Scripture of the Week: D&C 88: 119 (Prepare)

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing…”
D&C 88:119

We chose this scripture (again) to go along with our Family Home Evening activity. We spent the evening assembling food packs for our 72-hr kits.

Recently Read: The Dragons of Blueland

The Dragons of Blueland by Ruth Stiles Gannett

This is the last book in the My Father's Dragon series. The Ant Bug and I read this aloud together, and we found it as enjoyable as the first two. In this book, Elmer and the baby dragon must come up with a daring plan to save the dragon family from the hunters.

This is a nice series of books to read aloud with children.

Recently Read: The Truth About Forever

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

This book is the current pick of my book club. It's a decent teenage romance novel, with some nice thoughts about death and grief and life. Fine for fluffy reading.

Scripture of the Week: 2 Nephi 4:15

“My soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them”
2 Nephi 4:15

This scripture was chosen to go along with our Family Home Evening Lesson adapted from Lesson 26: I Love the Scriptures in Behold Your Little Ones: Nursery Manual.

Recently Read: Elmer and the Dragon

Elmer and the Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

This book continues the adventures of Elmer and the baby dragon he rescued. It was an enjoyable story, although not quite as magical as My Father's Dragon. I read it out loud with the Ant Bug and she enjoyed the continuing story.

Scripture of the Week: D&C 38:30

"...if ye are prepared ye shall not fear"
D&C 38:30

We chose this scripture to go along with our Family Home Evening lesson on emergency preparedness. We talked about what is and is not an emergency (a fire in the backyard vs. a toy that needs new batteries, etc), and how being prepared can help us in an emergency situation. Then we pulled out our 72-hr kits and took stock of what we have--we've got some work to do!

Recently Read: Ender in Exile

Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card

This latest book by Orson Scott Card is a direct sequel to Ender's Game (which was first published in 1985 and received a number of prestigious awards). I have read all of the Ender books, as well as the parallel Shadow series, so of course I had to read this book. It's a good story, and it wraps up some details from Ender's Game and Shadow of the Giant. If you're a fan of the Ender stories you'll want to read this one too.

Scripture of the Week: Moroni 10:5

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things."
Moroni 10:5

We chose this scripture to go along with our Family Home Evening lesson about the Holy Ghost. Our lesson was adapted from this lesson on Sugardoodle, as well as the suggested lesson in the 2009 Outline for Sharing Time and the CSMP (May, #4).

Caldecott Books in May

Here are the Caldecott Medal Winner books the Ant Bug and I read during the month of May. The books we enjoyed and will likely read again are marked large.

1942: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
This book has been well-loved in our family ever since Eliza first introduced us to it at the Provo Library in 2006. It's a wonderful book.

1947: The Little Island, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard; text: Golden MacDonald, pseud. [Margaret Wise Brown]
1955: Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper, illustrated by Marcia Brown; text: translated from Charles Perrault by Marcia Brown
1962: Once a Mouse, retold and illustrated by Marcia Brown
1967: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine by Evaline Ness
1982: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
1991: Black and White by David Macaulay
2009: The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson

Recently Read: The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

This book is the current selection of my book club. It tells the story of a woman raising her family in the 1950s-60s. She has ten children and husband who is an alcoholic, and they spend most of their lives hanging on the brink of poverty. The amazing part of the story is the attitude of the mother. She demonstrates resourcefulness by entering (and winning!) contests--the kind where you submit a 25 word jingle extolling the merits of a product/company in order to win fabulous prizes like refrigerators or watches or cars.

Through all of the struggles of the family, the mother maintains a positive can-do attitude. This book is a great example of a mother using her ingenuity and positive attitude to teach and support her children, even when faced with impossible odds.

Scripture of the Week: D&C 88:118

"And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith."

D&C 88:118

We chose this scripture for this week because we are a family who loves to read books (all kinds) and learn. Our Family Home Evening activity was making a family flag. It was an assignment from the Ant Bug's Joy School and a fun activity.

Top Picture Books of 2009

School Library Journal posted the Top 100 Picture Book Poll of 2009. Bookworm's Booklist is inviting readers to list the top 30 books from the list and highlight the books you have read. So here is our list, with the books we have read highlighted in red.

#1: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)
#2: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)
#3: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1979)
#4: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962)
#5: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (2003)
#6: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941)
#7: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)
#8: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)
#9: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928)
#10: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (2004)
#11: The Story of Ferdinand by Monroe Leaf, ill. Robert Lawson (1936)
#12: Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)
#13: Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1948)
#14: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith(1989)
#15: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)
#16: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (1987)
#17: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)
#18: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (1970)
#19: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)
#20: George and Martha by James Marshall (1972)
#21: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (1999)
#22: The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone, ill. by Mike Smollin (1971)
#23: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)
#24: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, ill. Lois Ehlert (1989)
#25: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942)
#26: Corduroy by Donald Freeman (1976)
#27: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)
#28: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, ill. Ray Cruz(1972)
#29: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1969)
#30: Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr., ill. Eric Carle (1967)

We've done pretty well when it comes to this list, but this has given us some great ideas to kick off our summertime reading. I think we might start with Millions of Cats to round out our Top 10, but I'm also feeling drawn to Peter Rabbit.

Happy Summer Reading