It Doesn't Get Better Than This

Storytime Sunday

I realize it's Tuesday and not Sunday, but this week I started reading for the library's Sunday family storytime and was a thinkin' it might (just might) be fun to start a regular post about Sunday storytime. The books I read and the craft we made... Could be a good time, right?

Back when I was fresh out of college, I worked in the children's department of a bookstore. And when I wasn't dreaming about getting a big city break, I would organize and read for the bi-weekly storytimes.

That was about a millions of years ago, so I'm a little rusty. Ease will come with time.

Anywho, this is what we did last Sunday.

The theme: SQUIRRELS

The line-up:

Nuts To You! by Lois Ehlert

The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri

A Whiff of Pine, A Hit of Skunk: A forest of poems by Deborah Ruddel and Joan Rankin. We read the poem "October Surprise Party".

The Squirrelly Craft:

Using this template, I printed off Squirrel's parts on brown construction paper, cut out the individual pieces, and put each set in their own baggie. Using fall-like-colored construction paper (yellow, orange, green...), gluesticks, and crayons, the plan was to have the kids glue Squirrel together on their autumn themed construction paper.

That was the original idea.

But then on my way to work Sunday, I improvised, collecting fallen leaves for the kids to use in lieu of Squirrel's paper tail (see above). OR to use as a tree for Squirrel to climb or as a branch from him to sit on (see below).

I thought it turned out nicely.

Then again, you can't go wrong with squirrels.

Image Sources: Nuts To You!, Busy Squirrel, Whiff of Pine

Banned Books Week

It's Banned Books Week! So, here at SFCT I'm observing it by highlighting a few of my favorite blacklisted children's books.

Remember we have the freedom to read. Read banned books.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. was banned in Texas because of author name confusion. The other banned Bill Martin wrote a book on Marxism, so the Texas Board of Education banned all books under that name. Unfortunately, Bill Martin Jr. died in 2004 and therefore was unable to defend himself, so the children of Texas were banned from their beloved bear.

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, was constantly banned in the 90's due to the  "book's treatment of suicide and euthanasia". Other banned books by Lowry include Anastasia Krupnik and Anastasia at Your Service.

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl has been challenged in the past for "containing mild profanity and depicting positive anti-authority behavior and cruel aunts." Other banned books by Dahl include The Witches and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle has been challenged for witchcraft and not being Christian enough?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling... the #1 most challenged book (and series) of the decade for witchcraft, being a bad example, and being too scary.

Where the Wild Things Are and In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. Where The Wild Things Are for being "too frightening" and "too dark" and In the Night Kitchen for a nakie nake baby.

A Light in the Attic, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. A Light in the Attic was banned for inappropriate content and because it encouraged children to "break dishes instead of washing them", Where the Sidewalk Ends for "suggests drug use, the occult, suicide, death, violence, disrespect for truth, disrespect for legitimate authority, rebellion against parents", and The Giving Tree for being sexist. Bah!

Other challenged and banned favs include:

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White because it has talking animals.

Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson for profanity and witchcraft and

Goosebumps by R.L. Stine are too scary.

Where's Waldo by Martin Hanford for this "revealing" imagery.

Captain Underpants by Dave Pilkey

Hatchet by Gary Paulson for being to descriptive.

Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh for it's anti-authoritative message.

What banned book do you hold close to your heart?

For further reading, check out the ALA's website for the lowdown on banned and challenged books, the official Banned Books Week website, and also the Lawrence Public Library's facebook page for a week-long celebration of banned books.

Image Sources: book sign, Brown Bear, The Giver, James and the Giant Peach, Wrinkle in Time, Harry Potter, Wild Things, Light in the Attic

Article Sources: here, here, here, here, here,  here, here here, and here

The End of Summer (Reading)

It's official. Today is the first day of fall.

Which also means summer reading has officially ended. (le sigh...)

What did you read over the summer months? And f you have children, what did they enjoy reading?

LBD and I did quite a bit of summer reading together, but I also manged to read about 12 books myself most of which were youth and teen fiction.

Out of those titles, the below were the ones I enjoyed the most. In no particular order.

Happy Weekend!

Happy Fall!

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick (I just picked up Selznick's latest, Wonder Struck, from the library a couple days ago. yeeeee!)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan & Perter Sis

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Image Sources: Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, When You Reach Me, The Dreamer, Over Sea, Under Stone, The Magician's Elephant,  The Hunger Games

our little secret

Sometimes we go to this place where there are no dewy decimal numbers on the book spines.

Where the books aren't free.

You have to actually buy them.

We go there to read, play with the toys, and visit the sleepy kitty cat who lives there.

For variety.

You won't tell the library, will you?

That we like going to the bookstore?

Our little secret.

Terrarium

For our first wedding anniversary, Will bought me an apothecary jar with the intention of me turning it into a terrarium.

That was in January.

Since then, it's been boxed up empty. Waiting.

So, after the house was unpacked, one of the first things I did was visit Sunrise Garden Center where I purchased a small bag of pebbles, active charcoal (not like the charcoal you grill with, but sterilized charcoal specifically for gardening to keep mold and rot away), enriched soil, and three different types of ferns.

To assemble, I layered the bottom of the jar with the rocks, then the charcoal, then the soil, and planted the ferns in the soil. Then I dripped water around each fern, no more than a 1/2 cup total, put the lid on, and waited. After 30 minutes, beads of sweat started to appear on the side of the jar and after an hour the terrarium was foggy, humid with moisture. Confirmation that the little world I planted was a alive and well.

To maintain, all I have to (remember to) do is take the jar lid off every 3 days and let the environment breathe for half an hour to an hour, keep away from direct sunlight in a darker area in the house, trim the plants when necessary, and voila! Terrarium! Yeah!

Last Weekend

Last weekend we had a visitor.

And another visitor.

Both were surprises. A chicken and a cowboy.

The chicken left.

The cowboy stayed.

We kept good company.

Note: Chicken was not on the menu that evening. She retired to her coop forever.

After the cowboy left for the south, we walked around the Lawrence Fall Arts and Crafts Festival.

It was perfect outside.

I purchased a few cut paper art prints by local artist, Angie Pickman. Her work is enchanting.

You can see for yourself here.

That was last weekend. And the weekend before that....

We had a different visitor.

It was the first Kansas football game of the season.

We didn't go.

But we still enjoyed ourselves.

And wore our tshirts.

Because we've got spirit, yes we do.

Then the weekend before that weekend...

I was working, so LBD and her daddy went to the park.

Where they listened to some music.

And ate some BBQ.

Will is not a vegetarian....

LBD isn't either.

Looks like I'm on my own. Well, me and the chicken.