I'm sending some books to my cousin whose house burned down last month. She's got a 5yr old, a 2.5yr old, and one on the way. What would you consider essential books for them?
Jayne: 'Cause I don't know these folks. Don't much care to. Mal: They're whores. Jayne: I'm in.
'Heart Of Gold'
Literary Buffistas 3: Don't Parse the Blurb, Dear.
There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."
aurelia - Dec 31, 2017 5:45:42 pm PST #24891 of 28212
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
flea - Jan 01, 2018 3:51:57 am PST #24892 of 28212
information libertarian
For the 5 year old, Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems. Picture books: Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal), Virginia Lee Burton (Katy and the Big Snow - although now I think of it there's a house fire in it, Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel). For the fetus, Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See in board book format.
aurelia - Jan 01, 2018 6:38:26 am PST #24893 of 28212
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
I should probably avoid house fires. Their house burned on the 5yr old's birthday.
Amy - Jan 01, 2018 6:52:31 am PST #24894 of 28212
Because books.
For the one on the way, all the Sandra Boynton board books.
Classics for all ages: Where the Wild Things Are, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Corduroy, Goodnight Moon, the Llama Llama books, any Dr. Seuss, and the Jane Yolen How Do Dinosaurs books.
aurelia - Jan 01, 2018 7:57:48 am PST #24895 of 28212
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
Also on my list:
The Snowy Day
The Rainbow Fish
The Story of Ferdinand
Animalia and The Water Hole by Graeme Base
Red Ranger Came Calling and Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed
hippocampus - Jan 01, 2018 1:30:45 pm PST #24896 of 28212
not your mom's socks.
The Seven Silly Eaters
Chrysanthemum
Here We Are (new, for new parents and up)
The Old Woman Who Named Things
Seconding everything especially Mo Willems
Stellaluna
If You Give a Moose A Muffin
Mouse Paint
Olivia
Make Way For Ducklings
Miss Rumphius
Amy - Jan 01, 2018 2:27:33 pm PST #24897 of 28212
Because books.
Oh, yeah, everything Kevin Henkes. Rosemary Wells is also great.
aurelia - Jan 01, 2018 2:45:51 pm PST #24898 of 28212
All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story. Tell me a story.
Thanks for all the suggestions! I ended up doubling what I had planned to spend but the girls should have plenty to read for a while.
WindSparrow - Jan 01, 2018 4:02:03 pm PST #24899 of 28212
Love is stronger than death and harder than sorrow. Those who practice it are fierce like the light of stars traveling eons to pierce the night.
Thank you for giving books to kids who have lost so much, aurelia.
Laura - Jan 06, 2018 6:08:19 am PST #24900 of 28212
Our wings are not tired.
I'm conflicted about the book I am about a third of the way through. I'm reading Larsson's The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. I enjoyed the first two and wanted to finish the 3rd, then decide whether to try the subsequent ones written by another author. I know at least I have to carefully choose something completely different in between.
The problem is the prose itself. The story and characters are quite engaging, but the writing is dull. As I was reading in bed last night I thought to myself that not once was I compelled to re-read a paragraph because it flowed so beautifully. Never once did I just have to read aloud a sentence to my family because it was so perfect. I don't know if it is because of the author, the original language, the translation. All I know is that 2 out of 3 isn't quite good enough. I need beautiful words and structure in addition to a compelling story and characters.