What's cooking?

Over at my new cookery blog you can find recipes for shipwreck stew, Shrewsbury biscuits (cookies) and cholent, along with an introduction to my Auntie and her cookbooks.

Temperamental monster

Being curious about where visitors to my blog come from and go to, I couldn't resist signing up with MyBlogLog when I heard about it a while ago. I was mystified today as to why someone found their way to me through a Google search on "temperamental monster". It turned out to be a post on Angel and maths. Should have guessed. Still, I am delighted to report that despite the odd blip, the Maths 2XL CD-Rom is still proving a pretty good cure for temperamental-monsteritis. And that alleviates the associated disease of frustrated-motheritis. Phew!

Note: My Blog Log is free, so long as you are happy just to see the top ten hits to and from your blog. I may be curious, but not so much so that I'm prepared to pay for the privilege of having my curiosity satisfied!

Of blogs and babies

... and the connection between the two.

(1) Having a nursing baby makes me hungry. Really, really hungry. Is it any surprise that I have started a cooking blog?

(2) I have lots of time to read blogs while nursing said baby, but as I am not a good one-handed typist I often don't manage to comment. If you don't hear from me, it doesn't mean I'm not reading.

(3) I can't resist a good baby photo. Or two.

Blog of the Week

As I try to collect my scattered thoughts and focus on Advent it has to be A Living Education, where Katherine has posted a whole series of Advent ideas:

O Antiphon Houses
Jesse Trees
Advent Trees
An entire St. Nicholas Unit, together with a downloadable St.Nicholas flipbook she made for her six year old.

These are just part of the treasure to be found on her blog ... lots more liturgical celebrations, and some wonderful art. Don't miss her Christ the King icon slideshow.

Thank you Katherine. I love it!

Are you ready for Advent?

I'm not. I'm afraid I have hardly thought about it yet - surprising, given my usual planning mania, but life is just so busy at the moment. Fortunately I know other people have been thinking about it for me. Over the next couple of days I am going to be savouring the creative ideas at Mary Ellen's Advent blog, O Night Divine, and at Jenn's Loveliness of Advent fair. I already have some good ideas from Katherine at A Living Education and Ruth at Just Another Day in Paradise.

With all this help I'm sure I will have a plan by next Sunday. When the plan materialises, I'll post it.

The Bookworm's Cook Book

After all those food related posts I got carried away, and here is the result ... my new cookery blog.

The Bookworm's Cook Book

I have copied over the menu plans and recipes I already posted here, and plan to add more recipes, food quotes, and other food related items. I imagine I will post there sporadically, so will post links to new Cook Book posts here as and when I write them.

In part I am inspired by finding my great-aunt's old recipe books while decluttering at my mother's. One is a hand written notebook, that looks as though it may have been kept during cookery classes; the other a simple housewife's recipe book from the 1920s - basic, no frills home cooking. I'm looking forward to exploring them both. I'm a basic, no frills home cooking type myself. My food usually tastes better than it looks!

Do come and visit. (And admire the pretty pictures of food I managed to put across the top, after much cutting and pasting in Paint!)

Quiz Night

We are having a thoroughly sociable weekend. First, Friday's Greek evening, then last night a quiz evening to raise funds for the girls' brass band. We were the only team with younger children, but called ourselves The Unbeatables in an attempt at positive thinking. Thanks to sterling help from Angel and Star we proved ourselves unbeatably bad and came last. Last turned out to be good as we "won" the booby prize - a small box of chocolates each. The evening was fun, and we were well fed on baked potatoes, chilli, crusty bread and salad. (Note to self: Why is this blog turning into a monologue about food?)

This sample gives you a feel for just why we were a little handicapped in the quiz department ...

Question: What small dog originated in Germany and has a name meaning "badger dog".
Answer: (Star) Great Dane!
Er ... good try - apart from being the wrong size, the wrong country and having nothing to do with badger dog in the name! (Correct answer? Dachshund!)

Greek Night

Friday night was Greek night. I've written before about how fortunate we are in our neighbours. Earlier in the year we had planned with our next-door-but-one neighbours, D and A and next-door neighbours K and A to try out a nearby Greek restaurant, but Little Cherub came along and it never happened. As a Cherub-friendly alternative, we decided on a do-it-ourselves Greek meal. D and A played host and cooked the main course, we provided the starters, and K and A the dessert. Angel and Star stayed home with my brother supposedly in charge (given that they were still not in bed and asleep when we got home at 11.30, "in charge" is clearly a rather loose description), and the Cherub joined the fun. We enjoyed a convivial evening, good food and a glass of wine or two, and reflected yet again on just how fortunate we are in our neighbours. Cherub alternately catnapped and popped up to join in the conversation.

The menu?
Starters: Mezes - a selection of Greek salads, olives and stuffed vineleaves
Main course: Lemon-roasted lamb, roast potatoes with rosemary and mediterranean vegetables
Dessert: Galaktambouriko (Greek custard pie) with yoghurt and honey ice cream

Left brain, right brain

Because I can't resist a good blogthing ...

You Are 70% Left Brained, 30% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Hat tip: Mary G at St.Athanasius Academy

Stir-Up Sunday

Stir-up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Collect for the Sunday before the First Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer)

Tomorrow is Stir-Up Sunday, the day for stirring up Christmas puddings, an essential part of dinner for Christmas Day here in England. We won't be making ours tomorrow, but Star and I will be preparing them next week. Until this year my mother has always made them, but standing for any length of time is too painful as she waits for her hip replacement operation (she now has a date for surgery ... December 18th!), so I have now inherited the job along with the family recipe she has always used.

Christmas puddings are normally very rich affairs, laced with quantities of brandy or rum, but our recipe is a lighter, alcohol-free version. It came from Mum's adoptive aunt, who inherited it from her mother. They were Methodists, hence the teetotal pudding. I love Christmas pudding in any shape or form, but often people who dislike other Christmas puds enjoy ours. Here is the recipe ...

Ingredients
8 oz breadcrumbs
8 oz plain flour
8 oz suet (we use the vegetarian version)
8 oz currants
8 oz sultanas
4 oz raisins
a little mixed peel
2 tsp salt
8 oz castor sugar
2 tsp mixed spice
rind and juice of 2 lemons
6 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 grated apples
2 grated carrots
4 oz glace cherries, quartered
1 or 2 tbsp black treacle (dark molasses?)
a little milk if mixture is stiff

Method
Mix all ingredients together and beat well
Put in greased pudding moulds (should be about two-thirds full)
Cover with greaseproof paper
Steam for 3 to 4 hours.

After steaming remove the greaseproof paper and cover with foil. Puddings will keep for about 6 months. Steam a second time for at least 3 hours, and serve with any combination of brandy sauce, brandy butter, custard or cream. I need to check just how many puddings this quantity of mixture will make, but I think it would probably be two 2 pound puddings and two 1 pound puddings, or thereabouts.

Note: If anyone in the US is interested in making these, let me know and I can post conversions into cups.

Menu: Week 4

While I am posting menus, here is Week 4. This blog is certainly not very literary at the moment ... I just seem to be posting a series of lists!

Sunday
Lunch: Roast lamb, roast potatoes and vegetables
Dinner: Sandwiches

Monday
Lunch: Tuna sandwiches
Dinner: Shipwreck stew, green vegetables (a crockpot recipe I found on the internet with minced beef - hamburger? - potatoes, beans and tomato soup. Very easy, very tasty)

Tuesday
Lunch: Baked beans on toast
Dinner: Chicken and mushroom casserole, broccoli, mashed potatoes

Wednesday
Lunch: French bread with chicken tikka
Dinner: Chicken pie, roast potatoes, sauteed cabbage (frozen ready-made chicken pie, not home cooked - Waitrose roast chicken pie, for anyone in the UK who wants to know)

Thursday
Lunch: Egg mayonnaise sandwiches
Dinner: Oven chips (fries), fish fingers, carrots

Friday
Lunch: Cauliflower cheese
Dinner: Pasta with tuna and sweetcorn

Saturday
Lunch: Vegetable soup, homemade bread
Dinner: Scones and cake

Menu: Week 3

A bit behind the times, but this was our menu for this week (Week 3 of my four week rotation) ...

Sunday
Lunch: Roast chicken, roast potatoes and vegetables
Dinner: Sandwiches

Monday
Lunch: Turkey rasher sandwiches (we use turkey instead of bacon)
Dinner: Potato wedges, fish fingers, sweetcorn

Tuesday
Lunch: Cheese omelette and baked beans
Dinner: Lamb stew and dumplings

Wednesday
Lunch: French bread pizza
Dinner: Chicken stir fry

Thursday
Lunch: Turkey sandwiches
Dinner: Baked potatoes and cauliflower cheese

Friday
Lunch: Pasta with tomato and cheese sauce
Dinner: Fish and chips (fries!) (from the takeaway, not homemade)

Saturday
Lunch: Beefburgers or steak sandwiches
Dinner: Hot takeaway chicken, crusty bread

Thankful Thursday

As I am going through a phase of living up to my blog name (after a long spell with few book oriented posts), my Thankful Thursday list this week is a literary one. I want to take the opportunity to express my thanks for my favourite authors ...

1. C.S.Lewis, for his way of getting to the heart of Christianity and writing about it with such clarity, and because one of my roads to faith was through Narnia.

2. J.R.R.Tolkein, for being inspired to use his deep understanding of myth to create a masterpiece of the mythological imagination and the greatest fictional battle between good and evil.

3. G.K.Chesterton, who makes me proud to be English and Catholic, whose incisive insights and wit make his work such a pleasure to read, and who demonstrated in both his life and his writing that Catholicism and joy are inseparable.

4. Charlotte Maria Shaw Mason, whose habits of thought and study combined with a deep love of children to produce a philosophy of education that is as inspirational today as it was one hundred years ago.

5. Elinor M. Brent Dyer, whose Chalet School books gave me an imaginary but far more satisfying alternative to real life school, bringing to life a place where children enjoyed good, clean fun, where there were wonderful examples of large, happy families, where faith, principles and responsibility were all pre-eminent, and where many favourite characters were Catholic.

6. Elizabeth Goudge, for books in which adversity is overcome by good moral choices, and which leave behind a glow of satisfaction.

7. Jane Austen, whose gentle humour has kept alive a lost world for two hundred years, showing that the essence of humanity doesn't change.

8. Gerard Manley Hopkins, for being the first poet I discovered for myself, rather than as an assignment for an English literature class. His poems opened my eyes both to ways in which language could be used, and to a Catholic world that hovered attractively somewhere on my horizon.

9. A.A.Milne, for Winnie-the-Pooh and his friends, who I loved with a passion as a child. I even had Winnie-the-Pooh wallpaper. And this was long before the days of Disney and children's book characters as marketing opportunities.

10. Gloria Whelan, who may not be in quite the same literary league as the others, but whose books have brought history and geography to life for us this term.

One hundred books

Another long list of books for you ... this time, my one hundred favourite children's books. I am restricting myself to fiction, and to only one entry for each author - which, I suppose, means this could also count as a list of my one hundred favourite writers for children. Where books have a sequel or are part of a series I am giving the first title and marking it with an asterisk. Not surprisingly, the list is shamelessly biased towards British authors and books for girls.

Starting with picture books for little ones, and arranged very roughly in age order ...

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle)
2. Owl Babies (Martin Waddell)
3. We're Going on a Bear Hunt (Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury)
4. Guess How Much I Love You (Sam McBratney)
5. *Elmer (David McKee)
6. I Love You, Blue Kangaroo (Emma Chichester Clark)
7. Peepo! (Allan Ahlberg)
8. The Gruffalo (Julia Donaldson)
9. The Tiger That Came To Tea (Judith Kerr)
10. Dogger (Shirley Hughes)
11. Handa's Surprise (Eileen Browne)
12. *Old Bear (Jane Hissey)
13. Christmas Trolls (Jan Brett)
14. Green Eggs and Ham (Dr.Seuss)
15. *The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Beatrix Potter)
16. *Spring Story (Brambley Hedge) (Jill Barklem)
17. *Little Grey Rabbit (Alison Uttley)
18. *Katie Morag Delivers the Mail (Mairi Hedderwick)
19. *Floss (Kim Lewis)
20. *Thomas the Tank Engine (Rev.W.Awdrey)
21. *Madeline (Ludwig Bemelmans)
22. The Clown of God (Tomie de Paola)
23. *Amelia Bedelia (Peggy Parrish)
24. The Story of Holly and Ivy (Rumer Godden)
25. *My Naughty Little Sister (Dorothy Edwards)
26. *Teddy Robinson (Joan G.Robinson)
27. *Milly-Molly-Mandy (Joyce Lankester Brisley)
28. *Paddington Bear (Michael Bond)
29. Charlotte's Web (E.B.White)
30. My Father's Dragon (Ruth Stiles Garnett)
31. *The Happy Orpheline (Natalie Savage Carlton)
32. *Little Mrs Pepperpot (Alf Proysen)
33. *Sophie's Snail (Dick King-Smith)
34. *It's Not Fair! (Bel Mooney)
35. *Winnie-the-Pooh (A.A.Milne)
36. *Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren)
37. *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Roald Dahl)
38. *Famous Five books (Enid Blyton)
39. *The Story of Doctor Dolittle (Hugh Lofting)
40. Mr Popper's Penguins (Richard Atwater)
41. *Beezus and Ramona (Beverley Cleary)
42. The Miracle of St.Nicholas (Gloria Whelan)
43. The Weight of a Mass (Josephine Nobisso)
44. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (Susan Wojciechowski)
45. Saint George and the Dragon (Geraldine MacCaughrean)
46. *Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls (Caryl Houslander)
47. English Fairy Tales (Joseph Jacobs)
48. Saint Patrick's Summer (Marigold Hunt)
49. *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S.Lewis)
50. *The Wizard of Oz (L.Frank Baum)
51. *Half Magic (Edward Eager)
52. Peter Pan (J.M.Barrie)
53. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
54. The Wind in the Willows (Kenneth Grahame)
55. The Secret Garden (F.Hodgson Burnett)
56. *The Borrowers (Mary Norton)
57. *Little House in the Big Woods (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
58. *Little House in the Highlands (Melissa Wiley)
59. By the Great Horn Spoon (Sid Fleischmann)
60. *Five Children and It (E.Nesbit)
61. *Emil and the Detectives (Erich Kastner)
62. The Door in the Wall (Marguerite de Angeli)
63. Ballet Shoes (Noel Streatfeild)
64. The Jungle Book (Rudyard Kipling)
65. Tom's Midnight Garden (Philippa Pearce)
66. Stig of the Dump (Clive King)
67. Jotham's Journey (Arnold Ytreeide)
68. The Thirteen Days of Christmas (Jenny Overton)
69. The Small Miracle (Paul Gallico)
70. Kensuke's Kingdom (Michael Morpurgo)
71. Cue for Treason (Geoffrey Trease)
72. *The Children of Green Knowe (Lucy Boston)
73. *Swallows and Amazons (Arthur Ransome)
74. The Little White Horse (Elizabeth Goudge)
75. *All of a Kind Family (Sydney Taylor)
76. The Princess and the Goblin (George McDonald)
77. Heidi (Johanna Spyri)
78. Pollyanna (Eleanor Porter)
79. Treasure Island (R.L.Stevenson)
80. The Woolpack (Cynthia Harnett)
81. Warrior Scarlet (Rosemary Sutcliff)
82. Sun Slower, Sun Faster (Meriol Trevor)
83. The Adventures of Robin Hood (Roger Lancelyn Green)
84. I, Juan de Pareja (Elizabeth Borton de Trevino)
85. The Striped Ships (Eloise Jarvis McGraw)
86. The Box of Delights (John Masefield)
87. Charlotte Sometimes (Penelope Farmer)
88. Fattipuffs and Thinifers (Andre Maurois)
89. *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (J.K.Rowling)
90. *What Katy Did (Susan Coolidge)
91. *The School at the Chalet (Elinor M.Brent Dyer)
92. The Silver Sword (Ian Serralier)
93. Journey to Jo'burg (Beverley Naidoo)
94. The Hobbit (J.R.R.Tolkien)
95. Moonfleet (J.Meade Falkner)
96. The Witch of Blackbird Pond (Elizabeth George Speare)
97. Grace (Jill Paton Walsh)
98. *Anne of Green Gables (L.M.Montgomery)
99. The Adventure of the Amethyst (Cecily Hallack)
100. *Little Women (L.M.Alcott)

Homeschooling Update: Star

I seem to have been on a roll with book posts and haven't said much about our homeschooling for a while. Time for an update, starting with Star ...

My lengthy, detailed planning has now gone the way of all my detailed plans, into a general structure and vague sense of direction. I think I now have a better handle on how to approach educating Star. I mentioned before that Star has developed the habit of inattention ... more accurately, it has always been a problem, but after our erratic pregnancy and new baby year it has become more apparent, and the time has come to work on it. My plan is to start by getting her to focus better on just a few things - short tasks that require concentration. I'm starting with three:

• History narration ... I have abandoned Story of the World Vol.2 and the medieval period as it wasn't catching her interest. She is listening in to some of Angel's twentieth century history read alouds, and I have picked out another book purely to practice her reading comprehension and narration skills. A Nursery History of England by Elizabeth O'Neill is an old book which tells the story of English history in very short snippets, each with an illustration and with many colour plates. (When first published it must have been a rather delicious book, though my copy is tarnished and has had some illustrations cut out.) The brief stories, each just one or two paragraphs long, will give her the chance to practice reading and narrating, without being long enough to become a bugbear. She grumbled the first time - slight understatement ... it was more of a screech and wail session - but today she whizzed through it with an accurate narration.
  
• Latin ... Latin Prep lends itself to short lessons, and I split longer exercises into two. Keeping them short helps to keep her focused. In my opinion Latin is great brain exercise. It teaches grammar and thinking skills, all in one neat package. Star, so far at least, seems to have just the right sort of brain for Latin and works on it quite happily.
  
• Maths ... daily maths in some shape or form. Usually Singapore My Pals Are Here, but sometimes computer games or other maths activities. Again, sticking to short lessons.

As her narration and reading comprehension skills improve I can increase the reading and narrating assignments. No rush though ... if this school year is spent mainly on developing her skills in these three areas, I will be happy. Add in read alouds and independent reading time, and she will be learning a good deal.

Early Reading Memories Meme

Yes! Another meme! And a nice bookwormish one at that. Thank you to Faith at Dumb Ox Acadamy for tagging me.

1. How old were you when you learned to read and who taught you?

Apparently I had started reading by the time I was two, and was reading fluently at three. Mostly I taught myself. My mother taught me the alphabet, then I insisted that she must follow along with her finger as she read to me from the Ladybird Keywords books - familiar early reading fare for my generation in the UK, and the same books I used to teach Angel (Star preferred their newer, Read With Me books). From there on I just picked it up by osmosis.

2. Did you own any books as a child? If so, what’s the first one that you remember owning? If not, do you recall any of the first titles that you borrowed from the library?

Many, many books. My dad was not a reader, but my mother was so there were always a lot of books around (scaling down her library is our current decluttering task - mother dear, just how many commentaries on Matthew's Gospel can one person need?). One book I still have is a Faber Book of Children's Stories, which the inscription says was given to me for my fourth birthday. Other early books I remember are Enid Blyton's Noddy books and Winnie the Pooh. My mother has old leather bound copies of the Pooh books and A.A.Milne's children's poems including a couple of first editions that used to belong to her aunt and uncle, and I remember Auntie reading to me from them.

3. What’s the first book that you bought with your own money?

I don't remember any specific books I bought, but I can remember when I was six or seven saving all my pocket money to buy books. At sixpence a week (pre-decimal coinage) it took me four or five weeks to save enough for a Puffin paperback, which in those days cost either two shillings or half a crown (two shillings and sixpence).

4. Were you a re-reader as a child? If so, which book did you re-read most often?

Oh yes, a constant re-reader! Favourites were C.S.Lewis's Narnia books (though I disliked The Last Battle so never re-read that one), Elinor Brent Dyer's Chalet School series, historical fiction by Geoffrey Trease and Henry Treece, E Nesbit, and Noel Streatfeild, the Little House books and Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle.

5. What’s the first adult book that captured your interest and how old were you when you read it?

I can't remember! I know I read The Lord of the Rings when I was fifteen and loved it, but was certainly reading adult books before that. Another book that caught my imagination was Tolstoy's War and Peace. My interest was piqued by the BBC's 1972 serialisation, so I think I must have read that before LOTR.

6. Are there children’s books that you passed by as a child that you have learned to love as an adult? Which ones?

I never enjoyed The Wind in the Willows as a child, but grew to appreciate it through reading to Angel. Although I read - and loved - Anne of Green Gables, I only discovered there were sequels a few years ago, which led to a fun reading binge.

Now for the tagging bit ... Mary G, Karen, Jenn, Jennifer and Elizabeth/Doris. Over to you!

47 out of 100

As a Bookworm, how could I resist Mary G’s challenge. Turns out I have only read a rather pathetic 47 books from this list of 100 children’s literature greats. I blame the number of American picture books that are not either well known or readily available (specifically, in the library!) here for tripping me up! Now it has me thinking … what would be the top 100 books of children’s fiction I would want to read to my children?

1. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White +
2. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
3. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss +
4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss +
5. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak –
6. Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
7. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
8. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle +
9. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
10. The Mitten by Jan Brett +
11. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
12. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
13. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis +
14. Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
15. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
16. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
17. Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss +
18. Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola +
19. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst +
20. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
21. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl +
22. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams +
23. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle +
24. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
25. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss +
26. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
27. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault -
28. Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder +
29. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett +
30. The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne +
31. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner +
32. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
33. Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks +
34. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
35. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
36. The BFG by Roald Dahl +
37. The Giver by Lois Lowry
38. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
39. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl +
40. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder +
41. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
42. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien +
43. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
44. Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
45. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
46. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
47. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott +
48. The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
49. Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman +
50. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
51. Corduroy by Don Freeman
52. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
53. Math Curse by Jon Scieszka -
54. Matilda by Roald Dahl +
55. Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
56. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary +
58. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White +
59. Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
60. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis +
61. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey +
62. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss +
63. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
64. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
65. The Napping House by Audrey Wood
66. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
67. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter +
68. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
69. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum +
70. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery +
71. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
72. Basil of Baker Street, by Eve Titus
73. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
74. The Cay by Theodore Taylor
75. Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey +
76. Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
77. Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
78. The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
79. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
80. Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder +
81. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
82. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
83. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
84. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish +
85. Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
86. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
87. Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater +
88. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett +
89. Stuart Little by E. B. White
90. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech +
91. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare +
92. The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
93. Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
94. Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell -
95. Heidi by Johanna Spyri +
96. Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss
97. The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare +
98. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
99. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney +
100. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

Fun idea, Mary!

Book Review: Daughter of the Wind

Title: Daughter of the Wind
Author: Suzanne Fisher Staples
Age Suitability: Young adult

I borrowed this book from the library in my quest to find "living" geography books and skimmed through to see whether it would be suitable to read to Angel. It isn't. It is too mature in content, both in certain specifics and overall. There are references to childbirth, miscarriage, physical changes at puberty and attempted abduction, all of which are "older" than I would choose to read to her. The book is set among the nomads of the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan, and the plot hinges on the arranged marriages of the main character Shabanu and her sister, Phulan. Gloria Whelan's Homeless Bird also tackled arranged marriage, but in a much gentler way. This book is quite gritty. Although I didn't read it in its entirety I was gripped by what I read - enough so to go back and read sections to fill in bits of the plot. The author is a former press correspondent in Asia who writes of what she knows and writes well. It isn't a comfortable culture, particularly for girls, and the book is not a comfortable read. Worth considering for young adults, but not suitable for younger children.

There are 56 of me

How many people with your name are there in the USA?

Angel, Star and Little Cherub are all quite select, at 98, 18 and 29 respectively. Tevye, on the other hand has no less than 1069 namesakes.

Hat tip to Lapaz Farm Home Learning.

Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursdays are making me count my blessings! I've been adding things I am thankful for as I have become aware of them through the week ...

1. Brass band ... for providing my girls with free music lessons and great playing experience in a family atmosphere. It is a community band ranging in age from 6 (a little boy who has just started learning cornet) to over 70, and everyone gets on well, with lots of laughing and joking along the way.

2. Hot showers ... how could I ever get going in the morning without them?

3. News that a good friend is expecting a baby next year after a long wait. Yay!!!!!!!

4. A pile of baby toys passed on to Little Cherub by another friend whose children have outgrown them.

5. Tuesday mornings ... Mass followed by a trip for a drink and snack with Angel or Star alternately. We don't manage it every week, but I'm so pleased I started this. This week was Angel's turn, and we both enjoyed hot chocolate with marshmallows and whipped cream at a proper "grown up" coffee bar. Mass and hot chocolate with my growing girl ... that's quality time!

6. Tesco's Creamy Caramella ice cream.

7. Tevye, who took it on himself to give the cooker a long overdue clean. Greater love hath no man! (Of course, I'm thankful for him in many, many other ways, but that cooker was a reproach to me every time I used it. And still I hadn't got round to cleaning it.)

8. Autumn leaves. The colours and the wonderful crunchy feeling.

9. My digital camera. I take so many more pictures than I used to with our old camera, and they come out so much better (thanks to the delete button!)

10. Books. Can't imagine life without them.