Hey hey hey! When I first hit publish on this a few hours ago, I didn't know that my interview with the Little House Mothering podcast was going live today. Well surprise! It did! So if you're not so into children's books right now but want to hear me struggle and then not really struggle to complete a full sentence out loud (there is a reason I blog and am not, like, on television or something.) then clicky clicky right here. But it was so fun. You'll have fun too. Now. TO THE BOOKS. Once Upon a Time Saints Technically we got this for the school year but when it's a book full of stories, does one really have to wait? Can one wait? I love Pochocki's storytelling style and her enthusiasm for sharing these stories. I won't put an age or grade range with this. As with all good children's books, everyone can love it. Hide and Seek Fog This book sat on the shelf for....I don't know, maybe years? Where it came from I can't even say. Then the other day Mary (or was it Cecilia? Imagine who you like.) brought it to me for story time. It's a hard book to describe but I love it for what it is. Not plot driven at all really but with charming, almost hypnotic illustrations and perfect descriptions of people and a place and a time. Theodoric's Rainbow This one reads a little older than the book above even though it seems like another picture book. If you like weaving literature and stories into your kids' academic learning, you'll love this book for Earth Science time. Even just looking at the illustrations is fun for the non-reading set. The Indian in the Cupboard You probably read this when you were a kid. Maybe you loved it, maybe you were indifferent. Maybe you'd forgotten it existed until just now. Well, it's our current nighttime read aloud and I'm just so happy we found it on the shelf and decided to give it a whirl for the middle chil'ren. It is exciting and funny and captivating and I'm enjoying it way more now than I did when I was the "target" age. When I get to the end of the chapter and close the book, all you can hear is incredulous chatter from all corners of the den. "That can't be the end! What's going to happen? Keep going!" Poetry for Young People: Shakespeare This is another one that was bought for the school year. The illustrations are captivating! The introduction and the commentary throughout is a sweet little taste, a gentle introduction, to Shakespeare, particularly for students (or adults!) who for some reason have decided that his works are too fancy-pants for them to enjoy. Mostly the charm is in its beauty and I think it's a good way to pique the interest of the somewhat reluctant literature student. links may be affiliate