From the Library Shelves

I am pretty sure this blog should come with a warning or some type of confession like,
"Hi, my name is Dorie, and I really love books.  Short ones, tall ones, thick ones, thin ones, they all have something beautiful to offer.  Opening a new or old book is a moment of joy.  Finding well chosen words and lovely illustrations within the pages only deepens this joy..."

With such a passion for written words, I hope to foster a love for reading in each of our children as well.  Our home reflects that desire with many books and places to curl up and read.  Helping to feed this passion are our frequent visits to the local library.  Each time, we come home with arm loads of books, and a few new favorites.  This last trip was no exception.

Straight from the shelves of our local public library to our home...



Each time we visit the library, the children peruse the shelves for interesting books.  When my four year old spotted a book about a knight and a few dragons, he immediately asked to bring it home.  From the first reading, the storyline has delighted him.  A Good Knight's Rest, by Shelley Moore Thomas tells of a knight who needs a vacation.  He attempts to take one with three little dragons in toe.  The antics of the dragons make my son laugh each and every time we read through this book.  {And we've read it almost everyday now.}  Definitely a good find!





For our science co-op, the PK-third grade class are learning about oceans.  I couldn't find the book recommended in our lesson plans and had to rely on a quick library search for a substitution.  Since explaining coral reefs can be hard when the students have never seen one, I definitely needed to find a book with lots of pictures.  What Lives in Coral Reefs? by Oona Gaarder-Juntti does a fabulous job of explaining and showing what coral reefs are and what animals live there.  The book includes vibrant, up close photographs of beautiful coral and ocean life.  Each page has minimal, but interesting information.  The book made for an excellent read aloud to a group of wiggly early elementary students.