Reading with Nieces

Reality time folks: I have a week to go and have only shared about a sixth of my material. I'm going to do
my best with this marathon week, but moving 1500 miles has taken up a bit more time than I had anticipated. While I think I can finish my reading in time, sharing all that I have found may take a couple extra weeks. I'll be focusing the rest of this week on the reading piece of it, and I hope you'll look for the writing updates in mid-July.

For now, I leave you with just a small sample of the world of literature I have been/ will be sharing with the young loves of my life (my nieces!)

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So, this one does not technically make the list as I read it the week before my challenge. However, it was too much fun to not share it with you. Both Alanah (6) and Nataya (7) count this as a favorite, and I can't blame them. Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi, The Spider and the Fly adapts Mary Howitt's poem to the page quite artfully, preserving a dark sense of humor any adult can appreciate and an undeniable rhythm young readers will faun over. Nataya even wrote her own book about the book, preserving some of the more memorable and ear-catching phrases. The webbed lettering and contrasting gray scale illustrations play well into the tone and provide a depth to the story that reaches far past the words themselves.



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This is one Alanah picked for a summer reading assignment sheet on a non-fiction book. I really appreciate the concept here, providing the usual basic habitat and diet info in the context of the animal's true life size. While an entire giraffe/ zebra/ tiger cannot fit on the pages (of course!), the spreads are carefully chosen to accentuate crucial components of the animals' make-up and put the facts into a more concrete framework. This is one that works particularly well in a one-on-one setting, where the child can gain a more hands-on perspective and use his or her own body in comparison.




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This cute cautionary tale by Peggy Rathmann explores the ego and anxieties of a dedicated safety officer and his unexpected canine partner. While the book dragged for me in some sections, both the girls seemed to enjoy being in on the inside joke and "getting" what Officer Buckle was missing- that his sudden popularity was brought on by the lively performance of Gloria and not a new-found student commitment to the safety rules. While the book gets tied up neatly and leaves the officer and the dog with a sense of pride, the feelings of jealousy and insecurity it explores within the middle pages provide a unique and unexpected structure through which to discuss bullying and friendship.



The Spider and the Fly, Written by Mary Howitt, Illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi

Adding on:
51. Life-Size Zoo, Idea by Teruyuki Komiya, Edited by Kristin Earhart, Photographed by Toyofumi Fukuda

52. Officer Buckle and Gloria, Written and Illustrated by Peggy Rathmann