Book List preK-K

I've been wanting to do this for a while now...I would love to keep a list of books we read...at least the ones we like? Julianna is 5 1/2 and Rachel is 3 1/2. It used to be harder to read to them at the same time b/c they weren't interested in the same books...but now we can do that much more! It has also been amazing to see Julianna learning to read. I tried Alphaphonics with Julianna but it was too difficult after the first 2 or 3 pages. In the last half of last year, we used Reading Made Easy. I think using the index card approach really helped her see how words are put together. The pace was also good...not too overwhelming. We got up to lesson 23...but that was enough to get her started! Yesterday (7/8/08), she read Green Eggs and Ham by herself! God is amazing in how He created our brains!

(CL)=cerritos library
(LL)=los angeles county library

Non-Fiction
Numbers Counting It Up -Michele Koomen (CL)
Patterns What Comes Next? -Michele Koomen (CL)
Fractions Making Fair Shares -Michele Koomen (CL)
What is a Solid? -Jennifer Boothroyd (CL)
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories
(1-Peter Pays Up, The Two Carolines, Diana's Donkey Ride, Poor Priscilla, Unlucky Jim)
Values to live by series (Self-Control, Fairness, Friendship, Courage, Respect, Responsibility, Joy, Caring, Patience, Love, Understanding, Obedience, Hugging, Helping, Carefulness, Good Sportsmanship)
Sing Along Bible Songs
Yum! Yuck! : a foldout book of people sounds / Park, Linda Sue
The miracle worker [DVD (videorecording)] / Beugen, Suzy
Bicycle race / Crews, Donald
Super sand castle Saturday / Murphy, Stuart
The story of Ruby Bridges / Coles, Robert
The value of facing a challenge : the story of Terry Fox / Johnson, Ann Donegan
The value of humility : the story of Mother Teresa / Johnson, Ann Donegan
The value of love : the story of Johnny Appleseed / Johnson, Ann Donegan
The value of self-discipline : the story of Alexander Graham Bell / Johnson, Ann Donegan
Teach me-- Chinese [audiobook on CD] : [a musical journey through the day] / Mahoney, Judy.
Hearing / Suhr, Mandy
Taste / Suhr, Mandy
Me and the measure of things / Sweeney, Joan
Follow the water from brook to ocean / Dorros, Arthur
I get wet / Cobb, Vicki
700 kids on Grandpa's farm / Morris, Ann, 1930-
Beatrice's goat / McBrier, Page.
Life on a goat farm
Octopus / Stefoff, Rebecca, 1951-
Pocahontas, girl of Jamestown / Jassem, Kate.
Young Abraham Lincoln : log-cabin president / Woods, Andrew.
Young Amelia Earhart : a dream to fly
Young George Washington : America's first president / Woods, Andrew
Young Jackie Robinson : baseball hero / Farrell, Edward
Young Martin Luther King, Jr. : "I have a dream" / Mattern, Joanne, 1963-
Young Pocahontas : Indian princess / Benjamin, Anne.


Fiction
Green Eggs and Ham -Dr. Seuss
Flat Stanley -Jeff Brown
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom -Bill Martin Jr
The Stray Dog -Marc Simont
Now One Foot, Now the Other -Tomie de Paola (LL)
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs -Tomie de Paola (LL)
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge -Mem Fox (LL)
The Lot at the End of My Block -Kevin Lewis (LL)
The Rag Coat -Lauren Mills (LL)
Welcome With Love -Jenni Overend
Corduroy-Don Freeman
A Pocket for Corduroy-Don Freeman (LL)
Angus and the Cat-Marjorie Flack
The Little House -Virginia Lee Burton
Miss Rumphius-Barbara Cooney
Kitten's First Full Moon -Kevin Henkes
Flotsam-David Wiesner
Someday-Alison McGhee
My Dog is as Smelly as Dirty Socks-Hanoch Piven
Bee-bim Bop!-Linda Sue Park
Katy and the Big Snow-Virginia Burton
Little Fur Family-Margaret Wise Brown
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel-Virginia Lee Burton
Norman the Doorman-Don Freeman
Apple fractions / Pallotta, Jerry
Charlie needs a cloak / De Paola, Tomie
Bear shadow / Asch, Frank
Who's there? : a book of knock-knock jokes / Dahl, Michael
Knock, knock! Who's there? : my first book of knock-knock jokes / Hills, Tad
Like butter on pancakes / London, Jonathan
Riddle me this! : riddles and stories to challenge your mind / Lupton, Hugh
The birthday box : happy birthday to me! / Patricelli, Leslie
The greatest treasure / Demi
The napping house / Wood, Audrey
Whistle for Willie / Keats, Ezra Jack
Christina Katerina and the box / Gauch, Patricia Lee
The seasons of Arnold's apple tree / Gibbons, Gail
A house is a house for me / Hoberman, Mary Ann
Knuffle bunny : a cautionary tale / Willems, Mo
Knuffle Bunny too : a case of mistaken identity / Willems, Mo
Pepper's valentine surprise / Bleck, Linda.
Angelina ballerina / Holabird, Katharine
Daniel's duck / Bulla, Clyde Robert
Ella sets the stage / D'Amico, Carmela.
The bee tree / Polacco, Patricia.
A new coat for Anna / Ziefert, Harriet
A Little Prairie House /adapted from the Little House Books Wilder, Laura Ingalls
The cat who wore a pot on her head /Slepian, Jan
Gooseberry goose / Freedman, Claire
The water hole / Base, Graeme
Horton hears a who! / Seuss, Dr
A small miracle / Collington, Peter
Oops-a-Daisy! / Freedman, Claire
Pelle's new suit / Beskow, Elsa Maartman
The little red lighthouse and the great gray bridge
Maisy goes to the library / Cousins, Lucy
Little Bunny's pacifier plan / Boelts, Maribeth
Young Cam Jansen and the lost tooth / Adler, David
Young Cam Jansen and the pizza shop mystery / Adler, David
A day with Daddy / Gikow, Louise
Alfred digs / George, Lindsay
Biscuit wins a prize / Capucilli, Alyssa
Bathtime for Biscuit
Biscuit and the baby
Biscuit wants to play
Biscuit's new trick
Curious George takes a job / Rey, H. A. (Hans Augusto), 1898-1977.
Dear deer : a book of homophones / Barretta, Gene.
First the egg / Seeger, Laura Vaccaro.
I love you because you're you [audiobook on CD]
Happy birthday, Biscuit!
How do dinosaurs say good night? [audiobook on CD] / Yolen, Jane.
Little Bitty Mousie / Aylesworth, Jim.
Oh, look! / Polacco, Patricia.
Olive, my love / Walsh, Vivian.
Oops-a-Daisy! / Freedman, Claire.
Pelle's new suit / Beskow, Elsa Maartman, 1874-1953.
Pinocho [audiobook on cassette] ; Juanito en la tierra del gigante = Pinocchio ; Jack and the beanstalk / Irvine, Rex J., 1924-
Presidents' Day / Rockwell, Anne F.
Purplicious / Kann, Victoria.
Silly Suzy Goose / Petr Horácek / Horácek, Petr.
Skippyjon Jones
The goat in the rug / Blood, Charles L., 1929-
What a wonderful world / Weiss, George
Young Cam Jansen and the baseball mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the dinosaur game / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the Double Beach mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the ice skate mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the library mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the missing cookie / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the new girl mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the spotted cat mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the substitute mystery / Adler, David A.
Young Cam Jansen and the zoo note mystery / Adler, David A.


Parenting/Other
Building moral intelligence : the seven essential virtues that teach kids to do the right thing / Borba, Michele
A gift for giving : making the most of the present / Lang, Donna
How to take the grrrr out of anger / Verdick, Elizabeth
Clean house, clean planet : clean your house for pennies a day, the safe, nontoxic way / Logan, Karen

Helping Your Child Cope with School Transitions

Helping Your Child Cope with School Transitions

By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

Children report moving, leaving friends, and changing grades or schools as being highly stressful. To assist them with transitions the following ideas may be helpful:

• If the family is moving, take pictures of friends and familiar places and offer ways to keep in contact with close friends via phone, email, and letters. Help your child talk about what he or she will miss and about what will be new and different.


• Encourage your child to discuss the future transition by asking questions such as, "What have you been thinking about your new school?" Make a list of your child's concerns and together try to find answers to the questions. Many schools have internet sites that describe procedures, show virtual tours, and answer common questions.


• If you have a choice of schools, listen to your child's ideas about what is important to him or her. After visiting various schools, openly discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each. Although the final decision is yours, it is important that your child feel included in the decision making process.


• Help your child get to know the new environment beforehand. When possible visit the school together. Even viewing it from a car or seeing a photograph of the building is better than leaving the first day to the child's imagination.


• Let your child know it is natural to feel apprehensive. He or she may be fearful of not being accepted by peers or about mastering the logistics or academics of a new grade or school. Share childhood memories of times when you were worried about a new situation. Relate the good things that happened like how you met your best friend or that your new teacher was one of your favorites.


• Keep the days leading up to the transition as positive as possible. Stress that his or her class will offer many new experiences. The night before the first day, have your child lay out everything needed for school. The next morning allow time to get ready in a calm manner.


• Buy school supplies and required materials. Go over the walk to school or to the bus stop. Empower your child by discussing actions he or she can take if a problem arises. Ask, "What concerns you most about school?" Listen and then ask, "If that happens, what will you do?" Help your child think of constructive ways to deal with a difficult situation.


• Expect the transition to be ultimately successful. Yet, remember that adjustments take time and the first days in a new school are often overwhelming. Your attitude can help your child; let him or her know you are confident in his ability to adjust well.


• Attend the school's orientation, open house, and/or tour the school with your child. Be involved by asking for a copy of the school's calendar and handbook. Join the Parent-Teacher Organization or parent advisory board. Get to know other parents, especially parents of your child's new friends.


• Be available after school starts. Understand that your child may need extra time, attention and support. When there is a change, he or she may regress to an earlier developmental stage. Plan time for family fun because when transitions occur, families are a necessary source of love and support.


• Invite your child to express his or her emotions. Even when a concern seems minor to you, be respectful and know that it can be a major crisis to your child. Try to put yourself in his or her place and understand the feelings expressed. Ask open ended questions like, "How's it going?" or make comments like, "You seem sad." Then listen carefully and avoid giving advice unless your child asks for it.


• Help your child explore ways to cope with concerns, and continue to be available for further discussion. Be ready to problem-solve with him or her. You may want to role play a situation that is causing anxiety.


• Encourage your child to try new things by participating in one or two extracurricular activities. Help him or her understand that trying is what is important, and that one does not always have to be successful.


• Continue to foster your child's organizational skills and assist him or her in becoming responsible and independent. Stay interested and provide rules and structure. Yet, allow your child to have input into what the rules are.


• If after an adjustment period of time, your child is reluctant to go to school or seems truly unhappy, seek help. Identify your concerns and meet with your child's teacher and/or school counselor. Together, perhaps with the child being present, work out a plan of action.

To Tell the Truth

To Tell the Truth

By Leah Davies, M.Ed.

It is normal for young children to deny allegations, blame others for their mistakes or make up stories. They find it hard to distinguish fiction from reality. Until the age of six or seven, fantasy is a part of children's lives. However, children beyond that age can develop a pattern of deception that can negatively affect their social and emotional development.

Children in elementary school typically know when they are lying. They may lie because they feel trapped, fear punishment, want to please adults, or because the adults around them are dishonest. They may also tell lies to avoid humiliation, escape from work or failure, boost their self-esteem, receive special attention, protect themselves or others, receive peer acceptance, gain something they want, or hide an antisocial behavior such as drug use.

Here are some ideas for educators on how to address this issue...

1. Avoid lengthy lectures and severe punishment because they tend to increase the chances of children lying as a defense mechanism. Instead, create a non-threatening environment where children feel safe to tell the truth. Focus on building closeness and trust with students. Never call a child a "liar" because children have a tendency to live up to negative labels.

2. Use consequences rather than retaliation. Children who receive harsh punishments for telling lies often become skillful at deception. When they can trust adults not to overreact, children are more likely to acknowledge a lie. Allow children to experience consequences for their behavior. For example, if a child denies tripping another child, he must sit alone or loose a privilege.

3. Do not ignore lying. If the goal is to get your attention, the student may tell even more lies. Instead, remind yourself that a child who consistently lies has a problem and needs help to be successful. Always like the child, but not the behavior.

4. Look for reasons or patterns. Ask yourself, why is this child being dishonest? Does he want attention? Is he seeking power or excitement? Is she doing it to avoid punishment or school work? Does he or she feel inadequate or overwhelmed? Try to accentuate the child's strengths and make sure your expectations are appropriate for the child.

5. Call attention to a child if he or she tells the truth by saying something like, "Thank you, Ryan, for being honest. I admire the way you are willing to face the consequence and I know you can handle it." When truthfulness is acknowledged it is much more likely to be repeated, so reinforce it by saying, "When you are truthful, people will trust you."

6. Share hypothetical situations with the class by asking "what if..." questions. If the school rule is that we treat each other with kindness, what if Tom teased the new boy and would not let him play. When the teacher saw the interaction, she said, "Tom, I saw you teasing Michael. What will you do now to help him feel better?" Tom responded, "I didn't do anything!" (Tom not only got one consequence, but two, since he lied about the teasing.)
The teacher can ask the class the following:

Did Tom tell the truth?

If you were Michael, how would you feel?

Why is it important to tell the truth?

7. Avoid saying, "If you tell the truth, you won't be punished." Rather teach students that everyone makes mistakes, but that there are consequences for lying. One idea is if a child breaks a rule, there is one consequence and if he or she lies about it, there is an additional one. Dealing with lies in a calm, yet disciplined way teaches children that they are responsible for their behavior.

8. Never ask a child a question that invites him or her to lie. For example, do not say, "Did you take the envelope with lunch money off my desk?" Rather describe what you observe in a calm voice, "I see that the money envelope is gone. I am sad that someone took something that was not theirs. It belongs to all of the students and needs to be returned."

9. When what happened is unknown, ask the children about it. Observe their facial expressions and other nonverbal behaviors. Listen for inconsistencies in the stories they tell. Ask yourself, "Are the comments spontaneous or rehearsed, believable or full of contradictions?" If you suspect a child is lying, having him or her repeat his story can be helpful in determining the truth.

10. Assist a child in saving face if he or she begins to tell a lie. Instead of saying, "That's a lie!" say something like, "That doesn't sound right to me," or "Wait, I need to hear the truth." Then the child may say something like, "Oh, I forgot, it wasn't exactly like that..." Or simply give attention without hearing the lie by interrupting it with a request, "(Child's name), I need you to collect the papers."

11. When appropriate, talk about imagination and how sometimes children lie to protect themselves or others. You could say something like, "(child's name), you have a vivid imagination. Your stories are exciting, but now I need to hear the truth," or "In this room we care about each other and it is okay to make mistakes. But, it's not okay to lie to me."

12. Discuss lying with a guilty child as privately as possible, and avoid shaming him or her. Your goal is to help the child become more honest. Attempt to find a solution to the problem together by stating what happened and by asking something like, "What will you do now to make things right?" If the child has no response, provide some suggestions from which he or she can choose.

13. Model honesty and fairness toward your students and peers. Point out that people can learn from their mistakes, and that if a lie is told it can be rectified if the child or adult acknowledges it. (For children ages three to ten, see the Kelly Bear Behavior book that deals with lying.)

14. If lying becomes a significant problem, involve a parent or parents. Help them see that every child needs to feel loved and cared for, even if he or she is not always truthful. Together explore appropriate consequences and rewards that will reinforce truthfulness.

15. Seek additional professional help if a child exhibits a repetitive pattern of lying and/or continually denies doing it. Persistent lying can be a symptom of a more serious mental health problem.

7 Questions that Will Help your Children Choose Right Over Wrong

By: Dr. Robyn J.A. Silverman

We must arm our children with some Powerful Questions that can help them to choose right over wrong.

(1) What is the voice inside my gut telling me to do? Teaching children to listen to their gut is a very important skill. Our bodies often tell us what our minds our try to disguise. If your child chooses right or wrong, ask them, what made you make that choice? What was your gut telling you to do? What will you do next time?

(2) Could I look my parents/friend/teacher in the eye after I do it? We often know when our children are lying because they can not look us in the eye. Helping your children to understand that answering “no” to this question is a sign that they may be on the verge of making a poor choice.

(3) Could I look at myself in the mirror after I do it? This is really the crux of it, isn’t it? In fact, this is the way my own mother explained the meaning of integrity to me. If our children feel that they could not look at their own selves in the mirror after making this choice and be proud of what they did, they should take it as a warning that the impending choice could bring them a feeling of regret or shame.

(4) Would I do this behavior whether someone was watching me or not? In my opinion, the definition of good character is choosing to do the right thing whether all eyes are on you or all eyes are looking away. If your child can not answer “yes” to both scenarios, then she should probably not be doing it.

(5) Does the end justify the means? This can be a tough concept for children. After all, if they want an A on their book report and get an A on their book report that should be a good thing, right? Yes, accept when that A is achieved through dishonest means such as cheating. Sometimes, children have trouble remembering that parents actually care more about effort and character than about their child being the very best regardless of the cost. We must be patient and clear up this confusion so that children will choose “right” over “best” when faced with a question of integrity.

(6) Am I doing this because it is right or because it is popular? We have all heard of peer pressure. This phenomenon can happen on a variety of levels. Think of the child who argues that his friend, who clearly lost the race, crossed the finish line first. In this case, the child succumbs to the rules of friendship over the rules of fairness and integrity. We also see it when the child chooses to climb the fence because his friends are doing it rather than because he desires to do it himself. Either way, he is letting the popular thing get in the way of doing the right thing. We must teach our children not to allow popularity to cloud our judgment because in the end, the truth always comes out.

(7) Am I being who I am or am I being who others want me to be? This question coincides with number 6. We want our children to be themselves. When they alter their thoughts, actions, appearance, or choices because others want it that way, they are doing a major disservice to themselves and others. On the one hand, they are not allowing others to get to know the real individual behind the farce. On the other hand, they are building their friendships on a lie. As Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of Women Who Run with the Wolves, wrote, “If you live your life trying to please others, half the people will like you and half won’t. And if you live your life according to your own truth, half the people will like you and half won’t.” The underlying question it brings up—which half do you want as friends—those who like you for who you actually are or the person you are pretending to be?

As we know, mistakes will happen. If we use those mistakes to help our children make better choices next time, we will be strengthening their integrity. In the end, we are cultivating future leaders. And I imagine, as Powerful Parents, you would agree, that we want our future leaders to base their decisions on well-instilled values and principles rather than what is fast, popular, and self-serving.

This article was originally printed in the award-winning Bay State Parent Magazine.

Parent's Prayer

Here is another prayer for our children...


Oh, God, my Father in Heaven, please make me a better parent. Help me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say, and to respond to their questions kindly. Help me to look not only to my interests, but also to theirs. Help me to see in them the gifts that you have placed, to nurture those gifts and add to them skills and experience. Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them, and contradicting them. Let their words be precious to my ears. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me. Prevent me from uttering words that are careless and do not lift them up. Fill my mouth with sound instruction and encouragement.

May I grant them all of their wishes that are reasonable and have the courage and strength to always withhold a privilege or gift which I know will do them harm - no matter what anyone else thinks. Let me test all things against the laws of Your Word. Let me give light to your Word in every circumstance, talking about it all the day long so that their entire world-view is wrapped up in your promises and truth. Let me base my decisions in love and be consistent in my parenting according to your precepts. Let them see me give you first place in my life and let them see me faithfully devote myself to the study of your Word and prayer.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag; and when I am out of sorts, help me, O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children and help me to see the good things they do. Give me a ready word for honest praise. Let me fall in love with them every day all over again. Help me appreciate the giggles and wiggles that you have placed in them instead of seeing them as an annoyance. Oh, that I could find joy in their laughter and not be so serious and distracted by the anxieties of life that I miss the short time I have to play with them and pick them up. Let me hold and kiss them each day.

Help me to treat my children as those of their own age. Let me not expect from them the restraint and judgment of an adult. Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to wait upon themselves, to think for themselves, to discover for themselves, and to make their own decisions whenever possible. Help me to foster an environment of learning and a full knowledge of your Word. Lead me on straight paths in choosing what I teach to my children and help me be a thorough educator, never forsaking the building of their relationship with you or the character you desire in them for academics only.

Forgive my children any sins they commit - bring them to the surface so they may be dealt with early on. Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction or out of anger. Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and ask them for forgiveness when I know I have done wrong. May I not vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes, or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment. Let me not tempt my children to lie or steal. Guide me hour by hour that I may demonstrate by all I say and do that honesty produces happiness. Let me be used by You to guide them into Your arms by my life.

Make me so fair and just, so considerate, companionable, and gentle - that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Fit me to be loved and imitated by my children as a Proverbs 31 woman. Let your Son shine in my heart as a beacon for them. Bless them and the future mates they will marry, protect them from physical harm and the spiritual wickedness that seeks to devour them in this world. Keep their minds, souls, hearts and bodies pure before you. Give them a heart that seeks to obey and please You. Let them desire to know You. Let their earthly father and I be the example of love and loyalty that they need to feel secure and know what to seek out in a relationship when they are grown. Oh, Father, give me the calm, poise, grace, wisdom and self-control that I need to ensure that they see You in my life.

Help me to display order, good stewardship, responsibility and patience in such a way that it will become part of who they are as well. May I bless you in honor for your trust in me to raise them. Let them grow to be oaks of righteousness - plantings of the Lord for the display of your splendor. Let goodness and mercy follow them through their whole lives. May they be bound to You forever, Amen.

Children's Book List

I copied this list from http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Pammy/69639/ blog...

Good Books for Children

For ages 2-4

Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by N.W. Carlstrom
Yellow Ball by Molly Bang
My Blue Boat by Chris L. Demarest
The Little Rabbit by Judy Dunn
Ask Mr. Bear by Marjorie Flack
Blueberries For Sal by Robert McCloskey
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
The Big Green Pocketbook by Candice Ransom
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
The ABC Bunny by Wanda Gag
If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gale Thomas
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Quiet Way Home by Bonny Becker
Play With Me by Marie Hall Ets
Prayer for a Child by Rachel Field
I Am an Artist by Pat L. Collins
Angus Lost by Marjorie Flack
Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne
We're Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
The Red Carpet by Rex Parkin
Corduroy by Don Freeman
Jenny's Surprise Summer by Eugenie
Catch Me and Kiss Me and Say It Again by Clyde and Wendy Watson
Each Peach Pear Plum Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Amie and Anika by Terry Stafford
On Market Street by Arnold Lobel
I'm Listening, God, Psalm 19 for Children by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack
The King with Six Friends by Jay Williams
Miss Suzy by Miriam Young
Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Read Aloud Bible Stories by Ella K. Lindvall Volumes 1-4
Miss Spider's Tea Party by David Kirk
A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman
All the Places To Love by Patricia MacLachlan
On Mother's Lap by Ann Herbert Scott
The Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown
The Color Kittens by Margaret Wise Brown
My First Bible in Pictures by Kenneth Taylor

Ages 4-6


The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese
Lentil by Robert McCloskey
Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
Who Owns the Sun? by Stacy Chbosky
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
The Glorious Flight by Alice and Martin Provensen
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman
Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin
Another Celebrated Dancing Bear by Gladys Scheffrin-Falk
Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley
Very Last First Time by Jan Andrews
The Clown of God by Tomie DePaola
Storm in the Night by Mary Stoltz
Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton
Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost (with illustrations by Susan Jeffers)
The Giraffe That Walked to Paris by Nancy Milton
Three Names by Patricia MacLachlan
Wee Gillis by Munro Leaf
Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
A New Coat for Anna by Harriet Ziefert
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully
They Were Strong and Good by Alice and Robert Lawson
Babar, To Duet or Not to Duet based on characters by DeBrunhoff
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
Down, Down the Mountain by Ellis Credle
Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
The Tale of Peter Rabbit written and ill. by Beatrix Potter
Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car by John Burningham
All Those Secrets of the World by Jane Yolen
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
The Little Red LIghthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
Gramma's Walk by Anna Grossnickle Hines
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Andy and the Circus by Ellis Credle
The Wild Horses of Sweetbriar by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock
Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ill. by Ted Rand
Henry the Castaway by Mark Taylor
The Finest Horse in Town by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Truman's Aunt Farm by Jama Kim Rattigan
The Duchess Bakes a Cake by Virginia Kahl
Andy and the Lion by James Daugherty
Daniel's Duck by Clyde Robert Bulla
Warm as Wool by Scott Russell Sanders
The Salamander Room by Anne Mazer
Climbing Kansas Mountains by George Shannon
Amber on the Mountain by Tony Johnston
Little Nino's Pizzeria by Karen Barbour
Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran
The Raft by Jim LaMarche
Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
The Gullywasher by Joyce Rossi
Arabella by Wendy Orr
Higgins Bend Song and Dance by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Cowboy Charlie by Jeanette Winter
Grass Sandals by Dawnine Spivak
Albert by Donna Jo Napoli
The Hickory Chair by Lisa Rose Fraustino
Hanna's Cold Winter by Trish Marx
The Hatmaker's Sign Retold by Candace Fleming
The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Diane Arnold
Angelo by David Macaulay
Winnie the Pooh series by AA Milne and Ernest H. Shepard
(Winnie-The-Pooh, the House at Pooh Corner, When We Were Very Young, Now We Are Six)
Beatrix Potter series
The Little House by Virginia Burton
The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey
Ox-Cart Man by Barbara Cooney
Stone Soup by Marcia Brown
The Story of Little Babaji by by Helen Bannerman
Poems and Prayers for the Very Young by Martha Alexander
A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson
Hiawatha by Longfellow, illustrated by Susan Jeffers
The Tale of Three Trees illustrated by Angela Elwell Hunt
Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
The Plain Princess by Phyllis McGinley
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
Yellow and Pink by William Steig (a good argument for creationism)
I Love You the Purplest by by Barbara M. Joosse
With You All the Way by Max Lucado
Billy and Blaze books by C.W. Anderson (boys love)

Wisdom and the Millers

Storytime with the Millers

Ages 6-10

Homer Price by Robert McCloskey
Thomas Edison, Young Inventer by Sue Guthridge
Betsy Ross, Designer of Our Flag by Ann Weil
Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan
The Story of George Washington Carver by Eva Moore
Helen Keller by Margaret Davidson
The Cricket In Times Square by George Selden, Illustrated by Garth Williams
The Saturdays written and illustrated by Elizabeth Enright
Neil Armstrong -- Young Flyer by Montrew Dunham, Illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Marie Curie and the Discovery of Radium by Ann E. Steinke, Illustrated by Roger Xavier
Benjamin Franklin by Ingri D'Aulaire
George Washington by Ingri D'Aulaire
Buffalo Bill by Ingri D'Aulaire
Paddle to the Sea by Holling C. Holling
Tree in the Trail by Holling C. Holling
Seabird by Holling C. Holling
James Herriot's Treasury for Children by James Herriot
Any books by Thornton Burgess
The Burgess Bird Book
The Burgess Animal book
The Burgess Seashore book
and many others
Oxford Book of Children's Verse Iona and Peter Opie
Parables from Nature by Margaret Gatty
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White
Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Pocahontas by Ingri D'Aulaire
This Country of Ours by HE Marshall
Joan of Arc by Diane Stanley
Pagoo by Holling C Holling
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Heidi by Joanna Spyri
Abraham Lincoln by Ingri D'Aulaire
Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
At The Back of the North Wood by George MacDonald
Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink
King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry
National Velvet by Enid Bagnold
Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Misty by Marguerite Henry
Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James
Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight
Kavik the Wolf Dog and Gentle Ben both by Walt Morey
Rascal by Sterling North
The Blind Colt by Glen Rounds
Bambi by Felix Salten
Calico Captive and The Sign of the Beaver both by Elizabeth George Speare
Creation Story by Norman Messenger
True Story of Noah's Ark by Tom Dooley & Bill Looney
The Tower of Babel by Gloria Clanin & Lloyd R. Hight
Life In The Great Ice Age by Michael & Beverly Oard
Joseph by Brian Wildsmith
Exodus by Brian Wildsmith
Esther's Story by Diane Wolkstein
The Light and Glory for Children by Peter Marshall
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Ride Like An Indian by Henry V. Larom
Twice Queen of France: Anne of Brittany by Mildred Allen Butler
Dear Dr. Bell...Your Friend Helen Keller by Judith St. George
Angel of Appalachia: Martha Berry by Elisabeth P. Myers
Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille by Russell Freedman
The Young Brontes by Phyllis Bentley
The Story of George Washington Carver by Arna Bontemps
Wyatt Earp, Gunfighting Marshal by E. Ned Johnson (boys love)
The Story of Benjamin Franklin by Enid LaMonte
Hawaii's Queen, Liliuokalani by Adrienne Stone
Abe Lincoln Grows Up by by Carl Sandburg
The Lady With The Lamp: The Story of Florence Nightingale by Lee Wyndham
Annie Oakley by Shannon Garst
Nothing Is Impossible: the Story of Beatrix Potter by Dorothy Aldis
Summer of the Lost Limb by Janis Good
Squanto: Friend of the Pilgrims by Clyde Robert
Have You Seen Tom Thumb? by Mabel Leigh Hunt
Queen Victoria by Noel Streatfeild

Praying for my children...

Into thy hands I offer the mind, body, and spirit of Julianna and Rachel, asking that you raise them in the way you have created them to go. Guide my children away from all things and people that are not aligned with your will. Protect them from things and people that may harm them or lead them away from you.

Remove from my children's mind all shadows of fear, doubt, anger, resentment that could cloud their mind or harden their hearts. Open my children's eyes to see and know danger and give them strength to walk away from and courage to resist all temptations. I pray that they will honor their body as your divine temple, cherish the power of the mind you have given them, use their gifts and talents wisely, soften their heart with kindness and compassion, know your love, feel and express your love at all times under all circumstances. I pray that they draw close to you. Drive away from them patterns of thought and behavior not productive, honorable, healthy, or loving. Bless them with your grace and light. Teach them your ways and guide them to make your ways their priority. Teach me to speak and to honor their spirit and to encourage them to do good at all times. Help me not to take them for granted. Bless them with your bond of love, joy, harmony, respect, and kindness that cannot be broken.

minds-May you clear all shadows of doubt; give them courage and strength to do your will.
hearts-Thank you for loving them more than I can; Help me to love them when they feel hurt, fear, or not strong enough to love themselves.
dreams-May they be aligned to your will and fulfilled by your grace. I pray that you sustain them in difficult experiences and purify their every desire.
I pray that you bless them with health and strength, lift them from harm, and steer them away from danger.

In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Dance Recital

Julianna and Rachel had their dance recital last month (these videos are from the dress rehearsal. I'm glad Rachel didn't cry...she cried in the rehearsal prior to this and would not dance!