By the Great Horn Spoon

 

What do you think was the most clever thing Praiseworthy and Jack did in this story? 

Michael (10): "When they were digging at the end in the spot where people already digged. And they found the gold!" 

Daniel (10): "They used his the umbrella for planning gold."

Mom's Notes: We almost didn't read this one. We were moving on from our fascinating Westward Expansion studies to Christmastime. But I remembered how much the buddies and I enjoyed our mornings with Seaman. So we tried out a chapter. We were all hooked! (They didn't recall the story much from our first reading some years ago.) I truly enjoy sitting between my boys on the couch as they laugh out loud or beg from a few more pages. We read often in the evenings too, snuggled in their bottom bunk that is currently decked out in draped twinkly lights. Gabe even joined us for a chapter one night when he overheard us reading. ("Hey, this is a 'W' book!") Upon completion, we celebrated the story with a Gold Rush Day, complete with a viewing of the old Disney movie adaptation. It was hilarious! 

The Hobbit

 

If he had the chance to go back in time and change things, do you think Bilbo would choose to go on the adventure or stay comfortably home? 

Evy (12): "He would go on the adventure because he learned stuff... and... yeah!" 

Daniel (10): "He would go on the journey! He had so many things change... and also the ring. Well, he had a big adventure and his life changed! And who knows, Frodo might not have gone on his journey if he didn't hear about Bilbo's adventures." 

Michael (10): "He'd go on the adventure to experience new things, be outdoors, make friends, and make peace in war."

                          

Mom's Notes: This was actually a first-time read for me! I've begun it a few times over the years, but for some reason it never took. It certainly did this time! Besides the wonderfully engaging story, very clever writing, and fantastic audiobook reader (Andy Serkis), this book had a lot going for it as far as we were concerned. We are big fans of the Lord of the Rings movies, and we had a few half-lings and an elf queen lined up for Halloween. It was high-time to read it together! Coincidentally, October was a very fun month to read this tale of goblins, giant spiders, a terrifying dragon, and mounds of treasure. We really enjoyed the entire story, and feel much better acquainted with Bilbo, Gandalf, dwarf-kind, and Middle Earth in general. We made an event of the last chapter and had a little "homecoming" party for Bilbo - with plenty of hygge. (Candles and coziness are a big deal around here as the weather turns colder! Emily gave me a book about hygge for my birthday, so it's extra on my radar. I believe hobbits are masters of hygge.) Evy even made Hobbit seed cake to go with our tea. I was sad to see the end of the story, but Halloween helped it to linger. Evy was an elegant Galadriel and the green-cloaked buddies were perfect as Merry and Pippin. Clay didn't complain too much about his cloak and the ring that was his burden to bear... 

 

Seaman

 

Mom's Notes: The buddies and I are learning about the Westward Expansion of the US. We had touched on the Corps of Discovery, and I pulled this book off the shelf and considered pausing there in our study and reading this. We're all glad we did! The boys were captivated by the adventures of the explorers, and the dog's antics were relatable and had them laughing many times. This book really is a great introduction to Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Sacajewea, select corps members like York, John Colter, George Shannon, and of course the star of this specific retelling - Seaman the Newfoundland! 

The Wild Robot

 

Mom's Notes: I had heard rave reviews about this from friends and podcasts, so the buddies and I listened to it while we were out and about. Robots, nature, wild animals, adventure - it has the components of an exciting story for kids. And it is! But I didn't personally take to the writing or semi un-original plot as readily as those who recommended it so highly. Maybe it's because we rarely read aloud chapter books written on a very young level? (At least not many modern ones.) While it was wonderful to learn about nature and specific animals through Roz's story, I think this story might do much better as a personal read. And yes, we saw the movie in the theaters shortly after finishing the book. We really enjoyed it! (The parenting plot points were more powerful in the movie than in the book, in my opinion. I teared up a bit for sure!) 

Additional Notes: I half-listened to the second book with my my boys, and we began the third but stopped reading. Again, I am confused why the hype over this series. I don't recommend beyond the first. Better yet, in this case, just watch the movie! 

The Trumpet of the Swan

 

Mom's Notes: I read this one myself (for the first time?) a few years ago after reading an amazing biography about E.B. White. It's quirky and funny and different. So it was a great one to start out our year with! I had it in mind after we traveled to Montana, but had forgotten about how some of it takes place in Billings specifically, where we visited the Mathews this summer! That was a fun connection. But it didn't stop there. I also remembered that Louis spends some time in Boston working on the swan boats. Again, we had a visual of the Public Garden from our own memory banks! I had forgotten, however, that he also ventures to Philadelphia. So there you have it! It was very fun to relate to Louis's travels, playfully suspend our belief as he plays the trumpet and gets employed at various establishments, and laugh at his father's sophisticated speeches. Bravo, E.B.! 

Drawings by Evy

The Magician's Nephew

Mom's Notes: The evening before we left on a roadtrip to Montana, I downloaded the whole series. Surely it will come in handy! It did, as we finished reading Swallows and Amazons on the way there, and this one provided a story for the way home. The buddies and Evy were quite young when we last read this, so the fantastical tale of the children and the rings and the creation of Narnia was practically new to them. (Gabe and his sharp memory had. held on to much of the story.) I always love Cabby Frank rising to the occasion as King! 

(Note: We have read the whole series to the kids - and then some - in the original publication order. That is my preferred order, especially as a first reading. But I think we might pick these ones up on roadtrips and such at random, or maybe even go in chronological order this time around, since all of us are very familiar with the world of Narnia already, thanks to our previous reads and the three wonderful movies.) 

Swallows and Amazons

Mom's Notes: This had been recommended by various sources, including Nana Jan - who gave us a chocolate bar and a can of sardines to eat while reading it. (We have yet to try the sardines!) It fit right in with other ship and sailing books we've read this past year. Though some of the jargon was still fuzzy for us! (It's easy enough to look things up and learn something new.) This is one of those stories that you wish you could live out. Four siblings who get to live on a small island on their own for a few weeks in the summer?! I appreciated the realistic checking in on them that the mother does. She is so fun to play along with their ever-present make believe. Interesting note - we finished this book while Julia was in Brazil. She was on the actual Amazon River while we read about their make-shift Amazon!