The Doll People by Ann M. Martin

The Doll People by Ann M. Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

July 2011

I may have to upgrade this book to four stars. Just for the sake that my daughters LOVE reading it. Sallie and I have discussed so many things as a result of this book: spiders, unconditional family love, do dolls have feelings, my favorite toys from my girlhood, Aretha Franklin's RESPECT (Sallie loves to sing the "sock it to me sock it to me!" part. It is a fabulous book to spark book talks with little girls. I wouldn't put it up there with Charlotte's Web or the Little House books, but my daughters certainly enjoy this book! (and the series as well . . .)


from June 2011:

Sallie brought this book to me and asked that we start reading it in the mornings.  She is LOVING it. She actually read a chapter to me last night BY HERSELF (she usually reads a paragraph to me at each sitting, but more than one page is unprecedented!!) I was tired, and she wanted to read if after the family read aloud, so she offered to read it to me. It was late, but I couldn't resist. I was shocked that she read for so many pages!


updated review:

I finished the book. I can see why Aerie likes it so much. This is her next book club party book. We are going to make clothespin dolls and maybe grill our refreshments (the Funcrafts have a pretend/plastic BBQ). I think it will be quite a fun book club party.


previous review:

Aerie loves the Babysitter's Club books. She reads one a day . . . at least. She picks up a stack each time we go to the library (which can be twice in a week if necessary!) so, we are going to try something by the same author!


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Dragonslayers by Bruce Coville

The Dragonslayers by Bruce Coville
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a great read aloud with 7 year old Coconut. A fun story for children ready for chapter books (up through age nine or so.) Knights, girl power princesses, family love, dragons, and humor. We really enjoyed this quick read.


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Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aerie and I read this several years ago. It was one of our first book club parties in AF, so it was five years ago (when she was six years old). She was sure that Daddy would hollow out a tree in the back yard to make a smoke house for our snacks. She loved the book. Sophia and Coco each have loved reading books from these series as well.

Sallie and I just finished it. We picked up an extra large print illustrated edition, which made it fun to take turns reading. when we started the book, Sallie would read one page and I would read the rest. About the middle of the book, she would read an entire chapter aloud to me (while I cleaned up her room or did something else mindless like put on makeup). Now, she is reading chapters aloud to me from other books, even those with smaller print. I think the oversized format gave her confidence that she could read an entire chapter, and now that she knows she can do it, she just does it!

She loved that Laura Ingalls celebrated her fifth birthday in the book, making them the same age. She also liked that Grandma Laura had read the same book when she was a girl and shares a name with Laura Ingalls. She especially loved the stories that are told within chapters.

We read this rather quickly because she was always so eager to read (either with me or to me . . . her room hasn't been this consistently clean in months!) But Sallie made lots of plans to make this a Book Club Party book. We are celebrating Poppy by Avi tomorrow and have to announce our next book. She is having trouble deciding between this book and A Nest For Celeste by Henry Cole. My vote is for Little House in the Big Woods, but we aren't sure yet.

Next we are reading The BFG by Roald Dahl. She giggled and laughed through the first five or so chapters (they are very short.) She also wants to read the Wide Awake Princess by E.D. Baker. But, when she realized today that there are more books in the Laura Ingalls series, she said, "I want to read more if they are as good as Little House in the Big Woods." Oh they are . . . and I can't wait to have another chance to read them with another daughter!


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