Reading Wednesday - Ivy and Bean

I am madly in love with the Ivy + Bean series (Annie Barrows + Sophia Blackwell, Chronicle Books).

I tried forcing these beautiful (yes, I totally judge books by their covers) books on Izzy every trip to Borders, but to no avail. Then, one day, Izzy told me that she needed more books for her book box at school and asked me to pick her up a couple. I asked what she wanted and she said the magic words, "I don't know. You decide." Wohoo! I rushed out that night while Iz was at a birthday party (so she couldn't go with me) and snagged the first book of the series, Ivy + Bean.

I don't know about other parents, but I find there are few books with relatable female characters for girls at Izzy's reading level (Chapter Books, right on the cusp of Independent Reader). The reason I am so in love with these books is the simplicity. It is the story of two young girls who begrudgingly become friends over a common, and totally normal, bond of hiding from an older sister. The beauty of these books is based in the unexpected friendship of these two, complete opposite, seven year old girls. The idea that we sometimes have to see past oddities to really get to know someone, and in the end that someone may turn out to be your best friend. The characters are beautifully written with their own distinct and captivating voice. The black and white illustration continue the elegant simplicity and compliment the story perfectly. They are also proportional to the story, so you don't feel like your handing your child a picture book.

There are 7 books currently available, with the 8th set to be released in the fall. If you have a daughter who tends to be a bit of a realist and loves the idea of "best friends", Ivy + Bean should be on your list of books to try.

Easily, my absolute favorite thing about these books is that the next morning I walked into Izzy's room and she was laying in bed reading. She looked up at me and said "I have been reading since 6:00 this morning and I love these books. Thank you, Mom, these were the perfect choice." I can't imagine a better endorsement for these books, can you?

A town without a bookstore

Grand Forks, ND is the third largest city in North Dakota. With a metropolitan population of over 97,000 and home to the University of North Dakota. However, at the end of January, Grand Forks, ND will become a city without a bookstore. According to this article in the Grand Forks Herald, there are some used bookstores and the UND bookstore carries a few new release titles, but nothing more. Starting in February, the fine residents of Grand Forks will have to drive 75 miles south to Fargo or shop online.

While it may seem like buying books online is easier and may save you a couple of dollars, imagine if you didn't even have the option of visiting a bookstore. Would you miss standing in your favorite section and running your fingers down the spine of a book? Would you miss pulling out said book and reading the dust jacket? Would you miss that one sentence that peaks your interest? Is it possible that the demise of the bookstore may just mean the demise of finding your next favorite book?

Really think about the last time you were in a bookstore... Now think about what life would be like without that bookstore.

This is what the poor people of Grand Forks are facing... I don't envy them and I hope I will never be in their shoes.

Do you love the book or the words?

A few weeks ago my Dad and I were discussing the decline of the book and subsequent rise of the eReader. He looked at me and said "There are the people who love to read and then there are the people who love books." Why had I never realized that before? Of course it's true, but I had never recognized the distinction.

I have spent my life surrounded by readers. I have millions of memories of my Dad, in at least half of them (probably more) he has a book in his hand. Dinner's were spent listening to my dad and sister talk about books and stories they had read. Although my Mom rarely read for entertainment, she spent a lot of time with her head buried in a book, furthering her knowledge. Everytime we would visit my Aunt we would leave with a paper bag (or two) full of books that had been passed around our family. Books were comfortable, they were somewhere to get lost and found at the same time.

I will never forget the moment I bought the book that turned me into a reader. I was eight years old and we were at Meadowbrook Mall in Pittsburg, KS for one of our many trips to Waldenbooks. I loved these trips with my Dad, we would pick out a book then go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream (typically a double scoop of vanilla and strawberry). While sitting on the floor of the tiny store, perusing the small selection of Independent Reader books, I stumbled across Noel Streatfield's Gemma. While the book has been passed off as unremarkable and even messy, I fell in love with it. I devoured the other three books in the series and was sad to see Gemma say Goodbye to her cousins in the final book. For the first time I understood what it meant to really immerse yourself in a book, to fall in love with the characters and long for more. It was the day I fell in love with reading.

I am constantly looking for a book that will have that impact on Izzy and once we find it, I will begin searching for Eli's then Emmy's. It is so important to me that my kids know what it feels like to get lost in a book. To be able to leave everything behind and escape to another place, another time, another world. However, as brick and mortar bookstores struggle to stay in business I fear my kids will never have a moment like mine. They may never have the opportunity to experience the moment where they find THE book that will make them fall desperately in love with reading and that terrifies me.

I do recognize the pull of the eReader. They are convenient and they hold a lot of books in one place. As a reader, I get how irritating it can be to lug 3 or 4 different books on a trip, or even worse to finish a book on a plane (or a car in the middle of Iowa) and not have another to start. However, I cannot imagine a world without the ability to curl up on a cold winter night, tucked under a blanket, with a good book. I can't imagine losing the ability to run to my local Borders and grab that new release I have been waiting months for; the sound of the binding as it's opened for the first time, the smell of the paper and ink, the feel of the paper as I turn the page. These are the things I would miss, these are the things that my children could miss.

Therefore, I am making a declaration right here, right now... I am on team book. In my epic battle of the world of books vs. the world of eReaders, books win. In the perfectly written words of my dear friend, S, "I'll be reading actual books when I'm 80 and people will think I'm eccentric." I'm okay being the batty old lady on the corner who still reads those crazy paper books.

Sit back and really think about it... Do you love to read or do you love books? Some of you are thinking that it's the same thing, but is it? Is it really?

Happy Birthday, Izzy and Jon

On January 13th, Jon and Izzy celebrated their birthday.

Izzy got a new bike this year, as she had outgrown her old one. It is not horribly easy to find a bike that fits all of this 8 year olds needs. Which was really only one requirement, NO PINK! Jon and I spent a few hours (or weeks) looking at bikes and every single girl bike had some sort of pink. The boy bikes were covered in blues and greens, but not the right blues or greens. We finally broke down and decided that we would just let Izzy pick out her own bike. So, the Saturday before their birthday, Izzy and Jon went on a bike finding mission. Luckily they found the perfect bike and Izzy is in love...

Izzy aka Isobel

Isobel has had an internal struggle regarding a nickname for some time. She likes the name Isobel, and she doesn't mind that Jon and I call her Bel, but she never wanted the teachers or her friends to call her Bel. Over the years, her friends have been calling her Izzy, but she was never willing to make it her official nickname. I can only imagine that a bit of her hesitance came from my begging to please not make us call her Izzy. Alas, the first week of school I attended the orientation in her class room. I sat down at her seat in the corner and read her name tag, Izzy. After that, it was official. Every communication I get from her teacher refers to her as Izzy and all her friends call her Izzy.

I guess it is time I accept the fact that my little girls is big enough to make some decisions on her own, and this is the first.

Therefore, I proudly introduce you to Izzy:

First Day of School

Okay... I realize it is January, but the kids did have a first day of school, in fact there were three very distinct first days of school this year.

First, we sent Isobel off to her first day of 2nd grade. As I look back on this blog and look at the pictures of her first day of preschool I am shocked by how much she has grown. It is an amazing adventure watching your kids grow up, I love every minute of it. Here she is, on her way to 2nd grade.

Two days later, I put my little Eli on the bus for his first day of kindergarten. He seems to have some anxiety regarding change, so I was concerned how he would react when it came time to get on the bus. He was the one that I thought would cling and have a tough time separating... I was wrong. He flew on that bus and was ready to go. I guess I should pat myself on the back for his strength of character and courage, but I pouted a little. I am glad he went willingly, but a little, bitty part of my heart broke when I watched my handsome boy happily driven away from me.

Just a few weeks after my heartbreak, Emmy enjoyed her first day of Preschool. She is in the same class at Lakeview that Eli was in (with the same teachers). It is a little surreal to have her attend the same preschool I was carrying her into before she could walk. It allows me to see how much she has grown. I often look at her like she is still a baby (I know it is the baby child syndrome), to see her in this environment forces me to see that she is no longer a baby. I have to admit, I am not sad about this, if there is one thing I know it is that I am over the baby years.

It has been too long, old friend...

Jackie Joyner-Kersee once said "It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." So, that my friends is what I am going to do. For all intensive purposes, I have not written anything on this blog since September. Yes, I realize my last post was in October, but it was about the first day of school... in September. This post will be in the spirit of recognizing that events have happened and have been missed on this blog, but that more will come... so I will prepare for the future.

Isobel just finished her 3rd quarter of 1st grade and she is an exceptional student. She loves every aspect of school and looks forward to going every single day. Every day she rates her day on a scale from 1 to 5, and she has never brought home anything other than a 5. She is reading like a champ which has lead to an exciting change on our nightly reading process. Now, she reads Magic Tree House to me and then I read something to her. Right now we are reading The Magicians Nephew, 39 Clues and Harry Potter... yes, we are reading all three at once. I think 39 clues is the favorite right now, so I hope to have it done within the next couple of days. It is hard to tell with Isobel, her mood changes frequently. Spring Break started today, so she will head back to school on April 12th for her 4th and final quarter of 1st grade.

Eli has grown and matured so much this school year. It is amazing. He knows all of his letters, his numbers up to 20, his address and his phone number... he is absolutely ready for kindergarten. He has gone back to gymnastics and he is loving it. He recently decided that he is ready to start T-Ball. Unfortunately, I did not realize I could sign him up for Kings Baseball this year, so he is going to have to wait. I am searching for a summer league, but can't seem to find one. I am hoping the YMCA has something. Currently, however, his heart belongs to Star Wars. He watches it as much as we will let him and he can’t wait to be a Jedi when he grows up. He did warn me that once he becomes a real Jedi; he won’t be staying in the play room anymore. Apparently, in his world, Jedi’s get play in the family room (which is where we keep the legos).

Emmy isn't quite 3, but she is already acting like a 3 year old... the no naps, horrible grumpiness with spectacular tantrums thrown in. It is fantastic! She also has the other side of three, the wonderful excitement that goes along with learning and discovering new things... It truly is an amazing age to mother. I honestly believe that the fact that parents still love and adore their kids after three proves that unconditional love truly exists.

In other family news, I am an Aunt again! My sister and her husband have welcomed two new daughters into their family. Alex is 8 and Zoey will be 2 at the beginning of June. They are currently still in Accra waiting for all of the paperwork to be finalized, but we are all hoping they will be home in time for Zoey's birthday. In July they will all be moving to their new home in Kentucky. As they will only be a few hours from us, I am hoping that the cousins will all be able to get together frequently... It is hard to believe that from the two of us, my parents now have 9 (Hopefully 10 - I am still holding out hope that Aaron will get to come home) grandchildren.

And what a beautiful, spectacular bunch of grandchildren they are!

With so many exciting additions and changes in our future, I will do my best to prepare and share them with you... if not, well... I probably will look back and regret all of the moments that should have be frozen in time on this blog, but were instead, forgotten.