Just a note...

I've now posted 101 book titles, though I do not have 101 posts due to a couple of my posts containing information about a series. I haven't yet decided what I'm going to do with this blog from here on out. It will probably remain dormant for awhile as our lives have done the seemingly impossible and have grown to be even crazier than they were a year ago.

Whether or not I pick up posting about books again soon or in the much later future, I am going to continue to challenge myself to read 100 books every year. It is my hope to begin having my kids set their own goals for how many books they want to read each year when they get old enough to read on their own. Hopefully, the Vanderwall household will be filled with some great book talks for many years to come! If you've kept up with my blog, thank you, and I hope you found it to be meaningful and/or informative, at least a time or two.

If You Give a ______ a __________ Series (6 books)

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

These books are so popular, most people have heard of them, if not read them for themselves. We own 6 of them (which actually puts me at 101 books :)): If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Pig a Party, If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and, my personal favorite, If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. There are more of these books, but I'm only listing the titles I've recently read.

The books are very simple and cute. They are easy for young readers to follow and a wonderful way to teach prediction in the classroom. They would also be a great way to teach beginning, middle, and end to young readers. All of the plots are straightforward, relate-able, and funny. Kids seem to eat these up!

Veggie Tales Series (4 titles)

Bob and Larry's ABC's by Phil Vischer

Noah has 4 different educational Veggie Tales books: ABC's, colors, opposites, and numbers. These short little reads are especially fun for kids who watch Veggie Tales and who know the characters. This is one of Noah's favorite ways to review all the aforementioned topics. He even pulls that out and "reads" them to himself every once in awhile. They are very small and lightweight, easy to take on the go.

Bedtime Stories Collection Book

I'm not listing a specific title here, but just giving a suggestion. Noah has a bedtime stories collection book that contains 16 titles, all classics. This book is really nice to have on hand for travelling - you can pack one book, but you don't have to endure the same bedtime story every night that you're away from home. Well, that is if you can talk your toddler into reading more than one of the stories which can be extremely different to do. I've learned this the hard way. Even though there are 16 titles in the book Noah has he won't let me read past the first 2: Goldilocks and the 3 Bears and Hansel and Gretel. And, if I'm being honest, I've only got to read Hansel and Gretel because I've forced my will upon him a time or two. I'm hoping that we'll eventually get through all the stories because there really are some in there that I'm aching to read!

Dream Big, Little Pig

Dream Big, Little Pig by Kristi Yamaguchi

This is a really fun book to read aloud to your kids because it is written by an Olympian ice-skater: Kristi Yamaguchi. Some kids haven't heard of her, but when you tell them who she is and that she wrote the book they get extremely excited.

You get the impression that this little pig tells the true story of Kristi Yamaguchi and some of what she went through to get where she did with ice skating. It is a heart-warming story about never giving up and learning to lean on those you love the most.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Virginia "Ginny" is a 17 year old from New York who has a crazy artist aunt. This aunt left to travel overseas with not so much as a goodbye and this upset Ginny a lot! They were so close. In the first few pages of the book you discover that Ginny's aunt has passed away from cancer, which makes a package arriving from her quite mysterious. Within the package are 13 little blue envelopes. Ginny quickly discovers she is about to go on the scavenger hunt of a lifetime and she's been given some money and very specific directions by her aunt. She isn't sure what the purpose is, but she loved her aunt and is ready to take this adventure on, no matter what she may encounter. 

This book was a really easy read. It is 300+ pages, but it is a bit of a page turner and it uses language that is very easily understood. Even though this book is YA (17 year old protagonist, parents who are only mentioned a couple times who probably think they're the greatest parents of all time, but who obviously don't have much a of relationship with their daughter, romance, no time wasted getting to the plot) I would recommend this for middle grade readers as well - the content is very mild. I think that anywhere from 6th grade - 12th grade students would relate to this book and enjoy it. I would think it would particularly suit female readers as the protagonist is a female and it involves her crush - it is kind of like a "chick flick," but in book version.

There are a few content things to note, but I didn't find anything offensive about this book and, as I mentioned before, I wouldn't have a problem handing this to a middle school student. There is some profanity, but it is incredibly rare and very mild. Ginny meets a family overseas that she travels with for a few days. She learns that their daughter is a lesbian, but hearing the daughter say so is as far as that content goes. One of Ginny's other newly-made friends goes skinny dipping, but it isn't described in a graphic way. Ginny does have one Italian guy make try to make sexual advances, but he doesn't get very far. She also kisses her English crush a time or two. This crush does reveal a past of drugs and jail, he's turned his life around though.

The book is broken down in sections like chapters, but in between these chapters are the letters from Ginny's aunt. It makes you want to keep reading because you're always wondering what the next letter is going to say and what new destination Ginny is going to be whisked away to. Also, at the back of the book there is a section called "Extras." Inside these few pages you get to meet the author (Maureen Johnson), hear what she has to say about herself and the writing of this book, and read an interview with Ginny's English crush. 

Yet again, (I feel like I've said this in most of my posts, but it has been true a lot), this book would make a good read aloud. It would easily capture and hold the attention of students. I could also see it being used in a social studies class or even a geography class during a unit on different cultures or different countries - Ginny experiences a lot of these along the way. The author leaves the book a bit open-ended so students in an English class could be assigned the task of writing the end of this novel.

Keeping the Moon

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

This Contemporary Realistic Fiction book is about 15 year old girl, Colie (short for Nicole), who is sent to live with her aunt for the summer while her mom is overseas for work. Colie has had more than her fair share of struggles in life. She was raised by a single parent, both her and her mom were obese until her mom got a job at a gym and became famous for her classes and infomercials, and product line, etc. Colie's never had any real friends and she's been made fun of at every school she's ever attended (which has been a lot because before becoming skinny, rich, and famous, Colie's mom would move her around from state to state to try and escape their problems of no money, no friends, and obesity). During Colie's stay with her aunt she learns a lot about herself, makes some friends, and begins to transform her life. She realizes she was always capable of being a likable, fun girl and that she needed to have some confidence in herself in order for others to see that as well.


Novel is the style of this book. There aren't any abnormal formatting choices to note. It is written in first person all the way through. In the very front of the book there is a printed excerpt taken from the book. It doesn't have a heading or anything so I thought I might be reading an excerpt from one of Sarah Dessen's other books, but I found out I was wrong. The back of the book does give a preview of one of her books that came out after Keeping the Moon.

Classroom applications for this book could take a few different forms. It could certainly be used during an anti-bullying campaign, even just as a book in a literature circle. I think it could really encourage some kids who feel that they don't have friends and maybe don't have a lot of support at home. It could be used in a unit on friendship as well.