Reading with Mia

Saturday, August 9, 2014

What We've Been Reading Lately...

Well, it's been a while since I've posted here. I'm pretty terrible at blogging. Life has become increasingly busy around here. I'm expecting our second child-a little boy-and due in just three days! So...I've been pretty preoccupied. :)

We didn't tell Mia about the pregnancy until we found out the baby's sex in the Spring. Ever since then, we've been reading A LOT of books about new babies. I thought I'd share our favorites here.

Since we are dealing with an older sister who is getting a baby brother in our family...most of the books that we've read have had similar situations. Often, these books are published with two options-for a big sister or for a big brother...or for having a baby brother or having a baby sister. Although, I do think children can learn from books with family situations different from their own as well.

Arthur's Baby - Marc Brown

Baby on the Way - William and Martha Sears

The Baby Tree - Sophie Blackall

Hello in There!: a Big Sister's Book of Waiting - Jo Witek

How to be a Baby...by Me, the Big Sister - Sally Lloyd-Jones

I'm a Big Sister - Joanna Cole

Julius, Baby of the World - Kevin Henkes

Maple - Lori Nichols

Minnie and her Baby Brother - Melanie Walsh

Mommy, Mommy, What's in Your Tummy? - Sarah Simpson-Enock

Now I'm Big! - Karen Katz

Sophie and the New Baby - Catherine and Laurence Anholt

Snuggle the Baby - Sara Gillingham

Theo's Mood: a Book of Feelings - Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Welcome with Love - Jenni Overend

What Baby Needs - William and Martha Sears

What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy? - Abby Cocovini

What's in There?: All About Before You Were Born - Robie H. Harris

You're Getting a Baby Brother! - Sheila Sweeny Higginson

You Were the First - Patricia MacLachlan

Friday, September 27, 2013

Author Spotlight : Rosemary Wells

I have loved Rosemary Wells' children's books for almost my entire life. I was introduced to her by my mother, who loved her work and read to me and my sister.

Decades later, when I started working at the library, I discovered her other books that I hadn't known as a kid. I was in heaven! I started collecting the titles that my mom didn't have and now I have quite a collection for Mia. I love reading books that I loved as a child to MY child.

I was able to hear Rosemary Wells speak at a children's literature conference several years ago and I was thrilled to meet her and have her autograph some of my mother's books from the early 1980's. She was impressed to meet a fan with some of her oldest books.

If you haven't Rosemary Wells' books, then I suggest you do so...immediately! The stories and illustrations in her books work perfectly together and are funny and sweet. They are wonderful books for both children and adults. She is the first author I suggest when library patrons ask for picture book recommendations.

Here are some of my favorites:

Sunday, September 8, 2013

It's been a while...

Wow!
It's been over three months since my last blog post.

So sorry for the absence. We moved in the first part of June and we are feeling like we are still getting settled.

The next big thing on my family's radar is Mia starting Preschool in a week. She will only be going two half-days a week, but it will be her first time ever really being away from me (or Daddy or grandparents)...and I'm a little nervous to see how it goes.

I was really worried about how moving to a new home would affect her...but she totally surprised me and handled the change significantly better than both my husband and I did! A couple of weeks before we moved, I found a bunch of books about moving at the library and we read them often. I know it helped a lot.

So, we've been reading books about starting school. I thought I'd share the titles we have from the library right now. I'm sorry I didn't post this sooner, as I know lots of kids have already started school, but...maybe this will still be helpful.

Curious George's First Day of School
Margaret Rey