To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
13 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
12 Ekim 2012 Cuma
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Top 75 Baby Boy Names England 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Based on my sister and I's mass collection of baby names given in England since January 1st 2012. All possible variant spellings have been taken into account when calculating a name's popularity.
1.) Harry (by a long way)
2.) Jack
3.) Noah
4.) Thomas
5.) George
6.) William
7.) Oscar
8.) Riley
9.) Alfie
10.) James
11.) Edward
12.) Freddie
13.) Max
14.) Henry
15.) Leo
16.) Ethan
17.) Jenson
18.) Zack
19.) Joseph
20.) Mason
21.) Charlie
22.) Tyler
23.) Isaac
24.) Harrison
25.) Dylan
26.) Samuel
27.) Kai
28.) Frederick
29.) Jacob
30.) Archie
31,) Charles
32.) Daniel
33.) Jude
34.) Connor
35.) Finlay
36.) Bobby
37.) Luke
38.) Logan
39.) Benjamin
40.) Cayden
41.) Jake
42.) Hayden
43.) Toby
44.) Elliott
45.)Theo
46.) Reuben
47.) Louis
48.) Zachary
49.) Alexander
50.) Harvey
51.) Leon
52.) Arthur
53.) Evan
54.) Seth
55.) Rory
56.) Miles
57.) Ollie
58.) Billy
59.) Corey
60.) Luca
61.) Kieran
62.) Flynn
63.) Jaxon
64.) Aiden
65.) Dexter
66.) Tommy
67.) Joey
68.) Jonah
69.) Lewis
70.) Ralph
71.) Austin
72.) Sebastian
73.) Lawrence
74.) Joshua
75.) John
1.) Harry (by a long way)
2.) Jack
3.) Noah
4.) Thomas
5.) George
6.) William
7.) Oscar
8.) Riley
9.) Alfie
10.) James
11.) Edward
12.) Freddie
13.) Max
14.) Henry
15.) Leo
16.) Ethan
17.) Jenson
18.) Zack
19.) Joseph
20.) Mason
21.) Charlie
22.) Tyler
23.) Isaac
24.) Harrison
25.) Dylan
26.) Samuel
27.) Kai
28.) Frederick
29.) Jacob
30.) Archie
31,) Charles
32.) Daniel
33.) Jude
34.) Connor
35.) Finlay
36.) Bobby
37.) Luke
38.) Logan
39.) Benjamin
40.) Cayden
41.) Jake
42.) Hayden
43.) Toby
44.) Elliott
45.)Theo
46.) Reuben
47.) Louis
48.) Zachary
49.) Alexander
50.) Harvey
51.) Leon
52.) Arthur
53.) Evan
54.) Seth
55.) Rory
56.) Miles
57.) Ollie
58.) Billy
59.) Corey
60.) Luca
61.) Kieran
62.) Flynn
63.) Jaxon
64.) Aiden
65.) Dexter
66.) Tommy
67.) Joey
68.) Jonah
69.) Lewis
70.) Ralph
71.) Austin
72.) Sebastian
73.) Lawrence
74.) Joshua
75.) John
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Review: Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier by Stephanie Barden
To contact us Click HERE
Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier. by Stephanie Barden, illustrated by Diane Goode. April 24, 2012. HarperCollins. 144 pages. ISBN: 9780062004406
In The More the Merrier, Cinderella, so named because she frequently loses shoes, has a lot going on. Her parents are away, so her Aunt Flora is staying with her and her sister, Tess. The spelling bee is coming up, and Cinderella wants to win, so she needs to learn a lot of spelling words in a short time. She’s also recently started making up her own words and is working hard to bring “vexylent” into the lexicon of everyone she knows. And then there’s Rosemary T., who is so mean to Cinderella that Cinderella has stopped talking to her altogether. Aunt Flora says Cinderella and Rosemary need to have a “what’s what” to clear the air, but Cinderella doesn’t know what to say, or what the final outcome will be.
I enjoyed the first Cinderella Smith book, but found it difficult to review, since it was the first book in the series and included a lot of exposition. I knew I liked it, but had a hard time articulating why, and in the end, didn’t bother with a review. This time, though, the characters are all established, and I could dive right into a good story. As my description demonstrates, there is a lot going on in this book, but the author manages each thread of the story very well. Cinderella’s fascination with creating new words ties in nicely with her spelling bee studying. Rosemary T.’s cruelty eventually ties into Aunt Flora’s visit, when Rosemary begins saying hurtful things about Flora. Finally, the spelling bee itself and Cinderella’s eventual face-off with Rosemary both happen in the climax of the story. Barden ties everything together so that no thread gets lost, and neither does the reader.
There are a lot of nice details in this book that bring Cinderella’s home and school environments to life. I love the way the tables in her classroom represent the different cliques among her peers - the smart boys’ table, the loud sports boys’ table, the Rosemarys’ table, the arty girls, and the stamp collecting girls. I also love the Table Book Talks, the kids give to each other, where they share the main theme of a book they’ve read, and then some supporting details. I especially enjoyed it when Cinderella uses the Table Book Talk concept to explain her feelings to Rosemary T.
This book is perfect for third and fourth grade girls who are experiencing their first friendship crises. It doesn’t shy away from how hard it is when a friend wants to stop being friends, but Cinderella’s positive attitude and desire to be friends with everyone would give anyone hope for better days ahead.
I borrowed Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier. by Stephanie Barden, illustrated by Diane Goode. April 24, 2012. HarperCollins. 144 pages. ISBN: 9780062004406In The More the Merrier, Cinderella, so named because she frequently loses shoes, has a lot going on. Her parents are away, so her Aunt Flora is staying with her and her sister, Tess. The spelling bee is coming up, and Cinderella wants to win, so she needs to learn a lot of spelling words in a short time. She’s also recently started making up her own words and is working hard to bring “vexylent” into the lexicon of everyone she knows. And then there’s Rosemary T., who is so mean to Cinderella that Cinderella has stopped talking to her altogether. Aunt Flora says Cinderella and Rosemary need to have a “what’s what” to clear the air, but Cinderella doesn’t know what to say, or what the final outcome will be.
I enjoyed the first Cinderella Smith book, but found it difficult to review, since it was the first book in the series and included a lot of exposition. I knew I liked it, but had a hard time articulating why, and in the end, didn’t bother with a review. This time, though, the characters are all established, and I could dive right into a good story. As my description demonstrates, there is a lot going on in this book, but the author manages each thread of the story very well. Cinderella’s fascination with creating new words ties in nicely with her spelling bee studying. Rosemary T.’s cruelty eventually ties into Aunt Flora’s visit, when Rosemary begins saying hurtful things about Flora. Finally, the spelling bee itself and Cinderella’s eventual face-off with Rosemary both happen in the climax of the story. Barden ties everything together so that no thread gets lost, and neither does the reader.
There are a lot of nice details in this book that bring Cinderella’s home and school environments to life. I love the way the tables in her classroom represent the different cliques among her peers - the smart boys’ table, the loud sports boys’ table, the Rosemarys’ table, the arty girls, and the stamp collecting girls. I also love the Table Book Talks, the kids give to each other, where they share the main theme of a book they’ve read, and then some supporting details. I especially enjoyed it when Cinderella uses the Table Book Talk concept to explain her feelings to Rosemary T.
This book is perfect for third and fourth grade girls who are experiencing their first friendship crises. It doesn’t shy away from how hard it is when a friend wants to stop being friends, but Cinderella’s positive attitude and desire to be friends with everyone would give anyone hope for better days ahead.
I borrowed Cinderella Smith: The More the Merrier from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
11 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Easy Reader Radar: Curious George: Librarian for a Day by Julie Tibbott
To contact us Click HERE
Curious George: Librarian for a Day. by Julie Tibbott, based on the teleplay by Scott Gray. Date published. HMH Books. 24 pages. ISBN: 9780547852812
Curious George: Librarian For a Day is a Level 1 easy reader, whose back cover recommends it for Grade 2, Ages 5-7, and Guided Reading Level J. (How is that level 1? I am not sure.) I decided to read it only because of the library theme, half-expecting there to be some gross stereotypes or inaccuracies in the text. As it turns out, this book isn’t half bad. The story line is typical of a Curious George story. A well-meaning adult - in this case, a librarian named Mrs. Dewey dressed in sweater vest and brooch - leaves George unattended in a position of authority, and chaos ensues. George is left in charge of the library when Mrs. Dewey must run (literally - see below) to her book club meeting. Since he has no experience with libraries, he starts making silly decisions about how to shelve the books. “Would the books be easier to find if they were sorted by color?” George wonders. What about size? Finally, a smart library patron sets him straight, explaining that books in libraries are arranged by subject . By the time Mrs. Dewey returns, everything is back where it belongs and she is never the wiser.
This book made me laugh because there have been so many instances in my library career when people have asked me to locate a book by color, or by size, or by the cover illustration. I couldn’t find out too much about Scott Gray, the writer of the teleplay on which this book is based, but I’d be willing to bet he has either worked in a library or knows some librarians, because he understands our frustrations. I also thought it was hilarious for some reason that the librarian character literally takes off sprinting when she realizes her book club needs her. I can’t imagine what would be so urgent in a book club meeting that would require the librarian to run for her life, but the image made me instantly compare the librarian to a superhero, which can only be a good thing.
I keep saying I dislike media tie-ins, and I do, because I think they’re often pretty bad. This one is a little different, because Curious George originated as a literary character and has his roots in literacy, not marketing for toys or television. I also appreciate the fact that this book tries to teach something important - information literacy - at the most basic level for the youngest kids. Kids - especially reluctant readers - are sometimes more receptive to information like this when it’s presented by a character they already know and love.
Curious George: Librarian for a Day is engaging, informative, colorful, and fun. It will make a great supplement to information literacy classes for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade. Keep it in mind for National Library Week this year!
I borrowed Curious George: Librarian for a Day from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Curious George: Librarian for a Day. by Julie Tibbott, based on the teleplay by Scott Gray. Date published. HMH Books. 24 pages. ISBN: 9780547852812Curious George: Librarian For a Day is a Level 1 easy reader, whose back cover recommends it for Grade 2, Ages 5-7, and Guided Reading Level J. (How is that level 1? I am not sure.) I decided to read it only because of the library theme, half-expecting there to be some gross stereotypes or inaccuracies in the text. As it turns out, this book isn’t half bad. The story line is typical of a Curious George story. A well-meaning adult - in this case, a librarian named Mrs. Dewey dressed in sweater vest and brooch - leaves George unattended in a position of authority, and chaos ensues. George is left in charge of the library when Mrs. Dewey must run (literally - see below) to her book club meeting. Since he has no experience with libraries, he starts making silly decisions about how to shelve the books. “Would the books be easier to find if they were sorted by color?” George wonders. What about size? Finally, a smart library patron sets him straight, explaining that books in libraries are arranged by subject . By the time Mrs. Dewey returns, everything is back where it belongs and she is never the wiser.
This book made me laugh because there have been so many instances in my library career when people have asked me to locate a book by color, or by size, or by the cover illustration. I couldn’t find out too much about Scott Gray, the writer of the teleplay on which this book is based, but I’d be willing to bet he has either worked in a library or knows some librarians, because he understands our frustrations. I also thought it was hilarious for some reason that the librarian character literally takes off sprinting when she realizes her book club needs her. I can’t imagine what would be so urgent in a book club meeting that would require the librarian to run for her life, but the image made me instantly compare the librarian to a superhero, which can only be a good thing.
I keep saying I dislike media tie-ins, and I do, because I think they’re often pretty bad. This one is a little different, because Curious George originated as a literary character and has his roots in literacy, not marketing for toys or television. I also appreciate the fact that this book tries to teach something important - information literacy - at the most basic level for the youngest kids. Kids - especially reluctant readers - are sometimes more receptive to information like this when it’s presented by a character they already know and love.
Curious George: Librarian for a Day is engaging, informative, colorful, and fun. It will make a great supplement to information literacy classes for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade. Keep it in mind for National Library Week this year!
I borrowed Curious George: Librarian for a Day from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
10 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Review: Piper Reed: Forever Friend by Kimberly Willis Holt (Cybils Nominee)
To contact us Click HERE
Piper Reed: Forever Friend. by Kimberly Willis Holt. August 7, 2012. Henry Holt. 160 pages. ISBN: 9780805090086
The time has come. Piper Reed’s dad, the Chief, has gotten new orders, which will send the entire family from Pensacola, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia. Normally a new move means having to start all over, but this time Piper won’t have to do that, because her friends Michael and Nicole already live in Norfolk. She can’t wait to see them again, and to start the Norfolk branch of the Gypsy Club. Unfortunately, though, in just the short time they’ve been gone, Michael and Nicole have already made new friends, and upon Piper’s arrival, she is accosted by Arizona, who seems much better at adjusting to new situations than Piper is, and who shakes Piper’s confidence just a bit.
I think Forever Friend is one of the best books in the Piper Reed series, because it actually gets to heart of what Piper’s Gypsy Club has been all about it - her family’s many moves. Piper is forced to face the fact that no matter what, each move will bring changes, and that sometimes even her club won’t be able to keep her from feeling sad or uncertain. This situation lets us see a new side of Piper - a quieter, more nervous side - and it also gives us an opportunity to see her make new friends in ways she did not expect - by going bowling,collecting stamps, and trying skateboarding!
Arizona is a great addition to the series, and I’ll love seeing how she figures into future adventures, since she and Piper both have such big personalities. I also thought Piper’s sisters seemed a bit more three-dimensional this time around. Piper actually has a few positive thoughts about Tori now and then, which might be a sign that their relationship will mature even further in future books.
Piper Reed: Forever Friend would pair nicely with Moving Day from Meg Cabot’s Allie Finkle series, or with Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb. Also don’t miss any of Piper’s previous books - there are five other titles!
I borrowed Piper Reed: Forever Friend from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Rebecca Kai for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Piper Reed: Forever Friend. by Kimberly Willis Holt. August 7, 2012. Henry Holt. 160 pages. ISBN: 9780805090086The time has come. Piper Reed’s dad, the Chief, has gotten new orders, which will send the entire family from Pensacola, Florida to Norfolk, Virginia. Normally a new move means having to start all over, but this time Piper won’t have to do that, because her friends Michael and Nicole already live in Norfolk. She can’t wait to see them again, and to start the Norfolk branch of the Gypsy Club. Unfortunately, though, in just the short time they’ve been gone, Michael and Nicole have already made new friends, and upon Piper’s arrival, she is accosted by Arizona, who seems much better at adjusting to new situations than Piper is, and who shakes Piper’s confidence just a bit.
I think Forever Friend is one of the best books in the Piper Reed series, because it actually gets to heart of what Piper’s Gypsy Club has been all about it - her family’s many moves. Piper is forced to face the fact that no matter what, each move will bring changes, and that sometimes even her club won’t be able to keep her from feeling sad or uncertain. This situation lets us see a new side of Piper - a quieter, more nervous side - and it also gives us an opportunity to see her make new friends in ways she did not expect - by going bowling,collecting stamps, and trying skateboarding!
Arizona is a great addition to the series, and I’ll love seeing how she figures into future adventures, since she and Piper both have such big personalities. I also thought Piper’s sisters seemed a bit more three-dimensional this time around. Piper actually has a few positive thoughts about Tori now and then, which might be a sign that their relationship will mature even further in future books.
Piper Reed: Forever Friend would pair nicely with Moving Day from Meg Cabot’s Allie Finkle series, or with Mo Wren, Lost and Found by Tricia Springstubb. Also don’t miss any of Piper’s previous books - there are five other titles!
I borrowed Piper Reed: Forever Friend from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
NOTE: This book was nominated by Rebecca Kai for the 2012 Cybils Awards in the Easy Reader/Early Chapter Book category. I am a first-round panelist in this category, but this review reflects my opinions only, not those of any other panelist, or the panel as a whole. Thanks!
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Top 75 Baby Girl Names USA 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Based on my sister and I's collectin of the name details of 7000+ baby girls born in the USA since January 1st 2012. All possible variant spellings have been taken into account when calculating any name's popularity. This is the only way to test how common it will really sound but official statistics and most othersources of name info fail to do this. Come back early December for a top 100.
1.) Sophia
2.) Ava
3.) Emma
4.) Isabella
5.) Aubree
6.) Chloe
7.) Addison
8.) Ella
9.) Lily
10.) Abigail
11.) Zoey
12.) Aaliyah
13.) Hailey
14.) Leila
15.) Olivia
16.) Madison
17.) Brooklyn
18.) Madelyn
19.) Rylee
20.) Avery
21.) Emily
22.) Hannah
23.) Arianna
24.) Kaylee
25.) Peyton
26.) Kylie
27.) Natalie
28.) Mia
29.) Bailey
30.) Kaitlyn
31.) Adelyn
32.) Harper
33.) Lillian
34.) Macey
35.) Amelia
36.) Alison
37.) Lilliana
38.) Nevaeh
39.) Grace
40.) Leah
41.) Alexis
42.) Lilah
43.) Aria
44.) Samantha
45.) Mackenzie
46.) Brianna
47.) Jasmine
48.) Cadence
49.) Charlotte
50.) Serenity
51.) Elizabeth
52.) Katherine
53.) Myah
54.) Annabelle
55.) Evelyn
56.) Gabriella
57.) Anna
58.) Nora
59.) Charlie
60.) Autumn
61.) Scarlett
62.) Paisley
63.) Taylor
64.) Kaylyn
65.) Jocelyn
66.) Alaina
67.) Elliana
68.) Allie
69..) Savannah
70.) Alyssa
71.) Brinley
72.) Skyler
73.) Ellie
74.) Marlee
75.) Sydney
1.) Sophia
2.) Ava
3.) Emma
4.) Isabella
5.) Aubree
6.) Chloe
7.) Addison
8.) Ella
9.) Lily
10.) Abigail
11.) Zoey
12.) Aaliyah
13.) Hailey
14.) Leila
15.) Olivia
16.) Madison
17.) Brooklyn
18.) Madelyn
19.) Rylee
20.) Avery
21.) Emily
22.) Hannah
23.) Arianna
24.) Kaylee
25.) Peyton
26.) Kylie
27.) Natalie
28.) Mia
29.) Bailey
30.) Kaitlyn
31.) Adelyn
32.) Harper
33.) Lillian
34.) Macey
35.) Amelia
36.) Alison
37.) Lilliana
38.) Nevaeh
39.) Grace
40.) Leah
41.) Alexis
42.) Lilah
43.) Aria
44.) Samantha
45.) Mackenzie
46.) Brianna
47.) Jasmine
48.) Cadence
49.) Charlotte
50.) Serenity
51.) Elizabeth
52.) Katherine
53.) Myah
54.) Annabelle
55.) Evelyn
56.) Gabriella
57.) Anna
58.) Nora
59.) Charlie
60.) Autumn
61.) Scarlett
62.) Paisley
63.) Taylor
64.) Kaylyn
65.) Jocelyn
66.) Alaina
67.) Elliana
68.) Allie
69..) Savannah
70.) Alyssa
71.) Brinley
72.) Skyler
73.) Ellie
74.) Marlee
75.) Sydney
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
9 Ekim 2012 Salı
Happy Birthday, Johanna Hurwitz!
To contact us Click HERE
Born October 9, 1937. Author of Aldo Applesauce, the Riverside Kids series, the Mostly Monty series and dozens of other children's books for chapter book and middle grade readers.
Five Fun Facts:
Quotation: [Monty] looked forward to the following week, when the class was scheduled to go to the school library. Last year, when the students were in kindergarten, they went once a week to hear stories. This year, they would hear stories, and they could borrow books to take home too. Monty loved reading, and he was looking forward to this new privilege. (from Mostly Monty, pages 13-14)
Katie Says: I love to recommend Johanna Hurwitz's Riverside Kids books to families with very young children who are looking for read-aloud chapter books. The early books when Nora and Russell are in preschool are perfect for three- and four-year-olds to hear at bedtime. As someone who loves realistic fiction, I love Hurwitz's depictions of everyday life and the joys and triumphs that arise. I did a series of reviews of Hurwitz's books in 2011. Read them here.
Visit Johanna Hurwitz online at http://www.johannahurwitz.com/.
Sources:
Born October 9, 1937. Author of Aldo Applesauce, the Riverside Kids series, the Mostly Monty series and dozens of other children's books for chapter book and middle grade readers.
Five Fun Facts:
- Johanna Hurwitz worked for New York Public Library when she was in high school and became a children's librarian in 1959.
- Johanna Hurwitz is not interested in writing adults books. She says, "I write for children because I am especially interested in that period of life. There is an intensity and seriousness about childhood which fascinates me."
- Johanna Hurwitz's father was a journalist and bookseller, and her mother was a library assistant.
- Johanna Hurwitz wrote her first book at age 8.
- One of Johanna Hurwitz's hobbies is collecting names.
Quotation: [Monty] looked forward to the following week, when the class was scheduled to go to the school library. Last year, when the students were in kindergarten, they went once a week to hear stories. This year, they would hear stories, and they could borrow books to take home too. Monty loved reading, and he was looking forward to this new privilege. (from Mostly Monty, pages 13-14)
Katie Says: I love to recommend Johanna Hurwitz's Riverside Kids books to families with very young children who are looking for read-aloud chapter books. The early books when Nora and Russell are in preschool are perfect for three- and four-year-olds to hear at bedtime. As someone who loves realistic fiction, I love Hurwitz's depictions of everyday life and the joys and triumphs that arise. I did a series of reviews of Hurwitz's books in 2011. Read them here.
Visit Johanna Hurwitz online at http://www.johannahurwitz.com/.
Sources:
- Hurwitz, Johanna, and Anik McGrory. Mostly Monty. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2007. Print.
- "InsideNavigation." InsideNavigation. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.yourlibrary.ws/Childrens_Webpage/j-author102000.htm>.
- "Johanna Hurwitz." 2007. Books & Authors. Gale. Gale Internal User 29 Sep 2012 <http://bna.galegroup.com/bna/start.do?p=BNA&u=gale>
- "TEACHERS." Johanna Hurwitz Interview Transcript. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2012. <http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/johanna-hurwitz-interview-transcript>.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Top 75 Baby Girl Names England 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Based on my sister and I's collection of the birth details of hundreds of baby girls in England this year. All possible variant spellings have been taken into account when calculating a name's popularity. Official statistics don't do this so can be really quite inaccurate. There is much more variant spelling about than you would ever realise until you start to study names.
1.) Lily
2.) May (because of use in double first names)
3.) Jessica
4.) Poppy
5.) Ava
6.) Daisy
7.) Isla
8.) Evie
9.) Freya
10.) Florence
11.) Sophia
12.) Amelia
13.) Grace
14.) Rose
15.) Matilda
16.) Olivia
17.) Mia
18.) Ruby
19.) Maisy
20.) Darcie
21.) Annabelle
22.) Amy
23.) Ella
24.) Holly
25.) Molly
26.) Neve
27.) Emily
28.) Sophia
29.) Lexie
30.) Amelie
31.) Evelyn
32.) Scarlett
33.) Imogen
34.) Emilia
35.) Lola
36.) Molly
37.) Elizabeth
38.) Macey
39.) Esmee
40.) Lacie
41.) Leila
42.) Lily-Mae
43.) Eva
44.) Chloe
45.) Alice
46.) Sienna
47.) Martha
48.) Bethany
49.) Jane (because of use in double first names)
50.) Rosie
51.) Heidi
52.) Lilah
53.) Betsy
54.) Summer
55.) Georgia
56.) Lucy
57.) Maya
58..) Isabelle
59.) Lara
60.) Louise
61.) Taylor
62.) Harley
63.) Hallie
64.) Madeleine
65.) Bella
66.) Lauren
67.) Ivy
68.) Lyra
69.) Katie
70.) Charlotte
71.) Milly
72.) Eliza
73.) Phoebe
74.) Willow
75.) Alexia
1.) Lily
2.) May (because of use in double first names)
3.) Jessica
4.) Poppy
5.) Ava
6.) Daisy
7.) Isla
8.) Evie
9.) Freya
10.) Florence
11.) Sophia
12.) Amelia
13.) Grace
14.) Rose
15.) Matilda
16.) Olivia
17.) Mia
18.) Ruby
19.) Maisy
20.) Darcie
21.) Annabelle
22.) Amy
23.) Ella
24.) Holly
25.) Molly
26.) Neve
27.) Emily
28.) Sophia
29.) Lexie
30.) Amelie
31.) Evelyn
32.) Scarlett
33.) Imogen
34.) Emilia
35.) Lola
36.) Molly
37.) Elizabeth
38.) Macey
39.) Esmee
40.) Lacie
41.) Leila
42.) Lily-Mae
43.) Eva
44.) Chloe
45.) Alice
46.) Sienna
47.) Martha
48.) Bethany
49.) Jane (because of use in double first names)
50.) Rosie
51.) Heidi
52.) Lilah
53.) Betsy
54.) Summer
55.) Georgia
56.) Lucy
57.) Maya
58..) Isabelle
59.) Lara
60.) Louise
61.) Taylor
62.) Harley
63.) Hallie
64.) Madeleine
65.) Bella
66.) Lauren
67.) Ivy
68.) Lyra
69.) Katie
70.) Charlotte
71.) Milly
72.) Eliza
73.) Phoebe
74.) Willow
75.) Alexia
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
8 Ekim 2012 Pazartesi
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Short Story Spotlight: Experts Incorporated by Sarah Weeks
To contact us Click HERE
"Experts Incorporated" by Sarah Weeks. from Tripping Over the Lunch Lady and Other School Stories, edited by Nancy Mercado. Dial. ISBN: 9780803728738
Rod Curtain is in big trouble. His humanities teacher has promised the class that if no one fails an assignment all year, she will buy the class pizza and soda to celebrate. There is just one assignment left: each student has to write an essay explaining what he wants to be when he grows up. Rod’s problem is that he doesn’t know what he wants to be, so he hasn’t written the assignment. Thankfully, after a morning spent contemplating unfortunate names, such as his friend Lucas, who always gets called “mucus” and Jessica, whose hyphenated last name is Pepper-Mintz, he gets the idea for Experts, Incorporated, a company designed to help parents realize all the possible problems with the names they choose for their kids.
Nicknames and name-calling are a big part of childhood, and this story is a fun way of exploring the naming process. I love that the main character’s name is a play on “curtain rod,” and that several of his classmates have names that either don’t fit or lend themselves to terrible mockery. I thought it was especially clever to think about whether names will fit as kids get older or not.
This slice of life story offers a fresh, clever take on homework excuses and that inevitable question about what kids want to be when they grow up. In some ways, the quirky sense of humor Weeks uses in writing this story reminds me of Oggie Cooder, her middle school character who marches to the beat of his own drummer.
"Experts, Incorporated" would make a nice ice breaker for the first day of school, or the first meeting of a book club, because it invites kids to share and talk about their names. I’d also love to use it in a library program just on names, maybe combined with an art activity.
I borrowed Tripping Over the Lunch Lady from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
"Experts Incorporated" by Sarah Weeks. from Tripping Over the Lunch Lady and Other School Stories, edited by Nancy Mercado. Dial. ISBN: 9780803728738Rod Curtain is in big trouble. His humanities teacher has promised the class that if no one fails an assignment all year, she will buy the class pizza and soda to celebrate. There is just one assignment left: each student has to write an essay explaining what he wants to be when he grows up. Rod’s problem is that he doesn’t know what he wants to be, so he hasn’t written the assignment. Thankfully, after a morning spent contemplating unfortunate names, such as his friend Lucas, who always gets called “mucus” and Jessica, whose hyphenated last name is Pepper-Mintz, he gets the idea for Experts, Incorporated, a company designed to help parents realize all the possible problems with the names they choose for their kids.
Nicknames and name-calling are a big part of childhood, and this story is a fun way of exploring the naming process. I love that the main character’s name is a play on “curtain rod,” and that several of his classmates have names that either don’t fit or lend themselves to terrible mockery. I thought it was especially clever to think about whether names will fit as kids get older or not.
This slice of life story offers a fresh, clever take on homework excuses and that inevitable question about what kids want to be when they grow up. In some ways, the quirky sense of humor Weeks uses in writing this story reminds me of Oggie Cooder, her middle school character who marches to the beat of his own drummer.
"Experts, Incorporated" would make a nice ice breaker for the first day of school, or the first meeting of a book club, because it invites kids to share and talk about their names. I’d also love to use it in a library program just on names, maybe combined with an art activity.
I borrowed Tripping Over the Lunch Lady from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
7 Ekim 2012 Pazar
Easy Reader Radar: Drip, Drop! The Rain Won't Stop! by Sheila Sweeney Higginson
To contact us Click HERE
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468 Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Old School Sunday: The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan (ARC)
To contact us Click HERE
The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan. 1987; August 28, 2012. Open Road Media. 184 pages. ISBN: 9781453263372
Like Caroline Cooney’s Fog, The Twisted Window is another 1980s teen thriller brought back to life this year by Open Road Media. Main character Tracy Lloyd lives with her aunt and uncle who agreed to raise her when her mother was killed. In the school cafeteria one day, she is approached by Brad, a young man who does not actually attend the school, who asks for her help in winning back his little sister from her evil stepfather who has kidnapped her. Feeling restless and finding herself attracted to Brad, Tracy decides to help him out. What she doesn’t know, though, is that Brad isn’t well, and that the child he plans to “rescue” might not actually be his sister at all.
From the beginning, this story was way too predictable. It’s hard to convey Brad as a sinister, mysterious character when so much of the story is from his point of view, and it’s just too unbelievable, by today’s standards anyway, that some random guy off the street could just wander into a high school and single out a particular girl. I could sometimes feel Tracy’s wariness and uncertainty surrounding Brad, but I could never empathize with her fully because I already basically knew what Brad was up to. It got to the point where I wondered how Tracy hadn’t figured it out yet.
Another major problem is the introduction of contemporary technologies into the 1980s world of the story. I think it was a big mistake to try and integrate cell phones into the action, mostly because what is written is almost always an explanation as to why the phone is not being used at that moment. Every single time a cell phone or charger or some such item was mentioned, I was pulled right out of the story, and I could tell, instantly, that this had been edited into the story. I also thought the story went a little bit overboard with the metaphor of the window, as well as with the backstory of Tracy’s mother’s death. I couldn’t figure out what having a dead mother really did for Tracy’s character, and the window metaphor felt very tacked on, almost as though the title came first and it had to be thrown in there to make it work.
Finally, I thought Tracy became irrelevant after a while. Once Brad’s friend Jamie is introduced into the story, it felt much more like Jamie’s story than Tracy’s, and I wondered how everything was meant to fit together. In the end, it just doesn’t, and there are no true consequences for Tracy for her involvement in Brad’s scheme, which doesn’t ring true at all either.
I am the kind of person who is easily unsettled by scary books, and this one didn’t give me a single shiver or goosebump. I think the concept is a good one, and it will appeal to fans of some of the darker themes in contemporary YA, but I do wonder if it will be dark enough for them. To me, it seems way too sunny to fit the thriller genre.
I received a digital ARC of The Twisted Window from Open Road Media via NetGalley.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan. 1987; August 28, 2012. Open Road Media. 184 pages. ISBN: 9781453263372Like Caroline Cooney’s Fog, The Twisted Window is another 1980s teen thriller brought back to life this year by Open Road Media. Main character Tracy Lloyd lives with her aunt and uncle who agreed to raise her when her mother was killed. In the school cafeteria one day, she is approached by Brad, a young man who does not actually attend the school, who asks for her help in winning back his little sister from her evil stepfather who has kidnapped her. Feeling restless and finding herself attracted to Brad, Tracy decides to help him out. What she doesn’t know, though, is that Brad isn’t well, and that the child he plans to “rescue” might not actually be his sister at all.
From the beginning, this story was way too predictable. It’s hard to convey Brad as a sinister, mysterious character when so much of the story is from his point of view, and it’s just too unbelievable, by today’s standards anyway, that some random guy off the street could just wander into a high school and single out a particular girl. I could sometimes feel Tracy’s wariness and uncertainty surrounding Brad, but I could never empathize with her fully because I already basically knew what Brad was up to. It got to the point where I wondered how Tracy hadn’t figured it out yet.
Another major problem is the introduction of contemporary technologies into the 1980s world of the story. I think it was a big mistake to try and integrate cell phones into the action, mostly because what is written is almost always an explanation as to why the phone is not being used at that moment. Every single time a cell phone or charger or some such item was mentioned, I was pulled right out of the story, and I could tell, instantly, that this had been edited into the story. I also thought the story went a little bit overboard with the metaphor of the window, as well as with the backstory of Tracy’s mother’s death. I couldn’t figure out what having a dead mother really did for Tracy’s character, and the window metaphor felt very tacked on, almost as though the title came first and it had to be thrown in there to make it work.
Finally, I thought Tracy became irrelevant after a while. Once Brad’s friend Jamie is introduced into the story, it felt much more like Jamie’s story than Tracy’s, and I wondered how everything was meant to fit together. In the end, it just doesn’t, and there are no true consequences for Tracy for her involvement in Brad’s scheme, which doesn’t ring true at all either.
I am the kind of person who is easily unsettled by scary books, and this one didn’t give me a single shiver or goosebump. I think the concept is a good one, and it will appeal to fans of some of the darker themes in contemporary YA, but I do wonder if it will be dark enough for them. To me, it seems way too sunny to fit the thriller genre.
I received a digital ARC of The Twisted Window from Open Road Media via NetGalley.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Top 75 Baby Boy Names USA 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Based on my sister and I's collection of the birth details 0f 7000+ baby boys born in the USA since January 1st 2012. All possible variantspellings have been taken into account when calculating each name's popullarity. This is the only way to tell you how popular any name will really sound yet official statistics and most other sources of name info fail to do this. Come back early December for a top 100.
1.) Aiden
2.) Caiden
3.) Jaxon
4.) Noah
5.) Mason
6.) Jacob
7.) Brayden
8.) Wyatt
9.) Caleb
10.) Liam
11.) Colton
12.) Landon
13.) William
14.) Andrew
15.) Elijah
16.) Jayden
17.) Logan
18.) Hunter
19.) Michael
20.) Connor
21.) Carter
22.) Lucas
23.) Gaabriel
24.) Bentley
25.) Levi
26.) Ethan
27.) Grayson
28.) Benjamin
29.) Alexander
30.) Carson
31.) Bryson
32.) Blake
33.) Isaac
34.) Samuel
35.) Cameron
36.) Joseph
37.) Dylan
38.) Cooper
39.) Owen
40.) Evan
41.) Mathew
42.) Jack
43.) Gavin
44.) Eli
45.) Christian
46.) David
47.) Nicholas
48.) Henry
49.) Thomas
50.) Camden
51.) Jace
52.) Hudson
53.) Christopher
54.) Jonathon
55.) Aaron
56.) Parker
57.) Tate
58.) Anthony
59.) Luke
60.) Daniel
61.) Joshua
62.) Isaiah
63.) John
64.) Zachery
65.) Hayden
66.) Austin
67.) Ian
68.) Dominic
69.) Sawyer
70.) Jeremiah
71.) Tristen
72.) Cason
73.) Tyler
74.) Xander
75.) Justin
1.) Aiden
2.) Caiden
3.) Jaxon
4.) Noah
5.) Mason
6.) Jacob
7.) Brayden
8.) Wyatt
9.) Caleb
10.) Liam
11.) Colton
12.) Landon
13.) William
14.) Andrew
15.) Elijah
16.) Jayden
17.) Logan
18.) Hunter
19.) Michael
20.) Connor
21.) Carter
22.) Lucas
23.) Gaabriel
24.) Bentley
25.) Levi
26.) Ethan
27.) Grayson
28.) Benjamin
29.) Alexander
30.) Carson
31.) Bryson
32.) Blake
33.) Isaac
34.) Samuel
35.) Cameron
36.) Joseph
37.) Dylan
38.) Cooper
39.) Owen
40.) Evan
41.) Mathew
42.) Jack
43.) Gavin
44.) Eli
45.) Christian
46.) David
47.) Nicholas
48.) Henry
49.) Thomas
50.) Camden
51.) Jace
52.) Hudson
53.) Christopher
54.) Jonathon
55.) Aaron
56.) Parker
57.) Tate
58.) Anthony
59.) Luke
60.) Daniel
61.) Joshua
62.) Isaiah
63.) John
64.) Zachery
65.) Hayden
66.) Austin
67.) Ian
68.) Dominic
69.) Sawyer
70.) Jeremiah
71.) Tristen
72.) Cason
73.) Tyler
74.) Xander
75.) Justin
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
6 Ekim 2012 Cumartesi
Easy Reader Radar: Drip, Drop! The Rain Won't Stop! by Sheila Sweeney Higginson
To contact us Click HERE
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468 Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
5 Ekim 2012 Cuma
Easy Reader Radar: Drip, Drop! The Rain Won't Stop! by Sheila Sweeney Higginson
To contact us Click HERE
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468 Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Review: Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick by Jennifer Holm and Elicia Castaldi
To contact us Click HERE
Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick. by Jennifer Holm and Elicia Castaldi. August 7, 2012. Random House. 128 pages. ISBN: 9780375968518
Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick is the second book about Ginny Davis, following Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf. Through various objects, notes, assignments, and email exchanges, Ginny’s new school year unfolds - in her new house, with her new stepdad, where her mom is expecting a new baby. Things just keep changing, as her stepdad loses his job, her delinquent brother gets into huge trouble, and Ginny struggles to get through dissections in biology, and make it onto the cheerleading squad.
I have always been fascinated by stories told through documents, so I am predisposed to liking this book’s format. Since I read this sequel immediately after finishing Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf, the first thing I noticed is how much easier it was to read this second volume than the first. The illustrations really improved from one book to the next, and these newer ones, for obvious reasons, look much more fresh and contemporary than the ones created more than five years ago. I loved seeing a Babymouse book turn up in one of Ginny’s boxes for the move, and as in the first book, I thought her mom’s tongue in cheek notes from “the management” were a great insight into her personality and sense of humor. The IM conversations look much more realistic this time around, and I detected an overall smoothness of presentation that I didn’t really see in the first book.
Reading Eight Grade is Making Me Sick also got me thinking about the act of reading a little bit. So much of this story must be inferred by the reader from very words on very few pages, and yet I walked away from the book feeling like I’d been handed a full narrative of every emotion, action, and conversation, and yet, really, all I’ve been given is evidence pointing to each of those things. So much of the story was constructed in my head, by me putting together these subtle little clues. I think it’s so neat how my brain just knows how to read a book like this, without anyone having to explicitly teach me. I think that’s why kids get excited about books in a visual format - it just comes more naturally to them to take things in visually. It’s second nature, whereas reading a traditional book is a learned behavior.
I really love Ginny as a character, and her family as well, and the story was over too soon for me. I did think some things were probably a bit of a stretch. Surely, at some point these family members would talk to one another in person, not just through writing, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief a little bit because I enjoyed this mode of storytelling so much.
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf does not circulate much in my library, but now that I’ve read it and this sequel, it will be one more book on the list I recommend to my Dear Dumb Diary / Popularity Papers / Dork Diaries audience. It’s also a great one to suggest to fans of Babymouse, since it’s by the same author and many kids probably wouldn’t realize that.
I borrowed Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick. by Jennifer Holm and Elicia Castaldi. August 7, 2012. Random House. 128 pages. ISBN: 9780375968518Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick is the second book about Ginny Davis, following Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf. Through various objects, notes, assignments, and email exchanges, Ginny’s new school year unfolds - in her new house, with her new stepdad, where her mom is expecting a new baby. Things just keep changing, as her stepdad loses his job, her delinquent brother gets into huge trouble, and Ginny struggles to get through dissections in biology, and make it onto the cheerleading squad.
I have always been fascinated by stories told through documents, so I am predisposed to liking this book’s format. Since I read this sequel immediately after finishing Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf, the first thing I noticed is how much easier it was to read this second volume than the first. The illustrations really improved from one book to the next, and these newer ones, for obvious reasons, look much more fresh and contemporary than the ones created more than five years ago. I loved seeing a Babymouse book turn up in one of Ginny’s boxes for the move, and as in the first book, I thought her mom’s tongue in cheek notes from “the management” were a great insight into her personality and sense of humor. The IM conversations look much more realistic this time around, and I detected an overall smoothness of presentation that I didn’t really see in the first book.
Reading Eight Grade is Making Me Sick also got me thinking about the act of reading a little bit. So much of this story must be inferred by the reader from very words on very few pages, and yet I walked away from the book feeling like I’d been handed a full narrative of every emotion, action, and conversation, and yet, really, all I’ve been given is evidence pointing to each of those things. So much of the story was constructed in my head, by me putting together these subtle little clues. I think it’s so neat how my brain just knows how to read a book like this, without anyone having to explicitly teach me. I think that’s why kids get excited about books in a visual format - it just comes more naturally to them to take things in visually. It’s second nature, whereas reading a traditional book is a learned behavior.
I really love Ginny as a character, and her family as well, and the story was over too soon for me. I did think some things were probably a bit of a stretch. Surely, at some point these family members would talk to one another in person, not just through writing, but I was willing to suspend my disbelief a little bit because I enjoyed this mode of storytelling so much.
Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf does not circulate much in my library, but now that I’ve read it and this sequel, it will be one more book on the list I recommend to my Dear Dumb Diary / Popularity Papers / Dork Diaries audience. It’s also a great one to suggest to fans of Babymouse, since it’s by the same author and many kids probably wouldn’t realize that.
I borrowed Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
To contact us Click HERE
Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
To contact us Click HERE
Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
4 Ekim 2012 Perşembe
Top Alternative Spellings Of USA Boys' Names 2012
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Since January 1st 2012 I have collected 3, 500 + examples of baby boy names given in the USA. Based on that here are the fastest rising alternative spellings there so far this year. I hope you enjoy reading them.
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
1.) Alan instead of Allen or Allan
2.) Jaxson rather than Jackson or Jaxon
3.) Landen rather than Landon
4.) Lukas instead of Lucas
5.) Blaze instead of Blaise
6.) Alexzander instead of Alexander
7.) Rowen instead of Rowan
8.) Sylas instead of Silas
9.) Graysen instead of Grayson
10.) Kylar instead of Kyler
Good names for "Irish" cats to be adopted on St. Patrick's Day?
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Hi,
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Our local animal shelter is having a St. Patrick's Day adoption celebration for cats. Do you have any good Irish names for cats? I know for people they say "Patty O'Furniture, etc. Thank you.|||Erin, Shannon, Siobhan, Fergus, Aislinn
O'Shea, Shaunessy, Killian, McDonough, and for any cat with whte feet: McMittens|||It you want the names to be really Irish, it's Paddy (not Patty) and Seamus (not Shamis)
Most Irish first names are crazy weird. Irish surnames are better. Here a list: http://www.namenerds.com/irish/last.html
I like Guinness.|||http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Drink鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Cat_Bo鈥?/a>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Laughs|||Claude O'Furniture might be more fitting lol. Some Irish names are: Murray, Seamus, Sean, Erin, Colleen and Tara.|||Lucky, Clover, Patrick|||Shamis|||a great name for an irish cat is paddy or shammy...............
Easy Reader Radar: Drip, Drop! The Rain Won't Stop! by Sheila Sweeney Higginson
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Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop. by Sheila Sweeney Higginson, illustrated by Josie Yee. 2010. Simon Spotlight. 24 pages. ISBN: 9781416990468 Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is a “Your Turn, My Turn Reader” published by Playskool, which is recommended for ages 3 and up. Like the We Both Read books, this one is set up so that one side of the page is read by the adult, and the other side, with simpler text, is read by the child. A four-paragraph letter to teachers and parents inside the front cover explains how this format is to be used, and also highlights other features of the book that make the reading experience even more engaging and interactive: the repetitive text, simplified illustrations, and hidden rainbows on each page.
The story itself focuses on Digger the Dog and his friend Go Go Dino, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. As in many other children’s books about rainy days, they go through the usual rainy day activities - building with blocks, having a snack, building a fort - until finally the sun comes out and they go out and play. The side of the page designated for the adult reader relays all of the action, while the child gets to read onomatopoetic words like “drip”, “plop,” and “splash” along with the refrain “The rain is falling.” The cartoonish illustrations adhere pretty closely to what happens in the text itself, but with some additional details to provide context and allow the child the opportunity to imagine additions to the story not mentioned directly. As promised by the front cover, there is a rainbow hidden on every page, which is a nice way to promote print motivation in preschoolers who do not yet read words.
The cover made me think this book was a media tie-in of some kind, but it seems that Digger and Go Go are only book characters these days, even if they might have been Playskool toys in the past. I think kids get easily attached to recurring characters, so I understand why the same ones appear in a number of Playskool stories, but kids picking up this book on its own might not have any idea who the characters are, and the story doesn’t really give us anything to go on. I had the sense that I was missing something, that I was meant to know these characters and was just out of touch, and I wonder if kids will pick up on that feeling, too, especially since other easy reader characters are so easily identifiable.
Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! is an average easy reader overall. It suits the intended audience, promotes interaction with adults, and encourages kids to see books as sources of fun, but the story is run-of-the-mill, and unlikely to be that memorable.
I borrowed Drip, Drop! The Rain Won’t Stop! from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
3 Ekim 2012 Çarşamba
Review: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
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Three Times Lucky. by Sheila Turnage. May 10, 2012. Dial. 312 pages. ISBN: 9780803736702
Moses “Mo” LoBeau has lived with the Colonel and Miss Lana in Tupelo Landing, North Carolina ever since she was a baby and washed up after a hurricane. Since then, she’s wondered about the woman she refers to as her “Upstream Mother”, whom she sends messages in bottles, hoping she will someday respond. Until recently, the identity of her biological mother has been Mo’s only mystery, but all that changes when Mr. Jesse, a grumpy regular customer at the Colonel’s cafe, turns up dead. Mo and her best friend, Dale - himself a suspect in the murder because he “borrowed” Mr. Jesse’s boat just hours before his death - decide to help the authorities solve this case by forming their own detective agency. What they uncover, however, is much bigger than either of them anticipates, and there are many twists and turns on their way to the truth.
I’m a sucker for a Southern story, so this book was a natural choice for me, and on top of that, Betsy Bird gave it a glowing review that stuck in my mind so that I recognized the book instantly when it arrived at my library. As it turns out, Mo deserves every bit of praise she received from Ms. Bird, because she is one heck of a memorable middle grade heroine! Mo’s way with words, her sense of humor, her can-do attitude, and her fearlessness in the face of adults make her stand out among her fictional peers and make the reader instantly want to follow her adventures. Tupelo Landing is also a very lively and interesting place, and it doesn’t take long for the reader to feel at home there. This sense of comfort and belonging immediately set the reader up to feel Mo’s sense of loss and betrayal when someone is murdered right in her own town.
I have to admit that I didn’t have very much trouble figuring out the mystery once all the clues had been revealed. That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, or that the story isn’t worth reading, but most of the twists were not news to me by the time they were actually spelled out. That doesn’t make it any less exciting, though, as a storm, a kidnapping, and various other events really draw things out and build up the suspense to such a height that there was a certain point after which I refused to put the book down until the story was over. There are also some interesting insights into the relationship between Lana and the Colonel that come at the end of the story, and a big joke whose punchline made me laugh out loud.
Obvious read-alikes for this book would be Because of Winn Dixie and The Higher Power of Lucky, since both depict small Southern towns and both have motherless protagonists. Digging deeper, though, Three Times Lucky should also work well for kids who like mysteries with a strong sense of place, such as the Wilma Tenderfoot books, The London Eye Mystery, and Missing on Superstition Mountain.
I borrowed Three Times Lucky from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
Three Times Lucky. by Sheila Turnage. May 10, 2012. Dial. 312 pages. ISBN: 9780803736702Moses “Mo” LoBeau has lived with the Colonel and Miss Lana in Tupelo Landing, North Carolina ever since she was a baby and washed up after a hurricane. Since then, she’s wondered about the woman she refers to as her “Upstream Mother”, whom she sends messages in bottles, hoping she will someday respond. Until recently, the identity of her biological mother has been Mo’s only mystery, but all that changes when Mr. Jesse, a grumpy regular customer at the Colonel’s cafe, turns up dead. Mo and her best friend, Dale - himself a suspect in the murder because he “borrowed” Mr. Jesse’s boat just hours before his death - decide to help the authorities solve this case by forming their own detective agency. What they uncover, however, is much bigger than either of them anticipates, and there are many twists and turns on their way to the truth.
I’m a sucker for a Southern story, so this book was a natural choice for me, and on top of that, Betsy Bird gave it a glowing review that stuck in my mind so that I recognized the book instantly when it arrived at my library. As it turns out, Mo deserves every bit of praise she received from Ms. Bird, because she is one heck of a memorable middle grade heroine! Mo’s way with words, her sense of humor, her can-do attitude, and her fearlessness in the face of adults make her stand out among her fictional peers and make the reader instantly want to follow her adventures. Tupelo Landing is also a very lively and interesting place, and it doesn’t take long for the reader to feel at home there. This sense of comfort and belonging immediately set the reader up to feel Mo’s sense of loss and betrayal when someone is murdered right in her own town.
I have to admit that I didn’t have very much trouble figuring out the mystery once all the clues had been revealed. That’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, or that the story isn’t worth reading, but most of the twists were not news to me by the time they were actually spelled out. That doesn’t make it any less exciting, though, as a storm, a kidnapping, and various other events really draw things out and build up the suspense to such a height that there was a certain point after which I refused to put the book down until the story was over. There are also some interesting insights into the relationship between Lana and the Colonel that come at the end of the story, and a big joke whose punchline made me laugh out loud.
Obvious read-alikes for this book would be Because of Winn Dixie and The Higher Power of Lucky, since both depict small Southern towns and both have motherless protagonists. Digging deeper, though, Three Times Lucky should also work well for kids who like mysteries with a strong sense of place, such as the Wilma Tenderfoot books, The London Eye Mystery, and Missing on Superstition Mountain.
I borrowed Three Times Lucky from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
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