George Lucas created this magical franchise with the first film back in 1977 and it operates now as a huge enterprise! While most people think of the movies when they think about Star Wars, many novels have been written about all the creative characters and stories. Enjoy a few minutes and read one of the many Star Wars books or comics out there! Happy reading! May the 4th be with you!
I just finished reading Wishtree written by Katherine Applegate. Fantastic book! I’m not surprised as I loved The One and Only Ivan also authored by Katherine Applegate. In this novel, the author uses nature to tackle prejudice through the most beautiful use of words. Red is the neighborhood oak tree that people place their wishes onto via a tie and cloth once a year. Red and his animal buddies have seen a lot over the years. In fact, Red has 216 rings on him. I love the voice the author gives Red and his buddies to help out a new family to the area and grant a wish. As I read this book, I felt the oak tree’s feelings and wanted to give him a wish that I could grant. “But sometimes things happen that aren’t so good. When they occur, I’ve learned that there’s not much you can do except stand tall and reach deep.” ― Katherine Applegate, Wishtree After finishing the book, I stared at my own oak tree for some time wondering about his thoughts, memories, and wishes. Highly recommend picking up this quick, but really beautiful read!
Happy birthday to Charles Dickens! This great novelist was born today in 1812. He brought us with some of the most memorable fictional characters of all times and known as one of the greatest novelist of the Victorian Era. My personal favorite Dickens classics is A Tale of Two Cities. I remember vividly reading this book in high school (many years ago) and struck by his use of the language and words. In particular, I love his opening! The images, the pace, the words just ring magic. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” ― Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities To celebrate his birthday, pick up one his classics and enjoy it! Maybe enjoy it with a cup a tea!
Cheers to a new year! Happy 2020! “Tomorrow is the first black page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” ~Brad Paisley
Literature shares us with so many wonderful stories and people. We have met a number of pretty cool fathers in fiction over the years. Here are a few of them: Bob Cratchit, A Christmas Carol Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird Otto Frank, Diary of Anne Frank Mr. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Gerald O’Hara, Gone with the Wind Arthur Weasley, Harry Potter series King Lear, King Lear Horton, Horton Hatches the Egg Many other awesome dads exist out there in fiction. What other fictional fathers should we add to this list here? Cheers to all the real dads out there today! Hopefully you get some time to read a great book today! Happy Father’s Day!
As the summer approaches for children, you can find a few resources to keep your children reading in addition to your local libraries. First, Barnes and Noble offers a summer reading program every year where the children track at least 8 books on a form. Then, in August, they can come into the store and pick a book off of their list for free! Click here for the form. Also, Scholastic is having a “Read-A-Palooza” Summer Reading Challenge. Over the summer, kids log their minutes that they have read online. They unlock digital rewards, book excerpts, and other summer content. In addition, once participating kids reach 25, then 50 and then 100 million minutes collectively read in the Summer Reading Challenge, Scholastic will donate a minimum of 200,000 books to kids in need across the United States! Click here for information on this program. Make sure your littles read over the summer to continue their education from the previous school avoiding that summer slump. And let your kids explore, grow, travel, and have fun reading some cool books over the warm summer! Happy reading!
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Literature shares us with so many wonderful stories and people. In fact, we have met a number of pretty awesome mothers in fiction over the years. Here are a few of them: Molly Weasley, Harry Potter series Margaret March, Little Women Mrs. Bennet, Pride and Prejudice Kanga, Winnie-the-Pooh Dr. Murry, A Wrinkle in Time Mrs. Quimby, Ramona Ma Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie Many other awesome moms exist out there in fiction. What other fictional moms should we add to this list here? Cheers to all the real moms out there today! Hopefully you get some time to read a great book today! Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Star Wars Day! George Lucas created this franchise with the first film back in 1977 and it operates now as a huge enterprise! While most people think of the movies when they think about Star Wars, many novels have been written about all the creative characters and stories. Enjoy a few minutes and read one of the Star Wars books or comics out there! Happy reading! May the 4th be with you!
“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” ~ Winnie the Pooh Winnie the Pooh Day was created to celebrate the creator’s birthday, A.A. Milne. Milne was born on this day in 1882 in London, England. Milne brought this adorable, honey-loving, bear to life in his writings in a collection of books first published in 1926. Milne’s lovable Pooh Bear is a fictional bear inspired by a black bear named Winnie who lived at the London Zoo during World War I. The author’s son, Christopher Robin, would visit the bear often at the zoo and named his own teddy bear after her. Milne created other characters in these books, Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo, after his son’s other stuffed animals. I so remember enjoying Winne the Pooh as a young girl and love seeing my own children enjoy these lovable characters. Winnie the Pooh continues today to inspire and entertain many fans throughout the world. To celebrate this fun day, go and enjoy a Winne the Pooh book, enjoy some honey, snuggle one of your stuffed animals, host a picnic, draw your house in the woods, or even bounce around the room a bit. 😉 “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.” ~ Winnie the Pooh ☀️ 😍❤️🍯
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Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in England. She authored six books and these books continue to be revered today. Her books include Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Mansfield Park. Jane’s father encouraged her writing back then and even bought her expensive paper and pencils even when the family needed the extra money. She used her father’s library frequently by reading lots of books. I distinctly remember reading Pride and Prejudice many, many years ago. I loved that book! I dreamt about meeting my own Mr. Darcy some day. But, I also remember Jane’s great sense of wit and wisdom in her writing throughout her novels. Enjoy a few quotes from Jane Austen’s works: “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” ― Sense and Sensibility “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Pride and Prejudice “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” ― Northanger Abbey “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.” ― Pride and Prejudice To celebrate her birthday, go out and read (or reread) one of her great books!
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