What I Am Currently Reading...

This is my first link-up to It's Monday! What Are You Reading? at the blog, One Person's Journey Through a World of Books...I am so excited!

I have borrowed my father's habit of reading several books at one time! This drives my husband crazy, but I can't help it! I get so excited when I come across a new book, and I just can't wait to read it!!

On my reading docket right now:

Books I am reading with my children this week:




This will be a great week of reading!! I can't wait to see what others have on their bookshelves ready to dust off and read!!

"The delight of opening a new pursuit, or a new course of reading, imparts the vivacity and novelty of youth even to old age." - Benjamin Disraeli

New Link Party I Discovered!!

I discovered a great new blog and link party yesterday at Kelly's Korner!! It's called "Show Us Your Life," and this week, it's all about sharing your favorite books with others!! Yea!! Totally my cup of tea...

Reading has always been a source of comfort and inspiration for me...in fact, I can (almost) say that I've never met a book I didn't like!! 

Here are a few of my favorites from when I was little:

Although I still prefer children's literature, here are some of my adult picks:

I can't wait to go check out the other blogs in this link party! Happy reading!!

Literacy Tip #4 - Wordless Picture Books Are Wonderful!

Wordless picture books.  Hmmmm.  Seems counterintuitive, doesn't it, sitting down to read a book with no words?

A wordless picture book is one of the best-kept secrets in the world of developing literacy.

Sharing a wordless picture book with your child can be an amazing experience, filled with lots and lots of creativity, imagination, and vocabulary development.  Why is this? Glad you asked!!

• Without words, your child is free to talk about and describe the illustrations.  Using verbal communication is an essential component of literacy, and a wordless picture book encourages this experience to the fullest extent.
• You, the parent, can engage in communication with your child about the book.  Ask lots of questions about each page of the story.  Encourage your child to talk, talk, talk about what he or she is seeing!
• By studying the illustrations, your child will be able to notice details about the characters and setting he or she might have missed if words were present.
• Many, many wordless picture books are available for children and are appropriate for a variety of age levels; in fact, reading one with an older child will be just as engaging as reading one with a toddler.

Grab a wordless picture book today from your library and enjoy an incredibly unique bonding experience with your child!

**Have you experienced a wordless picture book with your child? If so, please share in the comments section!! What about literacy experiences in general? Share, share, share, please!!**

**This post is part of "New Friend Friday" at The Girl Creative!!! Click on the above link to join the fun!!**

**This post is part of "Follow Me Fridays" at The Trendy Treehouse!! Click on the link above to join the fun!!**

Children's Book Week & Book Review #5

First of all, hello and welcome to all of my new followers and readers from Sunday's Blog Jog!!!

It was an amazing success for me and my blogs, accomplishing what I was hoping it would...to discover some awesome, new blogs and to gain some more followers!! YEA!!!

Next, Happy Children's Book Week!!! I hope to link you up with some great sites and giveaways...and, of course, some wonderful recommendations of children's books for all age groups.

• Visit There's A Book for some great giveaways and excellent recommendations in honor of Children's Book Week! It is my favorite site for children's literature!
• Take a peek at First Book Blog, which provides books to children in need and is simply an excellent resource for anyone interested in children's literature.

Here's this week's book review:

Bear's Picture by Daniel Pinkwater
Illustrated by D.B. Johnson

I found this gem of a book last week at the library with my kiddos! The illustrations are so novel and eclectic - a mixture of cut-out, watercolor, black-and-white, and some abstract elements.  Pinkwater's story about Bear's very own, individual creation that is questioned by two "proper" gentlemen conveys a beautiful, heartwarming message of the individuality of one's very own work.  The ending is a sweet surprise for you and your little child.  I recommend this book for ages 2 - 4 years.

"Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?"

- Henry Ward Beecher

 

**This post is part of "Tuesday Tag-Along", courtesy of the blog, Twee Poppets!!**

Blog Jog Day is Here!!

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