Back in Action

You may have noticed my regular Monday post was missing this week. This is because we have spent very little time at home in the past two weeks. Two weekends ago we were traveling for my cousin's wedding--my last post on Archie and the Pirates had actually been prepared the week before that family event. We returned home last Tuesday evening only to engage in marathon party prep for my older son's seventh birthday (we took the boys and six of my older son's friends to see Toy Story 3). On Saturday my mom and the boys took the train back to her house and my husband and I left for a shortish trip to Seattle. We returned home yesterday (Wednesday). Given that I was also working on some freelance projects, my schedule didn't exactly allow for cooking and blogging.

I will be back next week with some new posts, recipes and projects related to next week's chosen topic. What is it? It's a surprise! But it's something both of my kids have an interest in and they both requested to learn more about it this summer. (Any guesses?) Until then, I'll share some of my boys' current favorite books:

Toy Story 3

My younger son loves all things Toy Story, which I think is so, so sweet because he plays with his toys the way Andy plays with his toys in the movies. My older son has always been more into building toys rather than imaginative play. He wanted the Toy Story 3 book from the moment we saw it in the bookstore but I made him wait until after he'd seen the movie. I didn't want to spoil it! I love the retro-style illustrations in the Little Golden Books based on Disney and Pixar movies.


A Book About Color: A Clear and Simple Guide for Young Artists by Mark Gonyea

A library book. Both of the boys are fascinated by this book that clearly explains basics about colors, such as how primary colors combine to make seconday colors. It also defines terms like complementary colors and saturation. The pictures clearly illustrate the concepts as they are introduced.


Happy Birthday, Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

The seven year old loves the Bad Kitty series. He bought this book with some birthday money. These books are perfectly suited to his independent reading level and combine a mixture of traditional text and graphic novel/picture book elements. There is plenty of humor too


Pigs Make Me Sneeze! by Mo Willems

We are big fans of Mo in our house. Both boys love the humor in the Elephant and Piggie series. They were among the first books my seven year old read independently and while they are very easy reading in comparison to other books he has been reading, he still enjoys them. He also enjoys reading them to his brother. This is another book he picked out with his birthday money.

And me? I've somehow, despite being so busy, found time to read too! When not reading work-related stuff, I've been reading One Day, The Boneshaker, Cat's Eye (purchased for $1 at my library's Friends of the Library sale!) and short stories from the New Yorker's Summer Fiction issue.

What are you enjoying reading this summer?


Disclosure: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small commission when books are purchased through the posted links.