Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Five For Fun

I am a bit behind in posting last weeks readings. I have had a very busy weekend. We didn't get to the library last week so I searched our bookshelves for books we haven't read yet. No one has one of those right? 

 Last week we started with Niccolini's Song by Chuck Wilcoxen. This is a cute story about a man named Niccolini who is a the night guard at the train yard. One night the trains are anxious and can't fall a sleep so Niccolini sings them to sleep with a song about "gentle hills, steady tailwinds, and feathers for freight." One night a mother with a restless baby walks down to the train yard and hears Niccolini singing. Will his song work on the restless child as well? 

Next we read Woof! by Danae Dobson. It is a cute story written by Danae when she was 12 about a brother and a sister who find a stray dog and want to keep it, but Dad says no. When woof makes a heroic rescue Dad just might change his mind.

Wednesday's book was Belinda the Ballerina. Belinda really wants to be a ballerina but her feet are too big. Her dreams are dashed when at the annual ballet recital the judges refuse to let her dance because of her big feet. Dejected Belinda gets a job in a restaurant. One night there is a music group playing at the restaurant and Belinda's toes start tapping. Maybe she will be a dancer after all.

Up Next was The Velveteen Rabbit b Margery Williams. A very cute story about a stuffed rabbit that enters the nursery on one young lad and becomes his favorite toy. One day the boy gets sick with scarlet fever and when he is well all of the bedding, including the precious rabbit must be burned. All the things from the nursery are bundled up and put outside to be burned the next day. The little bunny escapes from the bag and a "nursery fairy" turns him into a real bunny.

 
And last, was The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy. This is a heartwarming story of a little girl, Tanya, who asks her elderly grandmother why she is making a new quilt because she already has one. Grandma explains that quilts tell a story of the whole family. She is adding small pieces she gets from all sorts of places. One day Grandma gets sick and can't work on the quilt so Mama and Tanya start to finish it. Read it to find out if the quilt gets finished. This was my pick of the week because of the strong sense of family ties. Abi's was Niccolini's Song- why? "Trains, Mom."

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