For us, summertime (and an extended vacation) means later bedtimes, but it doesn’t mean we don’t read every night before bed, even if it’s just one quick book or chapter. This month, my little ones have gone a little retro on me, picking up books we haven’t touched in a long time. So, today in honor of #ThrowbackThursday, I’m reviewing some oldies but goodies in our library.
As always, we encourage you to shop local for books or hit your local library. In Philly we love Head House Books and in Brooklyn, it’s Greenlight and Word that make us happy. For the nearest locally owned bookstore near you, visit Indiebound.
Miss Nelson is Missing
by James Marshall
Ok, I’ll admit it. I pulled this one off the shelf where it had been gathering dust for at least half a year and begged my kids to let me read it. It was my favorite book when I was in kindergarten and is still at the top of my list. In fact, I can’t believe I haven’t included it before now. A tale of intrigue and disguise, Miss Nelson takes bold steps to reign in her unruly classroom in the form of the witchy Miss Viola Swamp. Spoiler alert: Miss Nelson’s tactics work! The kids in room 207 get their acts together and stop wreaking havoc in the classroom.
“The kids in Room 207 were misbehaving again. Spit balls stuck to the ceiling. Paper airplanes whizzed through the air. They were the worst behaved class in the whole school.”
Perro Grande…Perro Pequeño
by P.D. Eastman
The Spanish version (with English translation) of this P.D. Eastman classic (you may also know him from such classics as Are You My Mother? or Go, Dog Go!) is a great way to introduce your little ones to another language in your regular reading. My soon-to-be first grader is in a Spanish immersion program at her local public school, so she reads more proficiently in Spanish at the moment (which is really cool), but this book with both Spanish and English translation helps improve her reading and comprehension in both languages. It’s also a fabulous book to teach comparisons and opposites to kids of any age.
“Cuando caminaban bajo la lluvia, Fred se mojaba pero Ted quedaba seco.
When they walked in the rain, Fred got wet, but Ted stayed dry.”
You Will Be My Friend!
by Peter Brown
Oh, Lucy. She just can’t get it right. All she wants is to find a friend to play with. But when you’re a cumbersome bear trying to befriend a giraffe, it can be a tricky proposition. This sweet and funny tale of friendship and persistence is sure to delight you and the kiddos. Peter Brown’s illustrations are, as always, whimsical and hilarious. Once you’re hooked on this classic, check out Peter’s other fab books like The Curious Garden, which we reviewed a few months ago, and Chowder. Brown gets it right every single time.
“MOM! I’ve decided to make a new friend today! Isn’t that exciting?!”
The Velveteen Rabbit
by Margery Williams; Illustrated by William Nicholson
And now we are throwing it way, way back. Ah, the Velveteen Rabbit. Could you possibly get more classic than this? Reading it to my girls as an adult, I realized this is the Toy Story of previous generations with a dash of magic sprinkled in. With timeless characters like the Skin Horse, Timothy the arrogant wooden lion, and even a beautiful fairy, you are sure to be transported back to your own childhood when it almost seemed possible that toys could be real.
“‘I am the nursery magic fairy,” she said. ‘I take care of all the playthings that the children have loved. When they are old and worn out and the children don’t need them anymore, then I come and take them away with me and turn them into Real.”
‘Wasn’t I Real before?” asked the little Rabbit.
‘You were Real to the Boy,’ the Fairy said, ‘because he loved you. Now you will be Real to every one.’”
Mollie Michel is a South Philly resident and a Philadelphia public school parent. A recovering non-profit professional, Mollie is also an experienced birth doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, and the mom of two awesome girls and a sweet pit bull named Princess Cleopatra. In her spare time, she is usually trying to figure out how Pinterest works, training for a(nother) half-marathon with her dog at her side, or simply trying to keep up with her increasingly wily daughters.