, Leonato's daughter, whom Don Pedro woos on his behalf. The play's central plot shows how Don John maliciously deceives Claudio into believing that Hero has taken a lover on the eve of her marriage, causing Claudio to repudiate her publicly, at the altar."

(Goodreads)

I have wanted to read this since I picked it up in England and I finally got around to it. 

It was so much fun to read. 

I absolutely love this play and it was read with a smile plastered on my face the whole time. 

Full review to come on Scones and Crackers.

4 stars ****

8. Stancliffe's hotel by Charlotte Bronte

I got this for free at Charlotte Bronte's house and was very excited to read this very short book. 

It didn't live up to my own hype.

There were some good things in it and you can definitely tell that she is a good writer from it but it didn't live up to Jane Eyre... of course that would be hard to do. 

I ended up giving it 2.5 stars **.5

9. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

"Northanger Abbey is often referred to as Jane Austen's Gothic parody. Decrepit castles, locked rooms, mysterious chests, cryptic notes, and tyrannical fathers give the story an uncanny air, but one with a decidedly satirical twist."

(Goodreads) 

I was anxious to read this Jane Austen book for the first time as I have heard that it is a lot of people's least favorite Austen novel. I actually really enjoyed it!

I will do a full review on Scones and Crackers soon. 

4 stars ****

10. Towers in the Mist by Elizabeth Goudge

"Christ Church, Oxford is the location of this tale of the Leigh family, set in the days of Queen Elizabeth I.

In her notes about the origin of the book Elizabeth Goudge writes: "It is impossible to live in an old city and not ask oneself continually, what was it like in ages gone by? Who were the men, women and children who lived in my home centuries ago, and what were their thoughts and actions as they lived out their lives day by day in the place where I now live mine?"

"Goudge brings to life a number of traditional Oxford legends. The book has that indescribable quality, charm."

(Goodreads)

This was one of my very favorite reads of the month. It pleasantly surprised me as I had never read anything by this author before. I have a full review on Scones and Crackers that you can read here. 

5 stars *****

11. Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

"Sophie May is content with her life in her small English village, working in the local coffee shop and living with her mom. But when famous actor Billy comes to town to play Mr. Darcy in a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, Sophie's quiet life is quickly turned on its head. Billy is adored by women around the world, but he only wants Sophie on his arm. But being with Billy comes at a price, and Sophie is thrown in the spotlight after years of shying away from attention. Can she handle the constant scrutiny that comes with being with Billy?"

(Goodreads)

This wasn't my favorite. It wasn't terrible. But reading it right after Towers in the Mist was a bad idea because the difference in writing was so blaring. 

It had its good moments. There were things I liked. 

But it just didn't go over a 3.5 star for me and mostly hovered around 2-3. 

I am giving it an overall rating of about 2.5 stars **.5

 12. The Golden Store, An illustrated selection of poetry by William Wordsworth

This was a really beautiful book of some of Wordsworth's poems. 

I really enjoyed reading them and the illustrations that went along with them. 

I was able to read the entire thing in about an hour so it is a very quick read. 

4 stars ****

13. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, adapted into a Graphic Novel by Nancy Butler

This is a graphic novel version of Sense and Sensibility and it was delightful. 

It gave a really good version of the story and felt like it was very true to the book all the while making it a book you could read in just a few hours. 

I really enjoyed it. I am going to try to find the rest of the Austen graphic novels now. 

4 stars ****

So, that is it!

What did you read in August? 

July Reading Wrap Up and Haul

In July, thanks to Booktubeathon, I finally got over my reading slump. 

I read nine books in the month of July. 

1) The Art of Homemaking by Daryl V. Hoole

This book goes through all the aspects of homemaking. 

It was really outdated. I think there were some good ideas and information in it but in the age of Pinterest there wasn't anything I couldn't find online. I imagine that when this was published it was a big help to a lot of homemakers. But not really nowadays. 

I gave it three stars. ***

2) On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher

"Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It's the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she's become her twenty-seven-year-old self and the door won't open.
Evie's soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it's too late." (Goodreads)

You can see my entire review of this on Scones and Crackers here.

I enjoyed this book. I gave it 3.5 stars. ***.5

3)Five Kingdoms, Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull

"On Halloween below a haunted house, Cole Randolph wanted to have fun. But he dives after friends whisked away to The Outskirts.The five kingdoms lie in between - wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from other worlds." (Goodreads)

I really enjoy this series and it was a good first book. 4 stars ****

4) Five Kingdoms, Rogue Knight by Brandon Mull

"A mysterious foe massacres towns, leaving no survivors. And a rebel "Rogue Knight” upsets the balance of power. Pursued by enemies, Cole and Mira use a new kind of magic for protection and to outwit the High King, ruthlessly seeking to regain what he has lost." (Goodreads)

This is good. It is a good follow up and had me even more interested in finishing the series. 

4 stars ****

5) Five Kingdoms, Crystal Keepers by Brandon Mull

"Ruled by Abram Trench, the one Grand Shaper who stayed loyal to the evil High King, the government of Zeropolis uses advanced technologies to keep tight control. Luckily, the resistance in Zeropolis is anchored by the Crystal Keepers;a group of young rebels with unique weapons." (Goodreads)

I didn't like this one as much as the first two but it was still fun and good. I am looking forward to reading the next two in the series. Still gave it 4 stars ****

6) All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

"WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZEFrom the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the beautiful, stunningly ambitious instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II." (Goodreads)

This one went back and forth for me. There were times when it was a 3 and times when it was a 4.5. 

The first part I had a hard time staying engaged as I was listening to the audio book and kept zoning out but then I switched to the hard copy and became much more engaged. 

There were characters I wanted more from and things I didn't like that happened but overall I still had to give it 4 stars ****

7) Austenland by Shannon Hale

"Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined" (Goodreads) 

I went into this wondering if the fact that it has become one of my very favorite movies would make me like the book more... but it is still the same rating for me. I like it but I think the movie brings to life the humor so much more. And I find movie Jane so much more likeable than book Jane. 

3 stars ***

8) Stargirl  by Jerry Spinelli

"From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, hallways hum “Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. Until they are not. Leo urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her - normal." (Goodreads)

I read this in just a few hours as it was pretty short and I needed it to finish it that day for booktubeathon. It was okay. I thought about it a lot. I didn't love the characters and I felt like Stargirl was a bit more outrageous than she needed to be. And yet I was still really sad about what happened with her. I think it was a decent book. 3 stars ***

9) A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

"When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever." (Goodreads)

I love Beauty and the Beast so I was pretty wary of whether I would like this re-telling or not... but I ended up loving it. 

It was exciting and interesting and I felt like it was really well written. 

I can't wait to read the next one. 
Keep in mind that this series is in the genre called New Adult even though it is categorized, in my library at least, as Young Adult. This means that while it is pretty much a young adult book, it does have some sex scenes. It is not as graphic as the more adult books but there are a few scenes. 

4.5 stars ****.5

As far as books we bought in July I am going to just add the July haul onto the end of this post now: 

In July the girls both got quite a few books.

Abi got the two My Little Pony books to jumpstart our summer reading program. 

Maddy got two Owl Diaries books for the summer reading program but they are not in the picture. 

Then they picked out a new book at Barnes and Noble for free from their summer reading program. 

Abi got Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Maddy picked out the Puppy Pirates Stowaway. 

We visited The King's English bookstore once this month and I let them each pick out one book. 

Abi got the Unicorn and Phoebe book two and Maddy got a book about Hedgehogs (not pictured)

I got two pre-orders this month. 

The Heart of the Home anniversary edition by Susan Branch ordered from her website. 

On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher and Billy and Me by Giovanni Fletcher (and yes, they are related. Gi is Carrie's sister in law) were ordered from Book Depository 

Have you read any great books in July? 

Booktubeathon 2016

After my last post you know that I haven't been reading as much the past few months as I normally do. I realized that it was almost the end of July and I had not finished any more books. 

I finally have the house mostly put together so wanted to really crack down on my reading. 

It just so happened that Ariel Bisset on YouTube was hosting her yearly booktubeathon this week and I decided that even though I don't have a YouTube book channel I would take part. 

I picked out my books based on the challenges and I have been taking part in the Instagram challenges as well.

 So far it has been SO much fun!

Above you will see my choices for this week. 

There are a few that might change but as for now this is how they stand.

The challenges are: 

1. Read a book with yellow on the cover. 

For this I chose Five Kingdoms book One Sky Raiders by Brandon Mull. 

I have been wanting to read through this series because I have books three and four and haven't read them yet. I decided to start back at book one because it had been so long it wasn't as fresh in my mind as I would like. 

2. Read a book only after sunset

For this I will probably read book 2 of the Five Kingdoms books. I should be able to finish it in a few evenings. 

3. Read a book you discovered on Book Tube

For this I picked All the Light We Cannot See as it is the first place I heard of it. 

This may change if another book I pre ordered arrives in time. 

4. Read a book by one of your favorite authors

This will be a Five Kingdoms book as well- I am going to try to use this read-a thon to get through all of them!

5. Read a book that is older than you

For this I am reading The Art of Homemaking as it was first published in 1967. Doug's mom gave this to me years ago and I have yet to finish it so I decided that moving into a new home was a good time to look through it and see if it gives me any new inspiration. 

6. Read and watch a book to movie adaptation. 

For this one I chose Austenland by Shannon Hale. I haven't read the book for a long time and it is one of my favorite movies. Also, the book is pretty short so I figured it would be an easy one to get through quickly and then I have an excuse to watch the movie for the zillionth time. 

7. Read seven books. 

If I am able to get through all of the other books then I will only have one more book to read to make this one happen. So I plan on using another Five Kingdoms book or All the Light We Cannot See if the other book shows up. 

There you have it! I will post next week to let you know what I was able to read, if I completed all the reading challenges, and show you my Instagram daily challenge pictures. 

Let me know what you are currently reading!

Reading prizes

As usual, we had a reading challenge for Abi and Maddy this summer. Abi was asked to read 100 books and write summaries of them with pictures. She liked this challenge from a few years ago the best so she wanted to do it again. Maddy had to read for 40 hours. 

Abi with her book notebook right after hitting 100!

Her prize was a Lego jungle set.

With Maddy we started the bookmark timer over a few times because it was easier for her to think of the challenge is smaller time periods. At the end she had 5 more hours to get to forty.

Here she is when she hit that five, making her forty hours!

She got a Shopkins set. 

The rest of the day was spent with both girls playing with their new toys. 

Summer Reading

Summer is a great time for reading with your kids. 

In our family we make reading a priority. I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember and it has brought me so much joy in life that it is really important to me that my kids are exposed to it as well. 

Both of my girls have learned to read young. Abi was three when she started and was proficient by four. Maddy wasn't as interested as Abi so we took it much slower and she has just finished her lessons last month. 

I have taught quite a few kids to read because I have worked as a nanny and a pre-school teacher. 

I have used so many of the programs that are available and none of them hold a candle to the one I found out about when Abi was young. 

I used this book with her and I used it with Maddy. 

It is Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons by Siegfried Engelmann. 

It is easy to do. You just sit down with your kids and read what it tells you to read, all in the one book. 

Anyone can use this with their kids. And by the time they are done with the entire book your kid will be on at least a second grade reading level. 

Now onto the fun!

Reading Program:

Every summer we get involved in the local library and Barnes and Noble reading programs to earn prizes. But we also do our own family reading program. 

One year, Abi had her timer bookmark and every time she got to ten hours of reading she got to have a special date with Doug or I. 

The next year she did a 100 book challenge. She picked out a toy she wanted and then after each book she read, she had to fill out a book journal with a summery of the book and a picture of something she liked from it. When she got to 100 books she got her prize. 

This year she asked to do the 100 books challenge again. 

She is working toward a Lego set that she picked out. 

With Maddy, however, we are doing a 40 hour challenge. We got her a timer bookmark of her very own to log her time reading. 

This way, it doesn't matter if she is reading a longer, chapter book or a smaller easy reader. She can read whatever she is interested in reading and just log the minutes. She is working toward a Shopkins toy. 

These challenges have really got them excited about reading. It is so fun to see them talk about the books they are reading and how far they are getting in their challenge. 

Bookworm Club:

To help them to love reading we also created the Bookworm Club. It is a mommy-daughter book club. We read for 30-60 minutes most evenings and then when we finish a book we have a Bookworm Club meeting with a treat and our Bookworm Reading Log. 

These have been so much fun! So far we have read Charlotte's Web, The Wizard of Oz, Ever After High #1, The Princess in Black, Princess Academy, and the first two Harry Potter books. 

We are currently reading the third one.

What if your kid doesn't enjoy reading?

Honestly, some won't. Or some won't right now.
But I think most kids can become readers by finding books about things they are interested in.
We go to the library a LOT. Sometimes they only pick out movies. Sometimes they just play on the computers. But sometimes they walk out with a bag of books because they have found something they are really interested in at that time. When they both were fascinated with dinosaurs I made sure that we had a lot of books about dinosaurs around for them to pick up.
Do not make the mistake of picking books based on their gender or age only. Again, every kid is different. Let them help you find what they like. Think outside the box and you will be more likely to find the right book!

My kids see me reading all of the time. So it is natural for them to pick up a book and come sit by me.

We also have family read-a-thons occasionally. We get treats and set up a fort in the family room and read for a few hours.

I had a friend that made her children's bedtime 7pm but they could stay up until 8pm if they were reading. We don't always do this, especially in the summer when schedules can get a bit crazy, but I think it is a great idea and we do try to use it during the school year.

 Get creative! 

Come up with your own program or use one that has already been made by someone else. I have a Pinterest board that I have been posting Summer reading programs to that you can go and have a look at. See it here. 

Most of all, have fun with it.
If your kids aren't ready to read or don't feel like it at the moment, don't force it. We want them to love reading, not feel like it is a chore!

Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions or advice!

Library summer reading kick off

The first Monday of summer the girls and I went to the local library for their summer reading kick off party. 

They have a superhero theme this year. 

There were a lot of fun activities for the kids to do. 

 

They even had cereal and milk so the kids could have breakfast with the superheroes. 

The superheroes were a few people dressed up as some of the popular ones. 

The place went crazy when Batman walked in. 

They had a good time and we are so excited for our summer reading!