Family Reading #3

A few of the reads we have been enjoying in our household lately...

Picture Book Highlights
Lately, I have been fielding multiple requests for Richard Scarry's Best Story Book Ever and Eloise Wilkin Stories (affectionately known as "Babies" around here).  These were some of my favorites in early childhood too, so I love seeing my little ones enjoy them as well.   French storybooks from the library continue to be favorites too, particularly one about the pompiers (firemen)!

Michelle's Reading (Age 6-1/2)
When asked just now "what is the best book you've read for yourself in the last couple of weeks", she replied "The Bible".  Yes, really.   We got her the ESV Seek and Find Bible for her birthday last year when she turned 6..  It's the full text of the ESV Bible with nicely illustrated easy-reader-level retellings of the major stories sprinkled throughout.  She is allowed to keep her light on for awhile and read after we put her to bed at night, and recently decided (on her own) that she should read a Bible story before she reads anything else at bedtime!  Makes this mama's heart happy...

Featured School Book
Michelle's pick of the week: Aesop's Fables.  We've been reading these daily to gain practice in the art of narration, one of the keystones in a Charlotte Mason education.  She has gotten to be really good at retelling these back to me.  (She also likes that I write down what she says...)

Bedtime Read Aloud
We just finished, and enjoyed, The Adventures of Paddy the Beaver by Thornton Burgess and have now started The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  (I do have to admit, however, that I keep having urges to burst out into song as I read this one.  My kids have not seen the movie yet, however, so they think I'm nuts....)

On Mama's Nightstand
Well it depends on if my brain is up for a challenge, or if it isn't. =)  When it is, I have been tackling the French novel Le Chȃteau de Ma Mère by Marcel Pagnol. I am actually really enjoying it, and while it is challenging I am finding that I can figure out many unknown words from the context.  I am also finding that by reading I am internalizing good French sentence structure and therefore am more likely to put the words in the correct order when I speak. =) Actually being able to read and enjoy a French novel is a huge boost of language-learning confidence for me!   When my brain is tired, then I pick up Village School by Miss Read - about a teacher in a small school in rural England.  The teacher in me always enjoys 'school' stories like these.

So there you go!  Have you read anything interesting lately?