"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
Thursday Thirteen #24: Pounds to Go, But I Can Eat
I blogged earlier this week about the fact that I started Weight Watchers the last day of March. If you want the details, scroll down to my Monday weigh-in post.
And here simply are:
Thirteen Things I've Already Learned About
Weight Watchers
1)I can eat what the rest of the family is eating--I just have to measure out my portions.
2)Measuring my food doesn't have to be fiddly--I figured out how much various dishes hold, and occasionally I use a measuring cup.
3)I can't go back for seconds--what I've got is all I'm getting. So I'm eating much more slowly and savoring all the tastes of my food.
4) I'm eating more vegetables with dinner.
5)I feel satisfied when I finish a meal. I may want to eat more just for the sake of eating, but I can tell myself no because I'm full!
6)A lot of my own recipes are fine for me to eat, I just have to control the portions.
7)Analyzing my recipes with the Weight Watchers recipe builder works well, but you have to break the food into the NUMBER of portions, rather than the size, and that can be tricky!
8)The community recipes have already turned up several good new recipes that I'd eat even if I hadn't started Weight Watchers!
9)I wasn't drinking enough water. And now I am. But I can still have a Pepsi every once in a while and I do. Because I don't do diet soda.
10) I CAN eat a single M&M and walk away from the rest, and feel happy for having had a treat.
Now if I could just do what JR did last night--and eat a half M&M in 5 bites. That I CAN'T do!
11)I'm feeling fuller between meals and have less urges to snack at night.
12) You're supposed to weigh yourself just once a week, but I do it every few days. And sometimes when you do that, the scale goes UP instead of down.
13) But it DOES go down! And that's a very sweet thing.....
