This year I've been helping some of Johnny Boo's kindergarten classmates with letters and sight words. I've also become addicted to Pinterest, much to my husband's chagrin (Chagrinterest?). Following are a couple of sight word games copied from or inspired by pins I've made: Sight Word Parking Lot (based on a bigger parking lot game at Juggling With Kids) Print Parking Lot game here. I

The Sea of Lost Books (Return to the Library of Doom) Author/illustrator: Michael Dahl/Bradford Kendall Publisher: Stone Arch Books (August 2010) Category: Chapter Book Tintin has a journal in which he writes down the names of the books he's just finished. In the same journal there's a section for him to write book reviews in the form of a letter to me. When he's done I write a letter back

The Sea of Lost Books (Return to the Library of Doom) Author/illustrator: Michael Dahl/Bradford Kendall Publisher: Stone Arch Books (August 2010) Category: Chapter Book Tintin has a journal in which he writes down the names of the books he's just finished. In the same journal there's a section for him to write book reviews in the form of a letter to me. When he's done I write a letter back

It's Valentine's Day Author/illustrator: Jack Prelutsky/Yossi Abolafia Publisher: Mulberry (1996) Category: Poetry It's Valentine's Day is a collection of 14 Valentine's poems from the nation's first children's poet laureate (and the boys' favorite poet not named Shel Silverstein). Check out Prelutsky's website for a few of his other poems and for poetry-writing activities for children. We

It's Valentine's Day Author/illustrator: Jack Prelutsky/Yossi Abolafia Publisher: Mulberry (1996) Category: Poetry It's Valentine's Day is a collection of 14 Valentine's poems from the nation's first children's poet laureate (and the boys' favorite poet not named Shel Silverstein). Check out Prelutsky's website for a few of his other poems and for poetry-writing activities for children. We

Play, Louis, Play! The True Story of a Boy and His Horn Author/illustrator: Muriel Harris Weinstein/Frank Morrison Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's (December 2011) Categories: Biography; Chapter Book This is the story of Louis Armstrong's childhood, as told by his first horn, which little Louis purchased from a New Orleans hock shop for $5. Not only did the boys enjoy the book, but they

Play, Louis, Play! The True Story of a Boy and His Horn Author/illustrator: Muriel Harris Weinstein/Frank Morrison Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's (December 2011) Categories: Biography; Chapter Book This is the story of Louis Armstrong's childhood, as told by his first horn, which little Louis purchased from a New Orleans hock shop for $5. Not only did the boys enjoy the book, but they

Last week Tintin and everyone else who read at least five Texas Bluebonnet books attended a special breakfast in the school library and voted on their favorite Bluebonnet book. Students all across Texas participated in the voting at their own schools. The author of the book receiving the most votes will be declared the winner of the 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award. Here's Tintin voting for Tom

Last week Tintin and everyone else who read at least five Texas Bluebonnet books attended a special breakfast in the school library and voted on their favorite Bluebonnet book. Students all across Texas participated in the voting at their own schools. The author of the book receiving the most votes will be declared the winner of the 2011-2012 Texas Bluebonnet Award. Here's Tintin voting for Tom

Tintin is 9 today! Here are the books he received for his birthday: The Merriam-Webster and Garfield Dictionary Publisher: Merriam-Webster (January 1999) Category: Reference; Graphic Novel Scholastic Student Thesaurus Author: John K. Bollard Publisher: Scholastic (May 2007) Category: Reference Scrabble Sticker Word Puzzles Author/illustrator: Patrick Blindauer/Bob Shea

Tintin is 9 today! Here are the books he received for his birthday: The Merriam-Webster and Garfield Dictionary Publisher: Merriam-Webster (January 1999) Category: Reference; Graphic Novel Scholastic Student Thesaurus Author: John K. Bollard Publisher: Scholastic (May 2007) Category: Reference Scrabble Sticker Word Puzzles Author/illustrator: Patrick Blindauer/Bob Shea

Johnny Boo turned six last week! And now that he's six, we're reading Now We Are Six: Now We Are Six Author/illustrator: A.A. Milne/Ernest H. Shepard First published: 1927 Category: Poetry Here are some other recent favorites: Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics Author/illustratror: James Sturm; Andrew Arnold; Alexis Frederick-Frost

Johnny Boo turned six last week! And now that he's six, we're reading Now We Are Six: Now We Are Six Author/illustrator: A.A. Milne/Ernest H. Shepard First published: 1927 Category: Poetry Here are some other recent favorites: Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles Into Comics Author/illustratror: James Sturm; Andrew Arnold; Alexis Frederick-Frost

Review by Tintin, age 8 The Spiderwick Chronicles Author/illustrator: Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 2004) Source: Home library/public library/school library The Spiderwick Chronicles are about a boy named Jared, a girl named Mallory, and another boy named Simon. Jared found a book in which creepy, terrifying, and terrible

Review by Tintin, age 8 The Spiderwick Chronicles Author/illustrator: Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 2004) Source: Home library/public library/school library The Spiderwick Chronicles are about a boy named Jared, a girl named Mallory, and another boy named Simon. Jared found a book in which creepy, terrifying, and terrible

We're back to blogging after a little break! Here are Johnny Boo's favorite books this week (Tintin is in the middle of reading Vordak the Incomprehensible again). The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy Author/illustrator: Jacky Davis/David Soman Publisher: Dial (October 2011) Source: Public library Don't expect to see Ladybug Girl in this book--this time it's all about Bumblebee Boy. Oh,

We're back to blogging after a little break! Here are Johnny Boo's favorite books this week (Tintin is in the middle of reading Vordak the Incomprehensible again). The Amazing Adventures of Bumblebee Boy Author/illustrator: Jacky Davis/David Soman Publisher: Dial (October 2011) Source: Public library Don't expect to see Ladybug Girl in this book--this time it's all about Bumblebee Boy. Oh,

Here are our favorites from last week: Tintin, age 8 Joey Fly, Private Eye in Big Hairy Drama Author/illustrator: Aaron Reynolds/Neil Numberman Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (November 2010) Source: Public library In this second Joey Fly graphic novel, Joey and his assistant, Sammy, are called upon to solve the disappearance of Greta Divawing, the star of the Scarab Beetle Theater. Joey rounds

Here are our favorites from last week: Tintin, age 8 Joey Fly, Private Eye in Big Hairy Drama Author/illustrator: Aaron Reynolds/Neil Numberman Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (November 2010) Source: Public library In this second Joey Fly graphic novel, Joey and his assistant, Sammy, are called upon to solve the disappearance of Greta Divawing, the star of the Scarab Beetle Theater. Joey rounds

Review by Johnny Boo, age 5 Valentine the Porcupine Dances Funny Author/illustrator: Derrick Brown/Jenny Lewis Publisher: Write Fuzzy Source: The publisher Valentine the Porcupine is about a radio with a porcupine who says, "Will someone dance with me?" Her momma says, "Strange is cool," and Valentine says, "I believe you, Momma." And then her momma says, "I love you because

Review by Johnny Boo, age 5 Valentine the Porcupine Dances Funny Author/illustrator: Derrick Brown/Jenny Lewis Publisher: Write Fuzzy Source: The publisher Valentine the Porcupine is about a radio with a porcupine who says, "Will someone dance with me?" Her momma says, "Strange is cool," and Valentine says, "I believe you, Momma." And then her momma says, "I love you because

Check out our new page, It's a Boy-Tested Book Bonanza!, for a list of books my boys love. Come back often to see what we've added! And now, in honor of Ice Cream Sandwich Day:

Check out our new page, It's a Boy-Tested Book Bonanza!, for a list of books my boys love. Come back often to see what we've added! And now, in honor of Ice Cream Sandwich Day:

We went to San Diego Comic-Con last weekend! While there we met James Kochalka, author and illustrator of Johnny Boo. Here he is showing us Dragon Puncher: Our own Johnny Boo picked just that moment to become shy and overwhelmed, so he hid on the floor while Tintin got the goods--autographed drawings by the Kochalka family and books made by Eli and Oliver

We went to San Diego Comic-Con last weekend! While there we met James Kochalka, author and illustrator of Johnny Boo. Here he is showing us Dragon Puncher: Our own Johnny Boo picked just that moment to become shy and overwhelmed, so he hid on the floor while Tintin got the goods--autographed drawings by the Kochalka family and books made by Eli and Oliver