What We're Reading in November 2016

November marks a bit of a shift in our regular reading. You know? Thanksgiving and all that! I've set aside our regular Morning Time poetry book and am reading It's Thanksgiving!, a special collection of easy Thanksgiving-themed poems by the same author. I've also dug out our favorite Thanksgiving books from our home library and have placed them in our picture book bin. Fall is the season of change, so a slight change in our reading routine seems appropriate.

In addition, we're also reading...


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Read aloud- everybody

The House at Pooh Corner- We read the original Winnie the Pooh years ago and fell in love with the whimsical characters and somewhat sarcastic British humor. When I found this book for a quarter at a used book fair, I knew I had to buy it! We've played Pooh Sticks together as a family since reading the original. But, since my youngest three kids don't remember having read about it, they have been joyously surprised to find our game hidden inside the pages of a story.

Jamie- that's me!

The 17 Day Diet- I know, I know...I'm about two months early for the "crazy diet" season. But, this is technically NOT a diet. Due to some holiday weight we've been carrying around since 2008 (sigh!), the Hubs and I have decided to slowly make some dietary changes. I've been an 80/20 whole foods cook for the last five or six years now. But, I bake...A LOT...which has turned our waistlines into wastelands and has made us a bit sluggish! A friend's mother read and implemented the thoughts in this cyclical eating plan and was not only able to lose her goal weight, but also go off her cholesterol meds completely. I'm one chapter away from finishing the book, four days into the "diet," and have already experienced weight loss, better sleep, and more overall energy. The diet starts out very paleo/whole30ish. Then, after 17 days, it begins a new cycle of meals and allows you to add in a few more food items such as whole grains. After two more cycles of adding things in, you supposedly reach a "maintaining" food diet. So far, the meals have been fantastic! But then again, I've been pinning lots of new recipes and have loved the variety. We shall see...

The More of Less- I've always been a bit of a minimalist when it comes to stuff. Clutter weighs on my time, my energy, and my budget. But, clutter encompasses so much more than just physical THINGS. Overcommitment, guilt, and the "American dream" clutter up my life and rob me of room for the things that really matter to me. I haven't started this book yet, but I can't wait to dive into it this week.

Sweetie Pea- 8th grade

The Yearling- My daughter started this book earlier in the year and then got sidetracked by other titles. She's decided to pick it back up again in order to officially check it off her Middle School MUST READ list. 

Super Boy- 5th grade

Hero on a Bicycle- (Mom-assigned book) He's only a few chapters into this WWII novel about a 13-year-old Italian boy called upon to help the Resistance. When the book begins, the boy, Paolo, is quite selfish, rude, and full of teenage angst. But I sense a necessary turn around in his future. I can't give this a glowing endorsement yet, as I have not read it all the way through. But, I did find it on several booklists that I trust, so...

**Update: Please note that this book contains mild swear words and is not suitable for a reading assignment, in my opinion. 

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005- (Just-for-fun book) He started reading the WWII version of this book series a while ago and moved on to this one. Same series, different topic. And that, my friends, is delight-directed reading in action! Your kids start with a topic they already love and stumble upon a new one in their exploration of the first.

Blonde Warrior- 4th grade

Ambush in the Wilderness- (Mom-assigned book) There's just something about boys and books about war?! This is just one in the Adventures in America series. 

Jim Forest Books- (Just-for-fun book) Several weeks ago, the Hubs introduced my son to the old Ranger Bill audio dramas of his childhood. Our boy spent hours listening to them while building Legos. Eventually, he pieced together his own ranger suit and began "saving" the trees in our yard. Later, I requested a stack of old Jim Forest books for him from the library. The main character is a forest ranger who solves mysteries with Andy Griffeth-esqe innocence. They're below his reading level, but have offered hours of non-stop reading this past week. He zipped through the first stack and I've got the rest on order through our state inter-library loan system.

Greased Lightning- 2nd grade

Birds Do the Strangest Things- (Mom-assigned book) My little naturalist is slowly working his way through a vintage set of nature-themed Step Up Books. Last month, he learned about fish. This month, it's birds. 

Let's Go Fishing- (Just-for-fun book)

The Dude- Preschool

Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever- This is treasury of the best of Richard Scarry. It's a vintage bit o' perfection that I am reading aloud from each day. 

That's what we'll be reading during this month marked by change. How about you?