The Book Bag: Books for Ages 4 to 8, August 2005

Our family reviewers have been VERY busy this summer ... Here is a sampling of the books most recently posted to the Web site. Click the title to see our Profile. There is no particular order to the presentation of books.

I Take a DEEEP Breath! by Sharon Penchina and Stuart Hoffman. "Although geared for children, this is a nice reminder for parents to slow down, too. The repetition of the activity, combined with the multiple opportunities to practice taking a deep breath, make for a calmer child by the end of the book." (2 Imagine Publishers, 2005)

Squirt by Stacy Nyikos. What do you do if you're a squid and you can't go outside to play? For Squirt, the answer was watching his holoclam TV and becoming a TV hero. That is, until the TV was gone, too, and all that remained was inky darkness. Luckily, Mom could save the day. This is a picture book with a great lesson about turning off that TV! (Stonehorse Publishing, 2005)

A Child's Good Night Prayer by Grace Maccarone. Together, you and your child can recite an evening prayer to God. This is a bedtime story that doubles as a prayer book. (Scholastic Inc, 2001)

When I Met You: A Story of Russian Adoption by Adrienne Ehlart Bashista. "Our preschooler immediately wanted a second reading, intrigued by the story … and having fun finding the small teddy bear on each page. S/He periodically pulls it from the shelf and asks us to read it even now, two months later." (DRT Press, 2003)

Great-Grandpa Fussy and the Little Puckerdoodles by Mardo Williams. "We liked the fact that you didn't need to read the book cover-to-cover every night, and thought it would be a great way to introduce a chapter book." (Calliope Press, 2005)

Zoe the Magic Love Dog by Carrie Hauman. Although Zoe enjoys a good life with her friend Meemo, the cat, she realizes that there is sadness in the world. She uses her magic powers to heal children’s hearts, whether they are angry, lonely, selfish, or just in need of a hug. This is a picture book about sharing love. (Alma Press, 2003)

The book of Boys (for Girls) and the Book of Girls (for Boys) by David T Greenberg. From Christine Louise Hohlbaum: "Given the contemporary climate of speech control and the like, broaching the subject of gender differences is a dangerous thing. David T. Greenberg does it with grace, humor, and a necessary amount of tongue and cheek." (Little, Brown and Company, 2005)

Olive's Pirate Party by Roberta Baker. "The story offers great opportunities to talk about family and relatives, memories, what fun really is, judging people, and being open to new things," says Christine Louise Hohlbaum. (Little, Brown and Company, 2005)

The Book Bag: Books for Ages 4 to 8, August 2005

http://thereadingtub.blogspot.com/2005/09/book-bag-books-for-ages-4-to-8-august.html