Sophie’s Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller & Anne Wilsdorf. Read to: my boys.
If you only pick up one new picture book for fall, let this be it. Here’s what I wrote in a Picture Book Spotlight post last year:
We first read this absolute gem of a picture book last year during the CYBILs. Fell so utterly in love with it—the lot of us—that a library copy wouldn’t do; we had to have our own. Huck and Rilla were overjoyed when I pulled it out this morning. Sophie’s instant bond with a butternut squash is utterly believable, and not just because Huck formed a similar attachment once upon a time, long before we encountered this book! “Bernice” becomes Sophie’s best friend and closest confidant, all through a bright and beautiful autumn. But as winter approaches, Bernice begins to get a bit squishy about the edges. Sophie’s parents make gentle attempts to convince Sophie it’s time to let her friend go, but since their suggestions involve treating the squash like, you know, a squash, Sophie’s having none of it. Her own solution is sweet and heartwarming, and it makes my kids sigh that contented sigh that means everything has come out exactly right.
How to Read a Story by Kate Messner, illustrated by Mark Siegel. Read to: my boys.
Well, I was sure I had posted a video of Huck reading this book last March. He was enchanted by the story from the first—a little step-by-step guide to enjoying a book with your best reading buddy, charmingly illustrated—and one day I caught him reading it out loud to himself, putting in all the voices. ::melt:
(In case the video won’t play for you, here’s a Youtube link.)
Charlie Parker Played Be Bop by Chris Raschka. Read to: my boys.
One of our longtime family favorites. The rhythm and whimsy of the text has captivated each of our small fry in turn. And the art is bold and funny and altogether wonderful.
Don’t Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis. Read to: the teens.
Another of the texts Beanie, Rose, and I are using for our 20th-century history studies. We continue to enjoy reading history texts aloud together, which allows us all to stay on the same page (literally) and—even more important—fosters discussion and fruitful rabbit trailing. We try to reserve two 45-minute blocks a week for this, supplementing with other books (including graphic novels, historical fiction, and biographies) and videos.
Poetry:
Walt Whitman, selections from “Song of Myself”
Gwendolyn Brooks, “kitchenette building”
Books Continued from Last Week:
(Rillabooks in the top row)
I’m nearing the end of To the Lighthouse and am feeling pretty well shattered. And I sort of want to start it all over from the beginning.
Related:
Here’s a book I thought I’d blogged about before, but it seems I only mentioned it briefly.
by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf.
We first read this absolute gem of a picture book last year during the CYBILs. Fell so utterly in love with it—the lot of us—that a library copy wouldn’t do; we had to have our own. Huck and Rilla were overjoyed when I pulled it out this morning. Sophie’s instant bond with a butternut squash is utterly believable, and not just because Huck formed a similar attachment once upon a time. “Bernice” becomes Sophie’s best friend and closest confidant, all through a bright and beautiful autumn. But as winter approaches, Bernice begins to get a bit squishy about the edges. Sophie’s parents make gentle attempts to convince Sophie it’s time to let her friend go, but since their suggestions involve treating the squash like, you know, a squash, Sophie’s having none of it. Her own solution is sweet and heartwarming, and it makes my kids sigh that contented sigh that means everything has come out exactly right.
I’m all Hooray, my blog is visible again I can write stuff yippeeeee! And then crickets. That kind of week. In a good way, I mean. I mowed the lawn the other day and it mousecookied into a massive backyard/frontyard/sideyard cleanup, and now I’m itching to overhaul the indoors. But! I’ll be posting the Ballet Shoes post this afternoon.
And for now, here’s this week’s Thicklebit—I’ll save you the clickthrough. (But if you’re new to Thicklebit, do click through and enjoy the other strips. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Chris Gugliotti is an artistic genius.)
This morning we’re all in stitches over this post at Flavorwire: 20 Embarrassingly Bad Book Covers for Classic Novels. The horrific Anne of Green Gables is there, along with some genuine howlers. Did you know there were fighter jets in Oz? The Huck Finn is priceless, and that Cranford cover! I’m crying laughing.
Forgot to link to yesterday’s Thicklebit. I’ll make it up to you by saving you the click. 
New Thicklebit today!
Dorothy Parker and Julianna Baggott books for $1.99 on Kindle today.
San Diego folks, don’t miss the big event at Yellow Book Road this Saturday: Give a Book on Behalf of Sandy Hook. Some very fine children’s book authors will be there:
Just in time for Christmas (if you’re quick)!
Into the Thicklebit meets the coffee mug.
Details here.
Lois Lowry’s The Willoughbys is $1.99 on Kindle today.
New Thicklebit!
And a very nice review of Fox and Crow Are Not Friends at Jean Little Library:
…a fun new easy reader with a great text and illustrations. I hope these two will collaborate on more stories. I strongly recommend purchasing the library bound edition, as this is one that will be read again and again!
…back up to speed. Scott’s home, had a great time, has excellent brothers. I am working this afternoon, and it is delicious. Can’t blog yet, too much to catch up on, but today’s Thicklebit is another glimpse of the behind-the-scenes here in the Bloody Glen. BONNY. I meant Bonny, of course.
Scott’s out of town, ergo I am out of steam. All I can do today is link to the new Thicklebit. This is the one for which one of Scott’s panel descriptions read:
Mom is working in the kitchen. There’s a bunch of fruits and veggies on the counter. (This is the least realistic panel description I have ever written, and two days ago I wrote a shot description in which the Hulk picks up Thor and hurls him into the sky.)
Next week after he comes home, I will totally think of a witty comeback. For now, I have to go fold some laundry. LAUNDRY, you guys. Preposterous. Frederick the Mouse never had to do laundry, is all I’m saying.
The artist, working extremely hard
“That was so three seconds ago.” One of my favorite (and most bewildering) parenting moments ever.
…for now just a quick note to say there’s a new Thicklebit up!
I just spent two hours cleaning the playroom. Chased out so many spiders I feel like Aunt Sponge. Or was it Aunt Spiker? Either way. All the new crayons and glue sticks we bought at the super-bargain back-to-school sales now have their Very Own Drawer. That is the exciting news of my day. I’m not even kidding. Genuinely excited to open that drawer and see the array of Crayola boxes. I’m a cheap date.
Today’s Thicklebit comic is a particular favorite of mine…you may have heard the story here on Bonny Glen at some point.
And I was delighted to read my fellow GeekMom writer Amy Kraft’s take on Thicklebit at Wired today:
Each comic features one of those weird little moments. You know the ones I mean. Your kid says something strange and hilarious and you think, “How did I get here, in this moment, in this situation?”
We appreciate the shout-out!
In case you missed it, Scott wrote a post last week about how Thicklebit came into being. (I earned the title of webpixie over there because I’m always sneaking into his site and uploading pictures and reviews, since he never does it himself. Ahem.)
A non-Thicklebit piece of news: tomorrow, yippee!, is launch day for Fox and Crow Are Not Friends. So excited to get to share it with everyone. But more on that tomorrow…
