"Classic" Children's Novels I Recommend To Patrons and Friends
All of A Kind Family
by Sydney Taylor
First in a series about 5 little girls growing up at the turn of the century on the Lower East Side of New York. I learned a lot about Jewish culture from these books, but above all they're great family stories.
Anne of Green Gables
and all other books by L.M. Montgomery
They are aimed at children, but the picture of life in turn of the century Prince Edward Island is a delight for adults!
Ballet Shoes
by Noel Streatfield
Very English and very charming.
Betsy-Tacy
First of the series, by Maud Hart Lovelace
My older daughter(10) loves these too.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle
First in the series by Hugh Lofting.
Don't settle for the movie messes made of these wonderful books!
Heidi
by Johanna Sypri
This is not that easy for a kid to read--and some may find it saccharine. But it's always enchanted me...
Little House in the Big Woods
first in the series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Another series my daughter loves as much as I do!
A Little Princess
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There's only been one good version of this on film--a BBC mini series. If you haven't seen that one, you don't know this story!
Little Women
and all other books by Louisa May Alcott.
I read this first in 6th grade, but I didn't understand a lot of it until college..
The Moffats
by Eleanor Estes
A family you'd love to belong to.
Pinky Pye
also by Eleanor Estes
You don't have to be a cat lover to love this, and if you're not, Pinky just might convert you!
Mr Popper's Penguins
by Florence Atwater
The tone is deadpan but the humor is pure slapstick.
A well loved read aloud.
The Secret Garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
There have been good films of this, but nothing beats the book, especially with the delicate Tasha Tudor illustrations!
The Trumpet of the Swan
by E.B. White
I love Charlotte's Web , but kids should also meet Louis the mute swan who gains a voice and a love. And if you liked Make Way For Ducklings (another favorite of mine) you'll recognize one of the settings......
The Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame
Not a young child's book at all,but a beautifully written book about friendship, greed, self centeredness and love.
The best illustrations are by Ernest Shepherd. He was also the first (and only REAL!) illustrator of Winnie the Pooh!
Blueberries For Sal (& One Morning In Maine)
and other books by Robert McCloskey
The Nutshell Library
4 book set by Maurice Sendak
The music to go with the books is on:
Really Rosie by Carole King
Where the Wild Things Are
also by Maurice Sendak!
The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge
by Hildegarde Swift
(A beloved NY landmark!)
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
and every other book by Eric Carle
Caps For Sale
by Esphyr Slobodkina
Madeline
by Ludwig Bemelmans
Beloved by little girls long before the toys or the movies!
Yes, I Read "Grownup" Books Too--When They're Worth It!
And These Are:
Silver Pigs
(1st of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries) by Lindsey Davis
Welcome To Temptation
(and all other books) by Jennifer Crusie
Breakup
(Kate Shugak mysteries)by Dana Stabenow
And Ladies of the Club
by Helen Hooven Santmyer
The Cazalet Chronicles
(4 books) by Elizabeth Howard
Poldark
(the whole series)by Winston Graham
The Mitford Years
(series) by Jan Karon
Stranger In A Strange Land
(& just about any other book) by Robert Heinlein
Monday Morning Weigh In #1
I was as skinny as JR when I was a kid. Then adolescence hit--finally--when I was about 14, and I've never been skinny since.
It wasn't until my mid 20s that it became a real problem. And having 2 kids in my 30s made it worse.
Now, at 46, I weigh about the same as I did when I was pregnant with JR, 9 years ago. And that's not good at all. Not just for the esthetics but for more important reasons. Health issues.
We have a history of high blood pressure in the family. My father has had a heart attack, bypass surgery and now has a defibrillator. The last time I went to the doctor my blood pressure was too high and the last time I had my cholesterol done it was way too high as well.
So losing weight isn't just to make me like the way I look in the mirror--which I don't, especially in ballet class. It's to make me a healthier person.
I've never wanted to do Weight Watchers. It seemed too regimented, too complicated. I'm just not a follow-the-rules sort of person.
But I looked into it this week and found out that it's actually the sort of thing I really can do.
I'm not limited to what foods I can eat--no no-carbs nonsense, or anything else that's faddy.
I can add in my own recipes and figure out the points. And the points themselves just means meal planning, something I already do that most of the time anyway.
It worked when I had to go out to lunch with the other managers on Thursday. It works at dinner time with my family--I'm just measuring what I eat a bit more carefully and not having seconds. And truthfully, that's what I ought to be doing anyway, with or without Weight Watchers.
And I'm NOT hungry all the time! In fact, I feel LESS hungry between meals, and less tempted to eat. Weird but true....
This is NOT going to turn into a diet blog. But I am going to keep track of my progress here, so that I have to stick to what I'm doing.
I've stuck to ballet class for years. I've blogged for almost 5 years.
I can do this too..............
