The Art of Stone Skipping and Other Fun Old-Time Games by J.J. Ferrer

I stumbled upon this treasure of a book, absolutely thrilled to find all of the lost games we played as kids. The memories are all bound together in one amazing book. Remember Cat's Cradle string game? Red Rover? Kick the Can? Burlap Sac races? Horse? or Catch-a Coin. I couldn't resist picking this book up and sharing these forgotten games with my kids. I highly recommend purchasing this one!

Perfect for all ages
Two big thumbs up

The Wombles by Elisabeth Beresford

A delightful discovery! I'm pretty sure I'm the only one on earth who did not read these back in the 70's My 8 year old son and I have been loving these books. The Wombles are exactly the creature you wished you could meet when you were a child. The Wombles live in warm cozy burrows and are a cross between and teddy bear and a mole (in my opinion). You can't help but fall in love with them. Cleaning up the 'Human Beings' messes and using their rubbish is how the Wombles survive. Filled with laughter and adventure, you won't be able to put these wonderful books down!

4 big thumbs up!
Great for 5+

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

This book review goes out to all my homeschool/unschool friends. You may find a bit of yourself in these pages.

This particular book I found at our local kids bookstore and was drawn to it. I wanted to read it to the boys but ended up digesting it all on my own.

The story has a coming-of age element but mostly appeals to the heart. Connection and support for each other is what drew me in. The story revolves around three young teenage kids who come together for two weeks one summer for an amazing total eclipse of the sun but it was much more than that. My heart expanded after reading it.

Make sure you have tissue for the ending.......happy tears.

Two heart warming thumbs up!
Recommend 10+

The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman

The boys and I commute to Karate three times a week so audio books in the truck are a must! This story was read by the fabulous Graeme Malcolm and it entertained us for a couple weeks worth of commuting.

The story begins in a cornfield where a beloved scarecrow has been stolen and arrives in another field on a cold rainy night only to be remarkably brought to life. A young orphan boy befriends him and the adventure begins. Hilarious, heartwarming and adventures galore. You will not be disappointed by the thread of events which brings the scarecrow's journey full circle.

We all give this story 6 big thumbs up!
Excellent for kids age 7+

Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Falcon is an oddball kid that doesn't really fit in. One day he gets on a bus and it takes him to a magical island where everyone is a monster. It's a school for monsters and Falcon will soon discover things he never knew before. Filled with mystery, humor and suspense.

Two big 12 year old thumbs up!
Ideal for kids 12+

Roland Wright Future Knight by Tony Davis

Roland Wright is the under-dog. He's not what you would call 'Knight' material but what Roland has is a terrific will and spirit. This will and spirit takes Roland far and catches the attention of some very important people. Humorous and adventurous, my young son loved this book and the books that follow.

Two big thumbs up!
Recommended for kids 6+

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

I read this book to my 7yo son and he was very intrigued by it. "A spring of water that can make you live forever", this was the experience of one family who accidentally drank from a magical spring. It was a short read but filled with  "what will happen next"!

A young girl happen to meet this odd & and enchanting family only to find herself left with choices. It is a love story but not your typical boy/girl love story. A love story about life.

We both give this story two thumbs up and recommend this read for kids 7years and older.

A Book of Coupons by Susie Morgenstern

This short lovely chapter book delighted my oldest son years ago. Recently he took it off of his book shelf and gave it to his younger brother telling him what a great book it was and he should 'read it with Mom'. That night my six year old son & I curled up and read the whole thing.
The story takes place on the first day of school finding the kids in the class with a new teacher. Not your average every day teacher but a truly special human being. The coupons he shares are not what you think and each child leaves school that year with something special in their hearts.

A wonderful read I highly recommend for all ages.

My son give this book two thumbs up.

The Book of Big Brothers by Cary Fagan

This was a wonderful read-aloud picture book that my young son loved. Having a big brother, he could identify with many of the 'scenerios' in the book. My husband and I also have older brothers, so reading this story as a family revealed much laughter and reflection.

We all give this story 2 thumbs up.

A great read for anyone with an older brother!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This novel was typically written for teens but my 12yo son loved the more mature content in it. His thirst for reading has lead him to more intense and complicated story lines.
The story is set in the future with the main character being a 16yo girl. One hundred years from now the tyrannical government holds a tournament for all kids to fight to the death to keep the people from rising up and overthrowing the government. The story takes many twists and turns with a teenage girl as a reluctant heroine. Even with the violent descriptive images and teenage romance my son enjoyed the author's writing experiencing a more mature book.

I do not recommend this book for anyone under 12

My son gives this book & the series two thumbs up.

The 39 Clues series (various authors)

My son currently discovered this series and digested all ten of them this summer. As soon as one was done off he would go to the library to get the next book. Every book was a cliff changer in which he was unable to wait, he had to get the next book! Each book was written by a different author although a couple of them were written by two authors. (eg. Rick Riordon, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson.....)
The premise of the story is about two teenage siblings who's parents died when they small. They were raised by their mean aunt and it turns out their family are all related to past and present famous people, such as Thomas Edison, Rihanna, Houdini, Howard Carter and Abraham Lincoln. The adventure takes the kids on a scavenger hunt to find 39 clues hidden by their ancestors which could reveal an amazing discovery.

My son gives this 10 thumbs out of ten thumbs!
A great read for 12 years +

A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

My youngest son has a fascination with poems. He has always loved them and recently I have noticed that he loves them most when his is very tired. He asks for them. He will lie on the bed with his eyes closed and listen. I think the sing-song verses lull and nourish his soul.

For me, Stevenson's writing is a beautiful dichotomy between the harsh, adventurous 'Treasure Island' and then his beautiful, enchanting, simple poems.

I highly recommend these poems for all ages.

The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

My son tried to read this book a few years ago and found it too dark. Just recently he picked the book up again and digested it in about two days. He loved the story and intrigue. The basic outline of the story is about two orphan brothers who end up living with their cruel Aunt & Uncle and then running away. On their journey they meet a 13 year old boy who calls himself 'The Thief Lord' who leads a ring of street kids in petty crime. The brothers end up in interesting circumstances which puts into question the authenticity of the Thief Lord!

A terrific read for kids 11+

My son gives this story two thumbs up.

Tumtum & Nutmeg: A Seaside Adventure by Emily Bean

This is the fourth adventure in the Tumtum & Nutmeg series. Delightful stories of mice on adventures! In this story Tumtum, Nutmeg & General Marchmouse travel to the seaside to keep watch over the human children, Lucy and Arthur, as they take a summer vacation. While there mice stumble upon a mystery and end up on a hunt for a lost treasure. Little do the mice know that a villian lurks close by, Purple Claw, who is also after the treasure. Who will will find the treasure first? My son loved the twists and turns the story takes. It is a simple sweet story that is not too scary but has just enough suspense to make it exciting.

A great read-aloud for ages 5+

My son gives this story two thumbs up.

The Mouse and the Motorcyle by Beverly Cleary

This story we listened to in the car on audio on one of our many commutes. Clearly this one caught the attention of my 6 year old. The idea of a mouse riding a motorcycle was wonderous! The story begins with a boy staying in a hotel with his parents when he happened upon a mouse who could talk. They became fast friends and the boy lent the mouse his toy motorcycle to use. You can only imagine the adventures and troubles the mouse got into. Action-packed with an element of soft-hearted friendship.

We give this story 2 great big thumbs up!
Excellent for kids 5 & older.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

The first three chapters of this book were wonderful until my 11yo son read the rest without me. He was so intrigued he couldn't put it down and had to finish it. Needless to say I still have yet to finish.
The story begins on an Island in the South Pacific in which lived the people of Ghalas-at. A young girl named Karana finds herself stranded on the island after the Aleut people killed many of her people and the white people captured the rest. The imagery and storytelling captured us and we felt like we were with her. It is a based on a true story that reveals courage, serenity and greatness of spirit.

My son gives this story two thumbs up.
I recommend this book for ages 10yrs and older.

Harry the Poisonous Centipede by Lynne Reid Banks

This was an interesting book. My son was completely engaged in listening to it. It is a story about the adventures of a poisonous centipede told from the perspective of an insect and how we Hoo-Mins, as they calls us, might be strange and scary creatures to them.  My son and I had many discussions about our presence in the insect and bug world.  This was a great story full of laughter and adventure but also had the added element of 'food-for-thought'.

My son gives this story 2 thumbs up!
A great read for 6yrs and older.

Redwall (The Series) by Brian Jacques

This series is full of action and adventure but not for the faint of heart. It is a fantasy story of mice and other woodland creatures who live at Redwall Abbey. The villian of this story is an evil rat named Cluny the Scourge who wants to overthrow the Abbey's current residents. In order to rid themselves of Cluny they have to go on a quest to find the Legendary Sword.
There are alot of mature descriptions within this story so it is recommended for ages 12 & up.

My son gives this series two thumbs & two big toes up!

The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann Wyss

We currently watched the 1970's movie of the Swiss Family Robinson in which my 6yo & 11yo loved! Much action an adventure about a family stranded on a deserted island. This all-time classic was a hit. The movie opened up many discussions from, self-sufficiency to animal rights to design/architecture to geography. My son was so enthralled he has taken on the task to now read the 470 page book which doesn't daunt him at all.
So far he gives it one thumb down and one thumb up because of the extended detail it gives. He finds it boring in spots. An interesting observation from a new generation of readers.

Good for 11 years and older.

The Lighthouse Family: The Eagle by Cynthia Rylant

This was a lovely, simple read. An unlikely family consisting of a cat, a dog & three baby mice who all found each and created their own family. The young mice find adventure and make new friends!

My 6yo loved it and we were thrilled to find out there are two more books by this author, in which the adventures continue.

We gave this book two thumbs up.
A great read for kidlets 4 years and older.