Book Review: Finding Flannery by Christina Brajkovich, Karen Anne Mahoney, and Roxane B. Salonen (ARC)

Any time I meet a Flannery O'Connor fan, I find myself feeling that I have found a kindred spirit. I encountered three such women in Finding Flannery: A Travel Memoir Exploring the Mystique of Flannery O'Connor and the Legacy She Has Left Us All. In this unique memoir told in three voices, Christina Brajkovich, Karen Anne Mahoney, and Roxane B. Salonen shared the story of their trio's visit to Flannery's home, Andalusia, and surrounding landmarks in Flannery's hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia. Each chapter of this book focuses on a different aspect of Flannery's legacy: her faith, her writing, her perseverance in the face of illness, her relationship with her mother, her friendships, etc. Within every chapter, each of the authors has a section marked by individual birds they chose to represent themselves, and each one reflects on the theme of that chapter. The result of this three-part narration is the sense that the reader is in conversation with fellow travelers, all of whom love and appreciate Flannery.

I have long wished I could visit Andalusia, but this book is truly the next best thing. I loved experiencing Flannery's world vicariously through these three writers' eyes and I enjoyed hearing how they discovered Flannery and became so interested in her. I've read a lot about Flannery, so a lot of what they discussed was familiar ground for me, but there were little tidbits here and there that were new to me, and some fresh perspectives I had not considered. I think my favorite part was the chapter focused on Flannery's relationship with her mother, Regina, and on Regina herself as a mother. I have always found their dynamic fascinating, and it was interesting to see each writer reflect on it.

Flannery fans will adore this book, but I think it might also win over some Flannery skeptics, who, even if they struggle with her fiction, won't be able to resist her personality and strong faith after spending time with these devoted fans. I'm grateful to Roxane for the review copy. It's going on my Flannery shelf!

Read-at-Home Mom Report: October 2025

October Favorites

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

I love Hemingway's writing. This was really sad, and I didn't love it as much as The Sun Also Rises, but I still really enjoyed it. I also loved learning that he wrote so many different endings before deciding on one. 

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan
I always enjoy Sarah Morgan's holiday books. This was a perfect blend of family drama and romance.

The Shock of Holiness: The Romance of Everyday Life by Michael Pakaluk 
I reviewed this excellent essay for Catholic Mom. Read my review for my full thoughts.

Ordinary Jack: Being the First Part of the Bagthorpe Saga by Helen Cresswell
This was a hilarious and entertaining read aloud. The kids loved it, and so did I. 

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 11 years, 10 months)

*She provided the star ratings.

• Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinneli ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

C. (girl, 10 years, 1 month)

• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 
• Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo
• When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 
• The Rescuers by Margery Sharp
• Veronica Ganz by Marilyn Sachs 

E. (girl, 8 years)

• This New Land by G. Clifton Wisler
• The Man Who Was Don Quixote by Rafaello Busoni (selected sections)
• The Adventures of Don Quixote by Leighton Barret and illustrated by Warren Chappell  (selected sections)
• Homes in the Wilderness: A Pilgrim's Journal of Plymouth Plantation in 1620 by William Bradford

R. (boy, 5 years, 7 months)

• Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
• Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
• White Bird by Clyde Robert Bulla 
• Summer Magic by Ruth Chew 
• The Hidden Cave by Ruth Chew 
• Halloween Treats by Carolyn
• The Little Leftover Witch by Florence Laughlin 

A. (girl, 5 years, 7 months)

She read a ton of easy readers, including: 

• The Tortoise's Gift by Lari Don
• Never Trust a Tiger by Lari Don
• I Wish I Was a Wolf by Jennifer Bove
• I Wish I was a Llama by Jennifer Bove
• I Wish I Was a Gorilla by Jennifer Bove
• I Wish I was a Kangaroo by Jennifer Bove
• I Wish I was a Monarch Butterfly by Jennifer Bove
• The Witch Who was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low
• Gus Gets Scared by Frank Remkiewicz
• Hoot, Owl! by Shelby Alinsky
• Slither, Snake! by Shelby Alinsky
• Emmett's Pig by Mary Stolz
• Railroad Engineers and Airplane Pilots: What Do They Do? by Carla Greene
• Hidden Animals by Millicent E. Selsam
• Edgar the Super Dolphin by Nathaniel Benchley
• George the Drummer Boy by Nathaniel Benchley
• Monkey Friends by Edward W. Dolch 
• Tony's Birds by Millicent E. Selsam
• Woodchuck by Faith McNulty
• Happy Jack by Malcolm Carrick
• The Bug that Laid the Golden Eggs by Millicent E. Selsam
• This is the House Where Jack Lives by Joan Heilbroner 
• Warton and Morton by Russell E. Erickson
• Who's a Pest by Crosby Bonsall
• Tom and the Two Handles by Russell Hoban 
• Abu Ali by Dorothy O. Van Woerkom
• Baltimore Orioles by Barbara Brenner
• Elephant Seal Island by Evelyn Shaw
• Steven and the Green Turtle by William J. Cromie
• Seahorse by Robert A. Morris
• Flap Your Wings by P.D. Eastman 

My husband 

• American Sons: The Untold Story of the Falcon and the Snowman by Christopher Boyce
• Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
• The Haunted Bookshop by Christopher Morley
• Bilgewater by Jane Gardam

 

Read-at-Home Mom Report: September 2025

September Favorites

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins
The romance in this is not completely closed door, but the descriptions are tame compared to a lot of what's out there. I gave it five stars despite a few things I didn't like because the writing was impeccable, I loved the library setting, and I was deeply invested in the slow burn romance.  

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande 
My writing friend Jenn recommended this to me, and I listened to the audiobook. I will never write in the morning as the author suggests, but a lot of her other advice was very practical and no-nonsense. I would read this again. 

Pumpkin Patch Proposal by Susanne Ash
I especially liked this cozy little fall romance from the Alphabet Sweethearts series.

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl, 11 years, 10 months)
*she provided the star rating 

• We Alcotts by Aileen Fisher and Olive Rabe ⭐⭐

C. (girl, 10 years)

• The Moved-Outers by Florence Crannell Means 
• Staying Nine by Pam Conrad 

E. (girl, 7 years, 11 months)

• The King's Beard by Leonard Wibberly 
• The Patchwork Girl of Oz by L. Frank Baum

*The twins have been reading so many books, I can't keep track of them all. But here are some highlights.  

R. (boy, 5 years, 7 months)

• Elisa series by Johanna Hurwitz
• Tree House Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner 
• Snowbound Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner 
• Caboose Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner 

A. (girl, 5 years, 7 months)

• Arnold Lobel easy readers
• Mildred and Sam easy readers
• Johnny Lion easy readers 

My husband 

• A Few Fair Days by Jane Gardam 

Homeschool Summer Session 2025

Because we moved right at the end of the summer, I am behind on homeschool updates, so there will be a few posts in a row as I play catch-up. 

Our summer session this year ran from June to mid-August, and it included history, science, math, Latin, reading, writing, and P.E. 

For history, each of the three older girls had an assigned American history book or series to read. M. (11) read Story of America by John A. Garraty, C. (9) read the Drama of American History series by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln Collier and E. (7) read the American Story picture book series by Betsy and Giulio Maestro. Together with me they watched Early American History: Native Americans Through the Forty-Niners with Linwood Thompson from the Great Courses.

For science, everyone, including R. (5) and A. (5), listened to me read aloud Archimedes and the Door of Science by Jeanne Bendick, and we watched a series called Full Proof through a service offered by the public library.  

M. and I worked our way through some lessons from Jensen's Format Writing to help her learn to write well organized paragraphs. 

All three girls watched videos and did exercises from So You Really Want to Learn Latin? 

All five kids went to the pool a lot and everyone is now a capable swimmer. 

Read-at-Home Mom Report: August 2025

August Favorites

No images this month because we just moved, and I'm behind on everything. August wasn't a great reading month, but here are my favorites.

Light in August by William Faulkner
I always love Faulkner. I didn't understand everything in this book, but I followed a good YouTube discussion and really appreciated the excellent, if odd, writing. 

The Bicycle Messenger by Joan Elizabeth Bauer 
I was on the launch team for this beautiful Catholic novel about generational trauma. Chrism Press only publishes five-star books, and this was no exception. 

A Few Fair Days by Jane Gardam 
This vintage middle grade collection of vignettes set in England between the world wars made me laugh out loud, and it's also one of the best-written books I've read in a long time.  Just a delight. 

Kindly Penned by Susanne Ash
I really enjoyed this installment in the Alphabet Sweethearts series. This one involved notes in a Little Free Library, so of course I loved it. 

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl, 11 years, 9 months)

(She provided the ratings, so I figured I'd share them!)

• Little Men by Louisa May Alcott ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• No Time Like Show Time by Michael Hoeye ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Little House in Brookfield by Maria D. Wilkes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Little Town at the Crossroads by Maria D. Wilkes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Little Clearing in the Woods by Maria D. Wilkes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• About the B'nai Bagels by E.L. Konigsburg ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• On Top of Concord Hill by Maria D. Wilkes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• The Black Stallion by Walter Farley ⭐⭐⭐
• The Noonday Friends by Mary Stolz ⭐⭐⭐⭐

C. (girl, 9 years, 11 months)

• Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney 
• Amy and Laura by Marilyn Sachs 
• The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur 
• About the B'nai Bagels by E.L. Konigsburg 
• The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
• The Noonday Friends by Mary Stolz 
• The Black Stallion by Walter Farley 
• Doctor Dolittle on the Moon by Hugh Lofting 
• Beyond the Heather Hills by Melissa Wiley 
• High-Rise Secret by Lois Lenski 
• The BFG by Roald Dahl 
• Fog Magic by Julia L. Sauer 
• Underground Alley by William Mayne 
• Black Beauty by Anna Sewell 
• The Gauntlet by Ronald Welch 
• Blue Willow by Doris Gates 

E. (girl, 7 years, 10 months)

• The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum
• High-Rise Secret by Lois Lenski 
• What Katy Did at School by Susan Coolidge 

R. (boy, 5 years, 6 months)

• The Happy Hollisters and the Sea Turtle Mystery by Jerry West
• The Happy Hollisters at Pony Hill Farm by Jerry West
• Danny Dunn and the Anti-Gravity Paint by Jay Williams 
• Danny Dunn on a Desert Island by Jay Williams 
• Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective by Donald Sobol 
• Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch by Donald Sobol
• Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
• The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner 

A. (girl, 5 years, 6 months)

• Bears on Wheels by Stan Berenstain
• Go Dog Go By P.D. Eastman
• Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire 
• Robert the Rose Horse by Joan Heilbroner 
• More Tales of Oliver Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen 
• Johnny Lion's Bad Day by Edith Thacher Hurd 
• A Fish Out of Water by Helen Marion Palmer 
• More Riddles by Bennett Cerf 
• Uncle Elephant by Arnold Lobel 
• Because a Little Bug Went Ka-Choo! by Rosetta Stone 

My husband 

• Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody  (this was an audiobook we all listened to in the car)
• A Few Fair Days by Jane Gardam

Read-at-Home Mom Report: July 2025

July Favorites

This was a month of mostly four-star reads, but there were a few five-star standouts. 

Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald

This is one of the best books I've read this year. It reminded me of Anne Tyler, who is my favorite. 

The Triplets' Summer Adventure by Laurel Blount

This is a Harlequin romance, but it is one of the best-written clean romances I've read. I was surprised to be very impressed.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner

I loved this series, and this was a fitting conclusion. 

Seas the Dating Coach by Laura Langa 

The dialogue in this one is excellent. I have the novella (Holiday Tides) that belongs to this series (Wilks Beach) on my Kindle and plan to read it soon. 

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 11 years, 8 months)

• The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens 
• Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
• Strider by Beverly Cleary
• Henry Reed's Journey by Keith Robertson 
• Little Men by Louisa May Alcott 

C. (girl, 9 years, 10 months)

• Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
• The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum 
• Maida's Little House by Inez Haynes Gillmore 

E. (girl, 7 years, 9 months)

• The Orphelines and the Enchanted Castle by Natalie Savage Carlson
• Martin the Warrior by Brian Jacques

R. (boy, 5 years, 4 months)

• The Bathwater Gang by Jerry Spinelli 
• The Ghost of Windy Hill by Clyde Robert Bulla 
• Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla
• The Street of the Flower Boxes by Peggy Mann
• Margaret and Taylor by Kevin Henkes 
• The Sword in the Tree by Clyde Robert Bulla 
• My Friend the Monster by Clyde Robert Bulla 
• Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
• Henry and Beezus by Beverly Cleary
• Henry and Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
• Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary
• The Tree House Mystery by Carol Beach York
• Key to the Treasure by Peggy Parish
• Hermit Dan by Peggy Parish
• Lester and Mother by Myra McGee
• C is for Cupcake by Carolyn Wood 
• Heartwood Hotel: The Greatest Gift by Kallie George 
• Heartwood Hotel: Better Together by Kallie George 
• Heartwood Hotel: Home Again by Kallie George 

A. (girl, 5 years, 4 months)

• The Whales Go By by Fred Phleger 
• Small Pig by Arnold Lobel
• Mouse Tales by Arnold Lobel 

My husband

• Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
• The Story of Science in America by L. Sprague de Camp

Read-at-Home Mom Report: June 2025

June Favorites 

*I'm behind this month, so I'm going to take a break from adding book covers so that I can get this posted in a timely manner! 

The 10: A Memoir of Family and the Open Road by E. A. Hanks
This author was a year behind me in college, and we were dorm neighbors, but I don't think we ever actually met. I read this out of curiosity, and because her dad is Tom Hanks, but I was pleasantly surprised by how excellent the writing is, and I stuck with the book for its own merits and not the celebrity connection. 

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
This was a re-read, my third time reading it since high school. I love all these twentieth century American novels, but I think I actually slightly prefer The Sun Also Rises. 

Meet Me at Wonderland by Julia de Villiers 
This YA workplace romance was very sweet and exactly like the books I remember borrowing from the library in my early teens. It was just a cozy, gentle feel-good story with a quirky setting and absolutely nothing objectionable. 

A Long Way from Verona by Jane Gardam
This vintage British children's novel published in the 70s and written about WWII has a strong first-person voice that really grabbed me, and I loved the unique flavor of the author's writing. I also appreciated the very resilient attitude it had about things like bombings. 

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis 
I didn't want to finish this series because I was afraid the ending would be sad. I wasn't exactly right about that, and I'm actually really impressed that I went so long in life without reading it and no one spoiled it for me. A beautiful, fitting ending, and one of my favorites of the seven. 

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 
I remember hating this book in 7th grade, but after reading it aloud to my kids I had to change my Goodreads rating from one to five stars. The writing is so vivid, and the story has so much more depth than my 12-year-old mind took from it. 

Everything's Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh 
Another hit from a favorite author! This was more women's fiction than romance, which is fine with me. I loved the retirement community setting, the sweet romance, and most of all, watching Rosie come into her own. 

Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! by Fannie Flagg 

This was another re-read, inspired by the fact that I found the final book of this series at a book sale on our family visit to New York. I read it the first time when I was in college, and I liked it just as well this time.

Riley + Sam by Ashley Schaller

I read an ARC of this forthcoming YA romance, and it was so adorable! I am always a big fan of a side character with a big personality, and Riley's younger cousin, Lou Lou, is my new favorite. 

DNF

• Life and Art: Essays by Richard Russo 
• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry 
• Sing Me Home to Carolina by Joy Callaway (but I'm planning to try this one again)

Read-Alouds 

• Rich Inheritance by Winefride Nolan (with me) 
• A Boy of Old Prague by Sulamith Ish-Kishor (with Dad)
• Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques (audiobook in the car)

Family Reading Lists 

M. (11 years, 7 months)

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
  (She finally finished it! And every single one of her predictions was wrong. Poor girl.) 

C. (9 years, 9 months) 

• Americans to the Moon: The Story of Project Apollo by Gene Gurney
• Moonshot by Brian Floca 
• The Honest Dollar by Dorothy Simpson 

E. (7 years, 8 months)

• Mattimeo by Brian Jacques
• Dr. Dolittle's Garden by Hugh Lofting 
• Curious Missie by Virginia Sorensen
• The Road to Oz by L. Frank Baum

R. (5 years, 3 months)

• The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery by Jerry West  
• Rip-Roaring Russell by Johanna Hurwitz
• Busybody Nora by Johanna Hurwitz
• Two Times the Fun by Beverly Cleary 
• Riding the Pony Express by Clyde Robert Bulla 
• Heartwood Hotel Book 1: A True Home by Kallie George 
• Thimbleberry Stories by Cynthia Rylant 

A. (5 years, 3 months)

• Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik 
• Father Bear Comes Home by Else Holmelund Minarik 
• A Kiss for Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik 
• More Tales of Oliver Pig by Jean Van Leeuwen 

My husband 

• Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques
• A Long Way from Verona by Jane Gardam
• A Boy of Old Prague by Sulamith by Ish-Kishor
• Rich Inheritance by Winefride Nolan
• The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading by Sam Leith 

Homeschool Update: March -June 2025

All Grades

Latin

We finished Keep Going with Latin and started So You Really Want to Learn Latin? Book 1 by Nicholas Oulton. We are watching the videos and doing one exercise per day and will continue through the summer.

Memorization

M. memorized the Preamble to the Constitution. C. memorized "The Ballad of William Sycamore" by Stephen Vincent Benet and "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll and is learning "What is so rare as a day in June?"  E. is still slowly working on "Casabianca" by Felicia Hemans.

Catechism

During Lent, we prayed for two seminarians and did a "Jesus Tree" with daily Bible readings. We also prayed with Veronica Brandt's YouTube videos for the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

Art

In March, we studied: 

• The Large Turf by Albrecht Dürer 
• The Gleaners by Jean Francois Millet
• The Boy Lincoln by Eastman Johnson
  
• Little Dancer Aged Fourteen by Edgar Degas

In April, we studied: 

• The Letter by Mary Cassatt
• The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
• The Broncho Buster by Frederic Remington
• Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

In May, we studied: 

• The Country School by Winslow Homer
• I Wait by Julia Margaret Cameron
• The Water Lily Pond by Claude Monet
  
• Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

In June, we studied: 

• Cloud Study by John Constable
• Cockroaches and Flowering Pineapple Moth, Larva, Pupa and Beetle on Citron by Maria Sibylla Merian
• The Torn Hat by Thomas Sully
  
• Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

Music 

The girls have continued watching Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts on Wednesday evenings, as well as some additional musical performances. All three continue to practice recorder and piano daily. C. is also practicing ukulele. They participated in a recital in May and planned an additional recital on their own at home for Father's Day. R. has begun piano. 

5th Grade (M., girl, age 11)

Social Studies 

M. finished the rest of Oxford's Medieval & Early Modern World textbook series. She watched related Great Courses episodes and completed workbook pages daily. Together, she and I watched Birth of the Modern Mind, a Great Course taught by Alan Charles Kors. 

Science 

M. continued watching John Long's Great Courses videos about robotics and did Arduino activities from Arduino for Beginners. 

English 

M. made further progress in Editor in Chief, Sentence Diagramming Level 2, and Easy Grammar, and she finished Vocabulary from Classical Roots C. 

Math

M. is still reviewing Algebra I on Khan Academy and she continues to work on Life of Fred: Pre-Algebra 1 with Biology. 

3rd Grade (C., girl, age 9)

Social Studies

C.'s studies of the 20th century continued past WWII to include the Korean War, the Berlin Airlift, the Civil Rights Movement, the Beatles (she's now a huge fan), the space race and the moon landing, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, suburbia, television, teenagers, Elvis, etc. 

English

C. continued working on Sentence Diagramming Level 2, Daily Grams, and she finished Vocabulary from Classical Roots A. 

Science 

C. continued working independently on The Book of Birds, and she finished ahead of schedule.She finished reading Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker and watching The Mystery of Matter. 

Math

C. completed all the reviews in Singapore 4B and 5A.  She is close to finishing  Life of Fred: Ice Cream. She finished Khan Academy 8th grade math and moved into Algebra I . 

1st Grade (E., girl, age 7)

Social Studies 

E. and I finished the year with Story of Civilization (just for the Reformation and Counter-Reformation) and Builders of the Old World. We read a (heavily biased) picture biography of Martin Luther, and she read picture books about Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare. 

Science 

We finished the year with books from Isaac Asimov's How Did We Find Out About series about light and lasers. 

English

E. continued working in Sentence Diagramming Beginning and Easy Grammar Workbook 3-4. 

Math

E. finished continued with Singapore Primary Mathematics 3A and finished Life of Fred: Edgewood. She is currently in Life of Fred: Farming and finished 6th grade math on Khan Academy and moved on to 7th, where she is currently 39% finished. 

Pre-K (R., boy, age 5 & A., girl, age 5)

The twins turned 5 in March. 

We finished The Golden Book of Cavemen and read Getting to Know the Hudson River.

A. finished all the Hooked on Phonics readers and started reading other easy readers. She has worked her way up to Little Bear and Oliver Pig.

Both twins worked on Early Math Review in Khan Academy and practiced with the soroban. R. completed early math review, kindergarten and first grade and is currently in second.  

R. is reading chapter books by Carolyn Haywood, Beverly Cleary, Johanna Hurwitz, etc.

Read-At-Home-Mom Report: May 2025

May Favorites

A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg

I have read almost all of Konigsburg's books, and I didn't know whether to expect this to be one of the weird ones or not. It turned out to be excellent in every way. I loved all the scenes that took place in heaven (even if the author's understanding of Purgatory was a bit unusual) and I loved the ironic tone, the different voices of the different narrators, and the personality of Eleanor of Aquitane. 

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

This author is so talented. This isn't just a romance, but also a story about caregiving for a relative with dementia. It was handled so well, and I was so invested in every single character. 

The Wondrous Nature of Being Alive, edited by Ali Noel

A bunch of my friends have poems in this beautiful collection of nature poetry. I enjoyed almost all of these, and I hope there will be more like this from Twenty Hills!

Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel

George Weigel was a lector at the church we attended pre-Covid, and I've always wanted to read something by him. This ended up being a great choice for me, as it talks about all my favorite Catholic things: Flannery O'Connor, St. Peter, Brideshead Revisited, etc. If I knew a young Catholic couple, I'd give them this and Emily Stimpson Chapman's Letters to Myself from the End of the World to read together. 

I Hope You Remember: Poems on Loving, Longing, and Living by Josie Balka

I saw this poet read one poem on social media, and I was skeptical that the rest of the collection would be just as good. But it was! These type of relatable, everyday poems are so accessible and fun to enjoy. 

KissMet Quarterly: Spring Issue by Micromance Magazine 

I was so pleased to see this finally out in the world! Micromance is a year old now, and it has been such a fun part of my writing life. It was an honor to be in the inaugural issue of its print publication. 

Read-Alouds

• Blue Ridge Billy by Lois Lowry
  My children united in their love for this book and their hatred for supporting female character Sarey Sue. (She was kind of a know-it-all.) This ended up giving us a great opportunity to learn more about Appalachian dialect and music. 
• The Wheel on the School by Meindert deJong
  I should have re-read my review before reading this aloud. It was a slog as a read-aloud and would have been better for the girls to read independently. 
• The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
  We technically finished this in June, but we read most of it in May. I remembered hating this book in 7th grade, and my Goodreads rating was set at one star, but I quickly amended that to five. This is a lovely book. 
• Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal by by Robert T. Reilly (with Dad)
• The Woolpack by Cynthia Harnett (with Dad) 
• The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick (audio in the car)
  This was a good one to finish on Memorial Day, since it's about the Civil War. 

Family Reading Lists

M. (11 years, 6 months)

• Little Women by Louisa M. Alcott (still in progress)

C. (9 years, 8 months) 

• Down to the Bonny Glen by Melissa Wiley
• Burying of the Sun by Gloria Whelan

E. (7 years, 7 months) 

• No Flying in the House by Betty Brock

R. (5 years, 2 months)

• Eddie series by Carolyn Haywood 
• Chime Travelers series by Lisa Hendey 

A. (5 years, 2 months)

• Who's a Pest? by Crosby Bonsall 
• Go, Dog, Go! by P.D. Eastman 
• Bears on Wheels by Stan and Jan Berenstain
• Old Hat, New Hat by Stan and Jan Berenstain 
• Put Me in the Zoo by Robert Lopshire
• Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
• Ten Apples Up on Top by Dr. Seuss 

Picture Book Review Copies 

*All of these were sent to me for review from Simon & Schuster.

Where the Deer Slip Through by Katey Howes, illustrated by Beth Krommes

This is not as strong as previous titles (by other authors) illustrated by this artist. The pictures are fine, but the rhythm and rhyme of the text feel off. I was sad to read the author's obituary from Publisher's Weekly. 

She was only 47. 

Where Are You, Bronte? by Tomie dePaola, illustrated by Barbara McClintock

This is another posthumous book written by the late Tomie dePaola, and illustrated by McClintock in his style. It's a tribute to his dog, told as a litany of memories interspersed with the question: "Where are you?" I was worried this was going to be an "all dogs go to heaven" situation, but instead it focuses on how our lost animals live on in our memories. We don't have pets, but if I were a Catholic looking for a book about the loss of a pet that didn't get into the question of heaven, I'd put this on my list. I'm probably not going to keep it, myself, but it was better than I expected. 

Bear Feels Sad by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

All of my kids were excited to see this show up. In this installment, Bear is sad because all of his friends are busy doing other things. It follows the exact same formula as many of the other titles, and didn't feel especially fresh or new to me. It also bothered me that Bear couldn't find any ways to amuse himself that didn't involve other people. Learning to be comfortable alone now and then is a valuable skill, and this book missed its opportunity to talk about that. 

Who Meows? by Robin Page 

This is a very straightforward animal sounds book for babies and toddlers. The highlight for me was the illustrations, which are just huge faces of each animal mentioned. If I were doing a baby story time, I'd put this in the mix for sure. My youngest (A., the girl twin) who is an emerging reader was able to sound out most of the text, so it was good for us in that way, but I'm probably going to pass this on to someone with a younger child.

Cows and Sheep and Chicks That Cheep by Douglas Florian 

This is a new farm-themed poetry collection from an author with many picture book poetry collections. I have to admit that this isn't his best. A lot of the rhymes are obvious, and he reuses the same twist ending for multiple poems. I also felt like the artwork was more childish than childlike this time. 

The Monarch by Kirsten Hall, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault 

This is a nature picture book with some comic book elements (speech bubbles, etc.) that details the life cycle of a monarch butterfly. I feel like we've seen a lot of books like this, and there isn't anything especially remarkable about this one, and it would be hard to read aloud with the way the text is spread across the page and uses speech bubbles. It's a nice book, but probably not one we will keep.

Into the Deep Blue Sea by Joel Stern, illustrated by Vivan Mineker

I requested this pop-up book for my ocean-loving son, and I was right to predict that he would love it. Most of the information he already knew, and the text was a bit babyish for a 5 year old, but he absolutely loved the pop-ups and tried to stay up reading it at bedtime. 

Read-at-Home Mom Report: April 2025

April Favorites 

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith
I binged this series until I ran out of books, and now I'm not-so-patiently awaiting the next installment in September. Each new book has been better than the last, so The Running Grave is my current favorite. 

The Cupid Chronicles by Courtney Walsh
I think this is Courtney Walsh's best book to date. I loved the light fantasy element (a newspaper that directs its recipient to help a specific neighbor with a specific need), and I was deeply invested in Iris and Matteo. 

Seashells and Other Souvenirs by Rachel Lawrence

My kindred writing spirit wrote this book, and it's so good! It comes out in June, and you don't want to miss it.  

First Love, Second Draft by Becca Kinzer
I don't always like romances where divorced couples reconcile, but this one was really well done. I loved the mix of humor and serious issues, and all the baseball references.

The Meet-Cute Manuscript by Kim Duffy 

My review from Netgalley:
This romance is such a delight! I have a soft spot for novels about writers, but this one really stands out as special. I love the premise of the story - that a Regency romance novelist gets to live out a Regency-style romance in the present day - and Kim Duffy executes it masterfully. I enjoyed Frankie and Graham both as individuals and as a couple, and I loved the role Graham's sister Eleanor played in their budding romance. The setting was also fascinating, and I enjoyed the freshness of Duffy's writing voice, which is distinctive and different from a lot of other writers in the best possible way. This is one of the best romances I've read in 2025, and I hope Kim Duffy will write another contemporary book!

Good Things out of Nazareth: The Uncollected Letters of Flannery O'Connor and Friends

This was excellent on audio, and I learned several things I had never heard before about Flannery and her circle of friends. 

Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life by Maggie Smith 
This was directed more toward poetry and creative nonfiction than fiction, but it still had lots of valuable nuggets of wisdom for all writers. The best sections were the ones that stayed away from self-help-style advice. 

How to Tell a True Story by Tricia Springstubb
This author has been a favorite of mine since my library days, and this was another excellent work of realistic fiction. 

Read-Alouds

• Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
• Follow My Leader by James B. Garfield (read to E. only)
• To Dream Upon a Crown (read by Dad)

Family Reading Lists

M. (girl, 11 years, 5 months)

• Friday's Tunnel by John Verney
• The BFG by Roald Dahl

C. (girl, 9 years, 7 months)

• The Second Skater of the Apocalypse by Fiorella de Maria
• Gandhi, Fighter without a Sword by Jeanette Eaton 
• Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman
• Launching of Sputnik by Gene Gurney
• You Choose: Space Race by Rebecca Stefoff
• Julie and the Queen of Tonga by Rachel Anderson 
• You Choose: The Civil Rights Movement by Heather Adamson

E. (girl, 7 years, 6 months)

• Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum
• Floating Island by Anne Parrish

R. (boy, 5 years, 1 month)

• Dan Frontier Goes to Congress by William Hurley 
• Adventures of Lewis and Clark by Ormonde De Kay 
• John Billington: Friend of Squanto by Clyde Robert Bulla
• Eddie's Menagerie by Carolyn Haywood 

A. (girl, 5 years, 1 month)

• Oh Cats! by Nola Buck
• Bears on Wheels by Stan and Jan Berenstain
• Sid and Sam by Nola Buck
• No Funny Business by Edith Thacher Hurd 
• How Many Fish by Caron Lee Cohen

My husband 

• Bailey's Window by Anne Lindbergh
• Harding's Luck by E. Nesbit 
• To Dream upon a Crown by Joanne Williamson (read-aloud)

Read-at-Home Mom Report: March 2025

March Favorites

Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
I'm binge-reading the rest of this series so I can read the new one when it comes out this fall. Each book is better than the last!

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis 
I read this for book club, and it was so good! I don't know how I went so long without reading it. 

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair 
This new rom-com series with a hint of magic is so fun! This first book was really entertaining, and has made me want to read all the rest.

Northargyle Abbie by Janelle Leonard

I was on the launch team for this new royalty romance retelling of Northanger Abbey, and it was an absolute delight. 

Seeking Space and Time by Amy Schisler 
This book came onto my radar before the others in the series, so I started here. I definitely would have gotten a bit more out of it if I'd read the earlier books, but I enjoyed it so much on its own as well. I plan to read a lot more by this author. I loved that this book followed a child prodigy trying to live like a normal teen after graduating college at seventeen, and I loved how the story connects faith and science. 

The Second Skater of the Apocalypse by Fiorella de Maria
I'm working on a review of this middle grade book for Catholic Mom. It's the second in a series, it's set during the early days of Covid, and both I and my nine year old loved it.  

Alphabet Sweethearts series by Susanne Ash
I am loving this series of very short novellas. I've read three so far: Apple Pie Promises, Blossoms and New Beginnings, and Coffeehouse Confessions. 

Read-Aloud

• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink 

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl, 11 years, 4 months)

• Meet the Austins by Madeleine L'Engle 
• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
• Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
• Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Joan Lee Latham
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
• A Gathering of Days by Joan W. Blos
• Holes by Louis Sachar 
• See You Around, Sam by Lois Lowry (read aloud to R.)

C. (girl, 9 years, 6 months)

• Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr 
• The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
• Pancakes-Paris by Clare Huchet Bishop
• The Ark by Margot Benary-Isbert
• The Impossible Journey by Gloria Whelan  
• Ben-Gurion and the Birth of Israel by Joan Comay
• Up and Down the River by Rebecca Caudill (read aloud to A.)
• Eliza and the Flower Fairies by Megan McDonald (read aloud to A.)

E. (girl, 7 years, 5 months)

• The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder 
• Good Masters, Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton 
• Dr. Dolittle's Zoo by Hugh Lofting 
• The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson 
• Emily's Runaway Imagination by Beverly Cleary

R. (boy, 5 years)

• Captain of the City Streets by Esther Averill 
• Tim Alone by Edward Ardizzone 
• Shark Frenzy by Flying Frog Publishing 
• Meet Robert E. Lee by George Swift Trow 
• Here Comes the Bus by Carolyn Haywood 
• Happy Birthday from Carolyn Haywood 
• Away Went the Balloons by Carolyn Haywood
• Meet John F. Kennedy by Nancy Bean White

A. (girl, 5 years)

• When Andy Met Sandy by Tomie dePaola
• Andy & Sandy's Anything Adventure by Tomie dePaola
• Andy & Sandy and the First Snow by Tomie dePaola
• Andy & Sandy and the Big Talent Show by Tomie dePaola
• Snow by Roy McKie
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss 
• Love is in the Air by Jonathan Fenske
• Come and Have Fun by Edith Thacher Hurd

My husband

• Galen and the Gateway to Medicine by Jeanne Bendick
• What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley
• The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron (read aloud)

Picture Book Review Copies 

To Keep (For Now)

Review copies rarely become permanent parts of our collection, but these are the ones that will linger for an extended stay. 

• The Pollinator Count by Susan Edwards Richmond and Stephanie Fizer Coleman (4/15/25). The Pollinator Count is a follow-up to a family favorite, The Bird Count. Though the setting is a classroom, it models backyard science for anyone who wants to try it, and works great for homeschooling as well. The story has a lot of information embedded within it, but there is also some nice back matter for further reading. 
• So Tortoise Dug by Emmy Kastner. This book is similar to The Mitten, except that a tortoise keeps having to dig more rooms for all the creatures who want to move into his underground burrow while his roommate, Mouse, is away. The artwork is bold and colorful and there are a lot of fun fonts that make up the text. It's a little busy to look at, but a fun read-aloud. 
• In the Desert by David Elliott, illustrated by Gordy Wright. We have all of these nonfiction poetry titles by David Elliott, and this latest one doesn't disappoint. Elliott reminds me of another favorite poet, Douglas Florian, who also writes clever poems about animals. R. was very pleased to see a number of creepy and/or disgusting creatures in here, including a deathstalker scorpion. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Stalactite and Stalagmite by Drew Breckmeyer. This book introduces the concept of natural history by following two characters, a stalactite and a stalagmite, as they grow together into a column over a period of thousands of years. The text is written as dialogue without any quotation marks, so the speaker of each line is indicated by the color of the words, which is a little confusing, but I enjoyed it, and so did the kids who read it. There is just the right amount of back matter in the book to contextualize the story.
• Are We There Yet? The First Road Trip Across the USA by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley. I really like this one, even though the text is too small. The pictures are really fun and engaging, and it's neat to see how old cars operated and all the challenges of making a road trip before the roads were equipped to handle that kind of travel over long distances. Elementary readers interested in vehicles and transportation will like this a lot. 
• You're a Poet by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Sam Usher. This is a fun introduction to writing poetry with a little piglet in overalls as the star. The pig is seriously adorable, and the suggestions for writing poetry inspired by everyday life really resonated with C., my budding poet. 

To Donate 

These aren't a fit for us and will be added to the next round of donations.

• Hap-Pea Easter by Keith Baker. The rhythm of the rhyming text in this one is off compared to other books from this series. It's also a very secular Easter book, and it seems to conflate Easter with the first day of spring. The pictures are very cute, and there is some talk of dying eggs, but it feels empty without the true meaning of the holiday. 
• Can't Stop Kissing that Baby by K.L. Going and Fiona Lee. The author of this book is from my hometown. The text reminds me a lot of More More More said the Baby, but it was somewhat awkward to read aloud. The illustrations include a family with a mom and a dad and a family with two moms. 
• Chicka Chicka I Love Mom and Chicka Chicka I Love Dad
  It's so strange to me that alphabet books would be so bad at introducing letter sounds. In both of these books, the rhythm and rhyme don't quite work, and almost none of the letters are associated with their sounds. The Mom version lost me when it used the abbreviation "j/k," and the Dad one reuses about half of the text from the Mom one, but it has its own poor use of those same letters. These will be donated. 
• River's Journey by Sally M. Walker and Kim Smith and Rock's Journey by Sally M. Walker and Kim Smith.  My kingdom for a preschool science book that isn't too simple or too complicated. These are board books, and their rhyming text is decent, but they're too short and simple for what I wanted to use them to teach. I would have loved these when I was doing story time, especially since the River one has a repeated refrain kids can join in on, but I don't have kids at this level anymore. I might pop these into a Little Free Library, though. They are well-done, just not for us anymore. 
• If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possiblity by Irene Latham and Charles Waters, illustrated by Olivia Sua. This collection of poems explores the power of imagination. A couple of the poets were familiar, but most are new to me. The pictures use mixed media, include cut paper, so those are fun to look at. There weren't many poems that stood out as a memorable, but it wasn't bad either.

Homeschool Update: January/February 2025

All Grades

Latin

After weeks of drilling the first and second declensions, we returned to daily lessons in Keep Going with Latin. 

Poetry

M. memorized "The Highwayman" -- finally. C. memorized "The Destruction of Sennacherib" by Lord Byron and "Pied Beauty" by Gerard Manley Hopkins, and now she is working on  "The Ballad of William Sycamore" by Stephen Vincent Benet. E. is working on "Casabianca" by Felicia Hemans.

Catechism

The girls continued memorizing a few questions each from the Catechism lessons.

Art

In January, we studied: 

• A Strawberry Girl by Joshua Reynolds
• The Banjo Lesson by Henry Ossawa Tanner
• George Washington, The Athenaeum by Gilbert Stuart 
• Follow The Leader by Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel

In February, we studied: 

• Abraham Lincoln (the Lincoln Memorial) by Daniel Chester French 
• The Stone Breakers by Gustave Courbet
• Little Miss Muffet by Jessie Wilcox
• The Horse Fair by Rosa Bonheur

Music 

The girls have continued watching Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts on Wednesday evenings, as well as some additional musical performances. All three continue to practice recorder and piano daily. C. is also practicing ukulele. 

5th Grade (M., girl, age 11)

Social Studies 

M. finished The Asian World and The Age of Empires in her Oxford textbook series and started The Age of Voyages. She watched related Great Courses episodes and completed workbook pages daily. 

Science 

M. continued watching John Long's Great Courses videos about robotics and did Arduino activities from Arduino for Beginners. 

English 

M. made further progress in Editor in Chief, Sentence Diagramming Level 2, and Easy Grammar, and she moved into Vocabulary from Classical Roots C. 

Math

M. continues to do a Challenging Word Problem each day. She is still working on Algebra I on Khan Academy (around 90% complete). She finished Life of Fred: Pre-algebra 0 with Physics and moved on to Pre-Algebra 1 with Biology. 

3rd Grade (C., girl, age 9)

Social Studies

C. studied WWI and WWII. She watched Wartime Farm (her favorite), Dunkirk, Sink the Bismarck, Station X, The Battle of the Bulge, and The Longest Day. 

English

C. continued working on Sentence Diagramming Level 2, Daily Grams, and Vocabulary from Classical Roots A. 

Science 

C. continued working independently on The Book of Birds. We worked together on Snap Circuits, but started to find that it was too much, so we switched gears. She watched the first episode of The Mystery of Matter and we tried reading Romance of Chemistry, but it was too much for her, so we switched to Mystery of the Periodic Table by Benjamin Wiker, and that's going well. She is still doing a few Snap Circuits projects the last week of each month.

Math

C. continued working on Singapore Primary Mathematics 4B, including correcting past incorrect answers. She finished Life of Fred: Honey and moved onto Life of Fred: Ice Cream. She finished Khan Academy 7th grade math and moved on to 8th grade math. 

1st Grade (E., girl, age 7)

Social Studies 

We jumped ship with Story of Civilization because it was disorganized and tedious and picked up with A Picturesque Tale of Progress beginning with the Renaissance. We started reading about Marco Polo as February ended. 

Science 

Let's Read and Find Out About Science was too easy, so we switched to Isaac Asimov's How Did We Find Out About series. We have read about earthquakes, volcanoes, coal, and oil so far. 

English

E. continued working in Sentence Diagramming Beginning and Easy Grammar Workbook 3-4. 

Math

E. finished Singapore Primary Mathematics 2B and Singapore Primary Mathematics 3A part 1, and she finished Life of Fred: Dogs. She is now 40% through 6th grade math on Khan Academy.

Pre-K (R., boy, age 4 & A., girl, age 4)

We started reading aloud The Golden Book of Cavemen. 

A. read many Hooked on Phonics readers and some other easy readers. 

Both twins worked on Early Math Review in Khan Academy and practiced with the soroban. 

R. is reading chapter books. 

Read-at-Home Mom Report: February 2025

I'm realizing that, with the number of books I'm reading (over 50 already in 2025), listing every single one, along with its author and star rating, is going to take up more time than I really want to spend on a blog post. So starting this month, I'm just going to highlight a few favorites, and the rest will be on Goodreads if you'd like to see them. I will continue to share what my family is reading in its entirety (they read a lot less than I do!) At the end of this post, I've also added brief thoughts on a bunch of picture books I've received for review from publishers over the past few months. 

February Favorites 

An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon
I really enjoyed this romance in which the main character is a match-making librarian who has alopecia, and the hero is her co-worker's cousin. I had to suspend my disbelief a bit when the story was talking about patron check-out records because librarians don't keep those, and definitely couldn't share them or use them for anything if they did. But the writing is impeccable, and so was the audiobook narrations. 

Back After This by Linda Holmes

Linda Holmes's writing never fails to engage me. I was hooked on this book from the first word to the last and could not stop laughing at so many clever lines. There are some spicy scenes, but none were so explicit that I had to skip them. 

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

I love Anne Tyler's amazing ability to make everyday people and their lives interesting. The socially-awkward 60-something main character of her latest novel was someone I related to very strongly, and I actually cheered at the end of the book. I will probably read this again before too long. 

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden

I was looking for a romance involving magical realism for a romance reading challenge, and Jennifer from @sweet.cleanreads on Instagram recommended this one. It was so good! There was the right amount of magic for my non-fantasy brain, and there were some every bittersweet moments. There is a Hallmark movie based on this, and I want to watch it now!

Valentine on Palmar Island by Suzanne Ash

Jennifer also recommended this author, and I was so impressed by the atmospheric writing. She writes a lot of short romance, and I plan to binge-read more of her books this spring. 

Between the Pages by Jamie Kleinkauf 

Looking up Suzanne Ash led me to this romance involving a letter and a bookstore. Again, I was totally impressed by the writing, and I can't wait to read more! 

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith 

I love this series so much. I was originally not worried about catching up in time to read the new one when it's published this September, but then I found a podcast that spoils all the books that I really want to listen to, so now I'm binging the books I have left so I can get going on that.  

The Rival by Emma Lord 
I loved the writing in this YA college romance. I don't always love the content in this author's books, but I always learn something as a writer when I read her work.  

Betrayal by Harold Pinter
My favorite actor, Robert Sean Leonard (Wilson on House, MD) is acting in this play right now and I listened to him talk about it on a podcast and he made it sound so interesting, I read the ebook on Everand. It's one of those plays where it feels like not much happens, but then it sticks with you for days. 

Read-Alouds

• The Drum Goes Dead by Bess Streeter Aldrich
  We read this Christmas story very late, but I really loved the writing style and the message. The kids enjoyed it. 
• The Open Gate by Kate Seredy
  This was a re-read for me, but the first time reading it aloud. The girls laughed a lot at the grandmother in the story, and they were interested in the impact of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on ordinary Americans. 
• The Ordinary Princess by M.M. Kaye
  I loved this clever, fun little fairy tale based on the rhyme "Lavender's Blue." C. (age 9) clapped when the couple fell in love, which was very cute. 

Family Reading Lists 

M. (girl, 11 years, 3 months)

• Bowman of Crecy by Ronald Welch
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• The View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• The Second Mrs. Giaconda by E. L. Konigsburg
• Henry Reed, Inc. by Keith Robertson 

C. (girl, 9 years, 5 months) 

• Caterpillar Hall by Ann Barrett  
• Katie's War by Aubrey Flegg
• Katie Parker and the House That Cried by Margaret Mulligan 
• Doodlebug Summer by Alison Prince
• The Story of D-Day by Bruce Bliven 
• 26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola 
• Here We All Are by Tomie dePaola
• On My Way by Tomie dePaola
• What a Year! by Tomie dePaola
• Things Will Never be the Same by Tomie dePaola
• I'm Still Scared by Tomie dePaola
• Why? by Tomie dePaola
• For the Duration by Tomie dePaola
• Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop 
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry 
• The Ballet Family by Jean Estoril
• The Lost Umbrella of Kim Chu by Eleanor Estes 
• The House of Sixty Fathers by Meindert de Jong 

E. (girl, 7 years, 4 months) 

• Mossflower by Brian Jacques 
• Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey 
• The Finches' Fabulous Furnace by Roger Wolcott Drury
• The Apple and the Arrow by Conrad and Mary Buff 
• Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum

R. (boy, 4 years, 11 months)

• Meet Thomas Jefferson by Marvin Barrett
• Jenny and the Cat Club by Esther Averill 
• The School for Cats by Esther Averill 
• Jenny's Moonlight Adventure by Esther Averill 
• Jenny's Birthday Book by Esther Averill 
• Dan Frontier, Sheriff by Willam Hurley 
• Dan Frontier Goes Exploring by William Hurley 

A. (girl, 4 years, 11 months)

• Ann's Hat 
• Pop Fox
• The Fog
• Pom Pom
• The Big Log
• Tub Fun 
• Dog Bug 
• Mutt and Pup 
• Pig Fun 
• Mittens by Lola M. Schaefer 
• Follow Me, Mittens Lola M. Schaefer 

Picture Book Review Copies

Meet the Mini-Mammals by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Brian Lies

Structured as a tour through a natural history museum led by a ferret, this informational book highlights the world's ten tiniest mammals, showing them at actual size and depicting them in their natural habitats. The twins - and especially my son, R. - really enjoyed this. 

L is for Love by Atinuke, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank
This is the latest in a series from this author/illustrator duo starring the same family. In this book, focused on the letter L, they travel from their home to Lagos, where they shop and spend the day. A. enjoyed this one because she could read many of the words, and because there is a baby in the pictures. 

Cold by Tim McCanna, illustrated by Ramona Kaultizki 

This rhyming book describes the cold and the reaction of different animals to wintry conditions. It's not especially memorable, and it ends with a long lecture on climate change that doesn't feel appropriate for a children's book. (I didn't read that part aloud when I read it to A.) We probably won't keep this one. 

The Keeper of Stories by Caroline Kusin Pritchard, illustrated by Selina Alko
I read this historical picture book about the 1966 fire at the Jewish Theological Seminary Library in New York to myself. It was a solid story showing how the community surrounding this library came together to save its stories. I liked the pictures, and as a librarian, I related to the sadness and difficulty surrounding such a disaster. It didn't feel necessary to read this to my kids, and they didn't select it from the pile, so I didn't push. 

Follow Your Heart by Emma Dodd
We have had several Emma Dodd books over the years, and they're all essentially the same. They highlight the relationship between parent and child using animals and their behaviors. I requested this one because my son loves ocean animals, and both R. and A. enjoyed it. 

Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love by Joseph Coelho and 21 Artist Friends
I loved Ten-Word Tiny Tales, in which each of a bunch of children's illustrators lent their styles to stories told in just ten words. This is the love-themed edition of that same concept. I didn't think these were quite as good, but I loved the general idea and would read more if they do more of these. 

Bouncing Bunnies by Fiz Osborne, illustrated by Tim Budgen
When I used to do story time for 100+ toddlers and nannies, I always looked for books included opportuinities for physical movement. This one is perfect for that. It goes back and forth between bunnies doing calm, quiet things and those same bunnies raucously jumping, leaping, bouncing, etc, all actions that kids can imitate. I don't love it as a book for one-on-one reading, but for those large groups, it's excellent. 

Rocket Puppies by William Joyce

I usually try to request books by well-known favorite children's authors, which is how I ended up with this weird one. It's really weird, and oddly political in at least one spot, and it basically says that all the world needs to stop being sad is a lot of puppies to fall out of the sky. Not my cup of tea. But this author's The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is very good. 

Snow Is... by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Sonia Sanchez

This is a long litany of metaphors describing snow. Most of them didn't work for me. I did like the illustrations, but I wish there had been a story to go with them rather than vague poetry. 

Eat Like a Bear by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins

I like this author and illustrator and they were a good match for this book. It follows a bear through various activities, including eating, drinking, hunting, and fishing, giving little kids a lot of  interesting information about bears. My son is a fan of bears, and I requested this for him. 

Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins 

This book is by that same pair, and it's a Geisel Honor book. It's a bit different because the text is very simple and intended to be read by an emerging reader, but the pictures are great, and they give a good sense of what vultures are like. We see a lot of vultures in our neighborhood, so this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about them. 

The Last Zookeeper by Aaron Becker 

I love this author's wordless picture book trilogy (Journey, Quest, and Return), and this is another wordless title from him. In a futuristic world, a robot called NOA must save the animals from a flood. This book gave me a weird feeling, and I just didn't care for it. I don't think it will stay on our shelves.