My daughter and I have read a lot of books together lately. You’ve probably noticed, given my reviews of From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and The Egypt Game. When my dad saw that we were reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, he told us how... Continue Reading →
I loved this book! I absolutely loved it. Yes, it was a collection of essays about author Mary McCarthy’s childhood that at times were written intellectually, but it had the charm and flourish of her creative voice. After each chapter, she included a commentary chapter, explaining how much of the essay was true and how... Continue Reading →
A year or so ago, my awesome sister Afton gave my oldest daughter some books for her birthday. One of them was a copy of The Egypt Game (1967) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. As Olivia opened this present, all of us watching oohed and ahhed about the book, remembering how much we had enjoyed it... Continue Reading →
I found an old paper in my desk drawer with a list of stuff my daughter had said when she was six or seven. I had meant to post it on my blog, but I’ve waited until she turned ten to do so. She wouldn’t say these things now, but it is fun to look... Continue Reading →
Last week was spring break for me, so I took the time off to visit my dad and my grandmother, who is ill with cancer, in Missouri. My grandma finished her last radiation treatment while we were there, so we are hoping that things look good and that she’ll start to get stronger and be... Continue Reading →
It turns out that A Girl of the Limberlost (1909) by Gene Stratton-Porter is a sequel to another book, called Freckles. I realized this as I marked A Girl of the Limberlost as “read” on Goodreads, and saw that it was labeled #2. And then I realized that a character in the book, Freckles, whom... Continue Reading →
Do you remember reading this book as a child? Or being forced to read it? It is From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1967) by E. L. Konigsburg, and while it sounds boring, it isn’t. I recently reread it with my daughter. I had to read it to her, because although she... Continue Reading →
When I was about 9 or 10, I kissed Santa Claus. Being the shy person that I am, I did not spontaneously act, but instead, my parents saw an opportunity for capturing a childhood memory that misrepresents my personality completely. I know. I'm not really kissing him in this picture, but I did! This was... Continue Reading →
This has been going around Facebook for quite a while, and I was tagged for it a few weeks ago. “Book Fun! In your status line, list 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Don’t take more than a few minutes and don’t think too hard—they don’t have to be the ‘right’... Continue Reading →
In July, I explained why I’m not a craft blogger. Today I’ll explain why I’m not a mom blogger. Yet technically I am one, because according to Mashable, a mom blogger is any woman with kids at home who has read or contributed to a blog in the last 30 days. However, I don’t consider... Continue Reading →
The Bookshelf of Emily J. 