"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 Weigh In #2 Plus a Passover Recipe
I put my starting weight as 161 for Weight Watchers, so for them I've lost 5.5 pounds. On this ticker though, it's 6!
Either way, I am thrilled to see this happening, and still amazed at how little I am having to struggle so far. At the buffet we had Saturday at our annual library Open House, I had the thing I really wanted--the CHEESES, and some raw veggies and that was enough. I was able to look at the cookies and not want more than the bite JR offered me from hers!
And yesterday, when the Man and I had our usual Greek Salads for lunch, I found I was full after the first serving. I would've loved to have had more, but I didn't need to--and I didn't.
I've been playing with my regular recipes and looking for new things that are tasty AND low in Weight Watchers points, especially in terms of sweet stuff. And I found a recipe in the April 2008 Cooking Light for chocolate macaroons that fits the bill.
This week is Passover, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the events told in the Biblical book Exodus. Because the Jews fled Egypt and slavery so quickly, they didn't have time to bake leavened bread for the journey and only carried flatbread. As a result, observant Jews clear all products with leavening from their homes for the 8 day Passover observance, and do not use any sort of flour product during the period. Therefore, lots of recipes for flourless cakes and for macaroons, which are built on nothing more than sugar and egg whites.
I'm not an observant Jew, but I love to make the foods that go with the holidays--there's a recipe for a Sephardic style macaroon in the recipe file to the right. And this one is another winner, something I'll make even when it isn't Passover.
This recipe had pecans on it, but I used walnuts, which were ready at hand and the girls loved them. And I can eat 1 or 2 of them and still not blow my daily Weight Watcher points.
Chocolate AND weight loss?
Life is good--even on a Monday!
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons matzo meal (I'm non-observant, so I just used flour)
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large egg whites (I use the powdered version)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
Add vanilla, and beat well.
Fold in walnuts.
Drop batter by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray--you can also use parchment paper or a Silpat mat. The cookies will be pretty gooey--batter looks sort of like frosting.
Bake at 325° for 15 minutes. The surfaces will be dry and the centers will be soft.
Remove from oven; cool on wire racks for 15 minutes or until cookies can be easily removed with a spatula.Cool completely on wire racks.
This makes about 24 cookies.
