So, we're back after a year, but some of us decided to make our own review blogs. It went like this: Boy 1: Why can't I have my own blog? (goes off to create his own blog) Boy 2, later: He has his own blog. Why can't I have my own blog? (goes off to create his own blog) Check out Storvidoodles, where you'll find reviews of Tales From Lovecraft Middle School and Wreck-It Ralph, and Coreviews,

So, we're back after a year, but some of us decided to make our own review blogs. It went like this: Boy 1: Why can't I have my own blog? (goes off to create his own blog) Boy 2, later: He has his own blog. Why can't I have my own blog? (goes off to create his own blog) Check out Storvidoodles, where you'll find reviews of Tales From Lovecraft Middle School and Wreck-It Ralph, and Coreviews,

We're back after almost a year! Review by Tintin, age 10 Zombiekins Author/illustrator: Kevin Bolger/Aaron BlechaPublisher: Razorbill (6/2010) Zombiekins Website Zombiekins is an awesome horror story written by Kevin Bolger about a boy who goes to a witch's house and gets a toy called Zombiekins. One night Zombiekins comes alive. The next day, he starts biting the kids at school and

We're back after almost a year! Review by Tintin, age 10 Zombiekins Author/illustrator: Kevin Bolger/Aaron BlechaPublisher: Razorbill (6/2010) Zombiekins Website Zombiekins is an awesome horror story written by Kevin Bolger about a boy who goes to a witch's house and gets a toy called Zombiekins. One night Zombiekins comes alive. The next day, he starts biting the kids at school and

Review by Tintin, age 9 Legends of Zita the Spacegirl Author/illustrator: Ben Hatke Publisher: First Second (9/2012) Genre: Graphic Novel Legends of Zita the Spacegirl is about a girl who saves the planet Lumponia from star hearts. A robot who is pretending to be the spacegirl is messing things up. I like it because it is an adventurous story. My favorite part was when they used a giant to

Review by Tintin, age 9 Legends of Zita the Spacegirl Author/illustrator: Ben Hatke Publisher: First Second (9/2012) Genre: Graphic Novel Legends of Zita the Spacegirl is about a girl who saves the planet Lumponia from star hearts. A robot who is pretending to be the spacegirl is messing things up. I like it because it is an adventurous story. My favorite part was when they used a giant to

Review by Tintin, age 9 Invisible Inkling Author/illustrator: Emily Jenkins/Harry Bliss Publisher: Balzer + Bray (April 2011) Hank Wolowitz lives in New York and owns an ice cream shop called The Big Round Pumpkin with his mom, dad, and his sister, Nadia. One day at the shop, Hank feels something under the sink. It feels furry. He finds out it is an animal called a bandapat, and it is

Review by Tintin, age 9 Invisible Inkling Author/illustrator: Emily Jenkins/Harry Bliss Publisher: Balzer + Bray (April 2011) Hank Wolowitz lives in New York and owns an ice cream shop called The Big Round Pumpkin with his mom, dad, and his sister, Nadia. One day at the shop, Hank feels something under the sink. It feels furry. He finds out it is an animal called a bandapat, and it is

Here are our favorites from the past week: Tintin, age 9 The Courage of Sarah Noble Author: Alice Dalgliesh Genre: Fiction Explorer: The Mystery Boxes Editor: Kazu Kibuishi Genre: Graphic Novel The Giggler Treatment Author: Roddy Doyle Genre: Fiction Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes Author: Jarrett J. Krosoczka Genre: Graphic Novel Johnny Boo, age 6 My Weird

Here are our favorites from the past week: Tintin, age 9 The Courage of Sarah Noble Author: Alice Dalgliesh Genre: Fiction Explorer: The Mystery Boxes Editor: Kazu Kibuishi Genre: Graphic Novel The Giggler Treatment Author: Roddy Doyle Genre: Fiction Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes Author: Jarrett J. Krosoczka Genre: Graphic Novel Johnny Boo, age 6 My Weird

Here are our favorite books this week: Tintin, age 9 James and the Giant Peach Author/illustrator: Roald Dahl/Quentin Blake Genre: Fiction After losing his parents in a rhino accident, James must live with his two evil aunts--until a giant peach with talking insects suddenly appears and takes James far, far away. Tintin said this is one of his favorite Roald Dahl books, and even though it's

Here are our favorite books this week: Tintin, age 9 James and the Giant Peach Author/illustrator: Roald Dahl/Quentin Blake Genre: Fiction After losing his parents in a rhino accident, James must live with his two evil aunts--until a giant peach with talking insects suddenly appears and takes James far, far away. Tintin said this is one of his favorite Roald Dahl books, and even though it's

Here are some of Johnny Boo's favorites from March and April: Ricky Ricotta, Captain Underpants, The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Author: Dav Pilkey Mr. Men, including... Mr. Men: Favourite Stories and whatever other Mr. Men and Little Miss books Johnny Boo found at the library (there are about 49 in all) Author: Roger Hargreaves And there are new Mr. Men graphic novels! The

Here are some of Johnny Boo's favorites from March and April: Ricky Ricotta, Captain Underpants, The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby Author: Dav Pilkey Mr. Men, including... Mr. Men: Favourite Stories and whatever other Mr. Men and Little Miss books Johnny Boo found at the library (there are about 49 in all) Author: Roger Hargreaves And there are new Mr. Men graphic novels! The

I got tired of hearing things like "Mom, what should I eat?" and "There's nothing to eat!" (after I'd listed several possibilities). So I made the boys their own snack menu, to look through whenever they're hungry. I printed it out, laminated it, punched a few holes in it, and put it all together with pipe cleaners, which allows me to add more pages whenever I want. There are more than 70

I got tired of hearing things like "Mom, what should I eat?" and "There's nothing to eat!" (after I'd listed several possibilities). So I made the boys their own snack menu, to look through whenever they're hungry. I printed it out, laminated it, punched a few holes in it, and put it all together with pipe cleaners, which allows me to add more pages whenever I want. There are more than 70

Here's what Tintin's been reading lately: Attack of the Volcano Monkeys (Ordinary Basil) Author: Wiley Miller Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (February 2008) Category: Chapter Book (2nd in series) In this second Ordinary Basil book, Basil and his friend Louise travel (via pteranodon) to a planet of intelligent monkeys and try to overthrow the king. Wonkenstein (The Creature From My Closet)

Here's what Tintin's been reading lately: Attack of the Volcano Monkeys (Ordinary Basil) Author: Wiley Miller Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (February 2008) Category: Chapter Book (2nd in series) In this second Ordinary Basil book, Basil and his friend Louise travel (via pteranodon) to a planet of intelligent monkeys and try to overthrow the king. Wonkenstein (The Creature From My Closet)

Dr. Seuss's birthday was March 2. To celebrate, we took our books to the bathtub and had a reading party. Instead of eating cake, as the cat does in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, the boys had popcorn while I read to them. Of course, putting two growing boys in one bathtub at the same time doesn't always make for a peaceful experience. Tintin was much more relaxed the next day when he

Dr. Seuss's birthday was March 2. To celebrate, we took our books to the bathtub and had a reading party. Instead of eating cake, as the cat does in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, the boys had popcorn while I read to them. Of course, putting two growing boys in one bathtub at the same time doesn't always make for a peaceful experience. Tintin was much more relaxed the next day when he

Some of us have a small obsession with Phineas and Ferb. At the most recent Scholastic book fair, each boy got a Phineas and Ferb book, as well as a Phineas and Ferb poster to share. Tintin also recently asked for a book on platypuses because he correctly assumed Perry the Platypus was not your average platypus and he wanted to see what they were really like. A couple of reviews: The Phineas and

Some of us have a small obsession with Phineas and Ferb. At the most recent Scholastic book fair, each boy got a Phineas and Ferb book, as well as a Phineas and Ferb poster to share. Tintin also recently asked for a book on platypuses because he correctly assumed Perry the Platypus was not your average platypus and he wanted to see what they were really like. A couple of reviews: The Phineas and

Last weekend we had nothing to do, so Tintin suggested we have a reading marathon. I decided to make it into a challenge. Each boy had to complete 26 tasks, one for each letter of the alphabet. We picked random letters from our Bananagrams game, but one boy wanted to do some tasks (especially P) more than once, so he peeked a little. Here's what they had to do: A. Read 1 chapter to Mom. B.

Last weekend we had nothing to do, so Tintin suggested we have a reading marathon. I decided to make it into a challenge. Each boy had to complete 26 tasks, one for each letter of the alphabet. We picked random letters from our Bananagrams game, but one boy wanted to do some tasks (especially P) more than once, so he peeked a little. Here's what they had to do: A. Read 1 chapter to Mom. B.

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