Tag Archives: kids books

An Affordable Treasury of Fun

There’s no easier way for kids to explore new and exciting worlds than cuddling up with a favorite book.  Adventures await on each page and there’s no telling where your child’s imagination can take her once she peels back the front cover. And that’s just with one book.  Imagine the fun kids can have when they are gifted with a treasury of stories. If you are looking for an affordable way to keep your kids entertained this summer, consider investing in a box set of books.  My daughter adores her Little Critter Bedtime Stories set.  The colorful collection is a … Continue reading →

Emeraldalicious

Who says it’s not easy being green? How about going green? Just in time for Earth Day, everyone’s favorite pink-tastic princess puts her rosy stamp on a disgusting dump to show young readers the benefits of recycling. Emeraldalicious starts off with Pink and her little brother Pete heading to their favorite park.  They frolic for a bit on the lush lawn crafting a cape and crown from colorful flowers, but soon the brilliant green grass gives way to a stinky garbage-filled space void of flora and fauna. Fortunately, Pinkalicious is able to piece together an extra-special wand from stray sticks … Continue reading →

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty

  If your children asked for, but didn’t receive the puppy or kitten they placed on their wish list to Santa, this book might work as a consolation present. Maybe. Sure, Charlie and the Christmas Kitty may be a far cry from an adorable tail-wagging, face-licking bundle of fluff that would follow your child around the house and potentially run for help should he fall down a well, but, hey, Santa’s not perfect. Still, you can’t deny the cuteness contained in this festive holiday read, even though the story’s clueless main character doesn’t realize it’s Christmas: “Why is there a … Continue reading →

Are Our Kids’ Cultures Represented in Their History Books?

I love the Usborne Encyclopedias for Children, volumes such as World History, World Geography, and Science. However, many of our internationally adopted children will not find their heritage represented. I know full well that you can’t cram all of World History into a children’s volume. I also accept that Western Civilization and American History should play the greater role in books written for American children, which my children certainly are. Still, I worry that they will begin to think that people like themselves had nothing to do with history. When there is mention of Asian history, that refers to China, … Continue reading →

“Double Fudge” by Judy Blume

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Having read The Fudge Books when I was much younger, I had never read “Double Fudge” because it was not published until 2002. As the final installment of The Fudge Books, “Double Fudge” certainly lives up to its name. Peter Hatcher’s five-year-old brother Farley Drexel, a.k.a. Fudge, loves money. Actually, he has become quite obsessed with money. Naturally, this leads him to trouble time and again. The greatest dilemma for Peter comes when the Hatchers run into some long lost cousins — who happen to have a little boy named Farley Drexel! Will Peter survive double Fudge? Fudge loves money … Continue reading →

“Fudge-a-Mania” by Judy Blume

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Here comes yet another great Fudge Book from Judy Blume. In “Fudge-a-Mania,” it is the summer before Peter’s sixth grade year and the Hatchers have moved back to New York City after spending a year in Princeton, New Jersey. Peter’s parents announce that they will be spending a few weeks near the end of the summer at a house in Maine. But when he finds out that their vacation house is going to be right next door to the family of his nemesis, Sheila Tubman, Peter’s vacation may very well be ruined! Sheila Tubman is a total nuisance! From the … Continue reading →

“Ramona’s World” by Beverly Cleary

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Ramona Quimby was nine years old. She had brown hair, brown eyes, and no cavities. She had a mother, a father, a big sister named Beatrice who was called Beezus by the family, and — this was the exciting part — a baby sister named Roberta after her father, Robert Quimby. “Ramona’s World” — the last book in the series about Ramona Quimby — is full of yet another year in Ramona’s life. This time she deals with a new baby sister, fourth grade, and gets a new best friend who understands her better than anyone. Age nine proves to … Continue reading →

“Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great” by Judy Blume

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Although considered the second book in the phenomenal series by Judy Blume known as The Fudge Books, I consider “Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great” to be more of a spin-off since it deal’s with Fudge’s brother’s nemesis. Sheila Tubman is the sworn enemy of Peter Hatcher, however Peter is scarcely mentioned in this book. “Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great” follows Sheila Tubman during the summer before her fifth grade year. Even though she wants to spend her summer vacation at Disneyland, the Tubmans end up spending the summer in Tarrytown, at the house of one of Mr. Tubman’s … Continue reading →

“Ramona Forever” by Beverly Cleary

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Ramona is back in another great episode of the Ramona series, “Ramona Forever.” Instead of focusing greatly on school, “Ramona Forever” tells more about what happens in the Quimby family. From the time that Ramona’s friend Howie’s rich Uncle Hobart comes to visit, Ramona has a problem. Then, Ramona and her older sister Beezus convince their parents to give them a big responsibility. Once Mr. and Mrs. Quimby share a big surprise with Ramona and Beezus, things in the Quimby household turn upside-down! Howie’s Uncle Hobart proves to be quite a nuisance to Ramona. On the first day that he … Continue reading →

“Ramona Quimby, Age 8” by Beverly Cleary

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Ramona had reached the age of demanding accuracy from everyone, even herself. All summer, whenever a grown-up asked what grade she was in, she felt as if she were fibbing when she answered “third,” because she had not actually started the third grade. Still, she could not say she was in the second grade since she had finished that grade last June. Grown-ups did not understand that summers were free from grades. Ramona Quimby has finally reached third grade. She has a teacher named Mrs. Whaley and a new nemesis whom she calls “Yard Ape.” In “Ramona Quimby, Age 8,” … Continue reading →