Books for Earth Day

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Oops!! I planned on reviewing these books last week, but our hotel room had very spotty internet, so I am reviewing them late. Sorry I didn't share them prior to Earth Day yesterday!! However these books are perfect for using with lessons about our planet and even as an introduction for younger kids to our world. The first book is Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up by Sally M. Walker and illustrated by William Grill. 

Minnie Mouse Ears and Dress for Doll (and Girl) Crafty Weekends Projects and Link Party

Oops!! With the spotty internet on our vacation I missed writing my review for Earth Day!! Be sure to check out tomorrow's post for some great Earth books!!

Disclosure: Target links in this post will give me a small percentage of your purchase at no cost to you. 

After the crazy March we had weather wise and for Steve work wise, I really needed to get away to somewhere warm. Steve on the other hand just wanted to stay home and rest. We decided Hazel and I would go down to Florida (we have a time share there) and he would stay home. Since we were going to be in Florida we decided we would spend a day at Magic Kingdom and a day at Universal Studios. I found this fabric in my stash. It has beautiful flowers and Minnie Mouse heads on it. I showed it to Hazel and suggested I make a dress for her to wear to Magic Kingdom. I used Butterick Pattern 3860 to make her a dress. Since Hazel wanted to bring two of her dolls with us I thought I would make her doll a matching dress. I checked out the patterns I have downloaded and found one that used the slip pattern from Molly's Pretty Clothes. I didn't put on a ruffle and lengthened the pattern for the dress. I also wanted her doll to have Minnie Mouse ears. 

Sharing Saturday 18-14

This has been an interesting week! Hazel and I headed down to Florida for her spring vacation. I have to say after a long day of traveling and not the best stories from the day, I am glad to be home, but I miss the warm weather and sunshine. However I do not think I will fly Southwest ever again and would never recommend it for anyone traveling with kids. Any way it is time for Sharing Saturday!! This is a link party to share all of your child-oriented crafts, crafts made for kids, activities and lessons as well as your parenting and/or teaching posts. So glad you joined us!!

On Sunday night we also host Crafty Weekends for all your crafts (done by any age), patterns, and craft product reviews! It is the perfect place to share your creative side!! And for all your diverse/cultural posts be sure to share them at Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop. 

Two Middle School Novels that Open Eyes to Another Time

Disclosure: Candlewick Press sent me these books in exchange for an honest review all opinions are my own. 

Looking for an interesting read for your middle schooler? These two novels by Laura Amy Schlitz answer it!! They are both set in early 1900s and both have a poor girl as the main character and narrator. We will start with A Drowned Maiden's Hair.

In this story Maud Flynn is an orphan. Her older brother and younger sister were adopted but the family would not take Maud. Maud is known at the orphanage for trouble. When the Hawthorne sisters come to adopt a young girl, Miss Hyacinth discovers Maud and decides she is perfect. However the Hawthornes are not adopting to have a child as much as that they need a child for help with their fake seances. Maud learns a lot while trying to be good for the three Hawthorne sisters and learns even more when she gets to know the woman the sisters are trying to "contact" her dead nine-year-old daughter.  It is a tale of scandal and more as well as lessons about parental love. 

This tale is engrossing. Once you get into the book there is a mystery about it. For quite awhile it is why does Maud have to be a secret child. How is she going to help these bizarre sisters. I can see a middle schooler or older loving this look at another time period and way of life. It would also bring about great discussions with questions like "Was Maud better off in the orphanage or as the Hawthorne sisters' secret child?" It brings up questions of morals and what is really needed in life.

Our next book is The Hired Girl. This book is the diary of Joan. Joan is a farm girl who lives with her father and three older brothers. Her mother recently died and her father pulled her from school since she was needed to do the women's work. Her mother wanted her to become a teacher so she wouldn't get stuck in marriage. Her father was pretty awful to Joan. One day Joan decides she needs to escape and runs away. She ends up in Baltimore and is taken in by a Jewish family. She lies about her name and age. The family soon discovers she is a hardworker and loves to read. They allow her to read the books in their library at night and give her Sunday mornings and Tuesday afternoons off. Joan wants to be a good Catholic since her mother was Catholic, but her father stopped believing in God after a bad harvest and forbid Joan to go to church.

This book brings in Joan's discoveries of the differences between Jewish and Christianity as well as recognizing anti-semitism. She is also a fourteen-year-old discovering the world and life. She has very different relationships with each member of the household. It is a coming of age story with a rush to grow up as a hired girl and figuring out the differences between the religions and stations of society. It is a wonderful tale.

I hope you will check out both of these books. Be sure to check out our review of Laura Amy Schlitz's picture book, Princess Cora and the Crocodile as well!

Asian and English Nursery Rhyme Books

Disclosure: Tuttle Publishing sent me these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Do you have preschoolers or even toddlers? Do you want to introduce them to other cultures but are not sure how to bring it to your home or classroom? I have to fun books that will do just that. These books will also work to help older kids become familiar with Chinese and Korean as well. Both books come with CDs so the pronounciation of the other languages can be heard and you do not have to try to figure out how it is said. Nursery rhymes have been a favorite in our house. Hazel even has a nursery rhyme quilt that I made her when she was younger and had a nursery rhyme themed birthday party when she turned three. Oh and there was the year that Hazel and I dressed as the dish and the spoon for Halloween. But today's books are different than our nursery rhymes. They give us a sense of different cultures. We will start with Chinese and English Nursery Rhymes: Little Mouse and Other Charming Chinese Rhymes by Faye-Lynn Wu and illustrated by Kieren Dutcher.