Book Picks of the Week

We’ve been reading a TON lately, mostly due to Big Brother’s desire to fill up his Summer Reading Sheet from our local library. For every 10 minutes a child reads (or is read to), he/she gets to color in one star. Once they fill up their star sheet (with 50 stars on it), they get a free book! Needless to say, my voice is getting a little hoarse. :)

I thought it would be fun to share each of our favorite books from the week!

Big Brother’s Pick:  Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin

Big Brother thinks this book is hilarious. I am personally not that big of a fan…it’s written in the form of a diary, therefore it doesn’t have much of a plot. Much of the humor is above his head, but he insists on reading this book again and again! :)

Little Brother’s Pick:  Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton

This is a well-loved book in our house. Both of our boys have loved reading this book from the time they were babies. The rhyme and natural rhythm of this book makes you want to tap your toys while reading! Sandra Boynton is one of my favorite authors of board books for babies and toddlers and this is one of our favorites of all her books (second perhaps only to Moo, Baa, La, La, La). :)

My Pick for Kids:  Ronnie Wilson’s Gift by Francis Chan

The author of the book Crazy Love, the most profound and inspiring book I’ve ever read, now writes children’s books as well! We already had the Big Red Tractor (which is GREAT) and we just got Ronnie Wilson’s Gift. We absolutely love it! The story is about a boy named Ronnie who is so touched by Jesus’ gift to us that he wants to give something back to Jesus. He decides he wants to give him his most loved possession:  an autographed baseball glove. The only problem is, he can’t find a way to get his gift to Heaven! While busy trying to solve his problem, Ronnie takes time to show kindness to three people he comes across (food to a homeless man, time playing with a neighbor child, and giving a balloon to a little girl who lost hers). Later, he has a dream where Jesus tells him “thank you” for the gifts. At the end of the book, Chan quotes Matthew 25:40:  “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers or mine, you did for me.” This book is the PERFECT opportunity to share with your child about how their kindness and generosity affects others and honors God!!!

My Pick for Moms:  Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen by Susan Gregg Gilmore

Earlier in the week, I asked those on my Facebook page if they had any fiction book recommendations. One reader left a suggestion for this book:  Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen. The title immediately grabbed my attention, so I quickly put it on hold at our local library. I picked it up and finished it in LESS THAN A DAY! I loved it! It’s a story about a young girl who grows up in a tiny town in Georgia back in the late 60s to early 70s. Catherine Grace, the protagonist of our story who also happens to be the preacher’s daughter, can’t wait to get out of town and start fulfilling her dreams. Up until her 18th birthday, she spends every Saturday licking a dilly bar on top of a picnic table at the Dairy Queen, dreaming of her getaway. The day she turns 18, she sets off for her new adventure, only to realize that she never really can run away from “home”. A tragedy helps her, and everyone else in town, to realize that everyone has a story, is flawed, and needs the grace and forgiveness of God and others. It’s a lighthearted read with a great message and lots of southern drama! There are a few naughty words sprinkled here and there, but it is still a very wholesome read.

What are some of your favorite books you’ve read lately, for kids and adults alike???

9 Comments

  1. That was a fantastic book! I really loved Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult. Fair warning: you will cry at the end of that book!

  2. My son and I are reading Magic Tree House: Abe Lincoln At Last. My son really enjoys reading the Magic Tree House books. We will be using our library card a lot this summer trying to read as many Magic Tree House books we can. I also enjoyed the childrens book Mice and Beans. It has a bit of spanish and is a really fun book to read.

  3. I had a feeling you’d enjoy that book! So glad that I wrote it down on your wall. I read it last summer, so I must admit that I forgot about the language. I love those well-written novels, the only problem is– you read them in a couple of days and then you need to find another one!! :)

  4. My 3.5 year old loved Diary of A Worm. Go figure! I picked it up at the library because we’re big Click, Clack, Moo fans :)

  5. Aww I have to totally agree with Big Brother, Diary of a Worm is one of my favorites! It’s an awesome book to introduce letter/journal writing, it was for sure one of my top read-aloud picks when I taught 2nd grade. :)

    1. You’re right about it being great for introducing journal writing…I hadn’t thought of that! :) I thought it was pretty funny, but thought some of the jokes most preschoolers wouldn’t really “get”. :)

  6. I didn’t know Francis Chan was writing children’s books now! How exciting! Thanks for sharing all that you do! I get so many ideas from you!

  7. I will be picking up diary of a worm at my library next time we go. Thans for the great book suggestions. My son really enjoys reading the scrambled states of america and the scrambled states of america talent show. He reads those books almost everyday. These books are a fun way to learn about the 50 states.

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