Representation is so important. It not only invites those who identify as LGBTQ an opportunity to be represented – including those who have LGBTQ parents – but it teaches others about inclusivity and acceptance. So I asked my friend Kate from Lesbemums to help me compile a list of diverse books that are perfect for introducing to your children. So over to Kate……
I love seeing what people are reading and getting inspiration for my next read, so this year I have decided to share a picture of the books on my bedside once a month. I would love for you to join in and share your images on social media or blog about them using the hashtag #BooksOnTheBedside.
The benefit of audiobooks is a collaborative post with BookBeat. We are big fans of audiobooks here in The Mad House. We use them a lot and I want to share with you that they are not cheating nor do they prohibit reading. In fact, in our case, they have actually helped fuel the love of books. I am an avid reader and always have been. When I was younger I could always be found with my head in a book and this is a love that I have always wanted to pass on to the children. However, as much as we have already read to the boys and encouraged them both more »
Do your kids love LEGO. Mine do and they are really excited about the LEGO Batman movie. We were sent four fantastic LEGO books and I love that it has really got them interested in crafting and making with a LEGO Batman twist.
We are huge Roald Dahl fans here in The Mad House, especially Mini and to celebrate the home release of The BFG on DVD and Bluray we have been asked to produce The BFG’s Frobscottle recipe. This is a post paid for in collaboration with The BFG.
Everyone wants their children to grow up with a love of books. I know that I did and I have one bookworm, but I also have one reluctant reader. Maxi is a capable reader, but he has never connected with books for whatever reason and it isn’t for lack of trying on my part! The fact is that reluctant readers are often boys, but the lack of interest in reading books isn’t just a boy thing. So how do you engage reluctant readers? I have teamed up with DisneyLife to bring you some tips for engaging reluctant readers.
When I was pregnant with maxi one of the things that I was most looking forward to was reading bedtime stories to my future child. I have always had a love of books and I knew that I wanted to foster this in my future children. I always knew that bedtime stories were important, but I never realised quite how important they were.
It is nearly World Book Day, so I have some DIY World Book Day costume ideas for you all. Do you love or hate dressing up days at school? I used to hate them with a passion. Maxi hates dressing up. He always has, so they have always been a real challenge for me. But then along came Mini who LOVES dressing up and loves reading too, so whoop!
Today I want to share with you how to make a mother and child heart necklace with polymer clay. This is inspired by one of my favorite preschool books, No Matter What by Debi Gliori (UK Link/US Link).
Do you have a reader? I am not going to pretend that my boys are always found with their noses in a book, but I have now got two readers. One was a reluctant reader and the other was and still is prolific, especially at bedtime! It is only when I came to put together this list that I realised just how much they both read and how many books we have purchased this year, so here is our must have books for tween boys.
I have talked before that it can sometimes be frustrating as a parent when you want to instil a love of books and reading in your kids and they are reluctant readers. Over my years as a parent I have struggled to reconcile the fact that Maxi is not a book worm like I am and that Mini has become. However, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t read, just that he reads in different ways. I have also learned that I need to find something that engages him and with the new Star Wars movie coming out later this year these Star Wars books really did.
I have mentioned that we love audio books here in “The Mad House”. They are great for encouraging kids to read and really bring stories to life. We have been listening to The Jungle Book – The Mowgli Stories by Rudyard Kipling. Read on to see just what we thought about it…..
Although I agree that nothing can replace the wonder of reading aloud to your children. I have been a fan of audiobooks since my boys were small.
We love books and the boys are allowed to ask for books for Christmas according to our mantra:
We have so many books in the Mad House that we had to buy a new book case for Mini’s bedroom last week. Not that I am complaining. I love that he is a book worm and I really wish that Maxi would have the same relationship with books that iIni does. Both the boys really love “fact” books and they are great for encouraging boys, who can often be reluctant readers. We are fans of Miles Kelly Publishers and have received and bought books from them before and they sent is the new Discovery Channel Discover the Savage World book to review and also set us a couple of challenges more »
I think that a reading list is a perfect snapshot of where we all are in life, so have decided to do a regular (ish) post on what books are gracing our bedside tables, coffee table, hands and kindles. We are pretty avid readers, well all apart from Maxi, who is still a reluctant although very capable reader.
Some info about the book club:
The Tots100 Book Club is where bloggers share their favourite stories. Every month, the Tots100 invites 10 bloggers to tell us about stories that have moved and inspired them – and to share their favourite books with a nother blogger. Each month, they’ll be publishing a round-up of the Book Club’s recommendations over on the Tots100 site, meaning you need never be short of great reading inspiration again!
I love books, we have them everywhere all round the house. But often my most thumbed books end up beside my bed. The ones that I dip in and out of for inspiration, enlightenment and sometimes my general well being. These are the books that make me happy each and every day and night.
So it got me wondering if this was the same for the rest of you and decided being the nosy person I am , I would love to know what books you keep by your bedside
I used to love reading, before I had the boys and was in to all this blogging lark, my head could be found in a book pretty much every spare minute of the day. I devoured the words, I sunk in to the imaginary world around me and I read. I loved everything about books, from the anticipation of a new book from a specific author to the feel of the pages turning and the respite from everyday life they presented to me. Somewhere over the last 6 years I have got out of the habit of reading. I can not concentrate long enough to read a book, I keep reading more »
We signed up for the International Postcard Swap over at Playing by the Book and have been having a great time sending the postcards to our families we were allocated. Maxi helped write the cards, letting everyone know about the boys favorite book Aliens Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Court. Mini decided that he likes the taste of stamps. We were somewhat disappointed that our village post office and that of the two closest to us didn’t have any interesting picture stamps, so sorry folks. The boys also looked up the destinations of their postcards in their atlas, Germany, Canada, USA x2 and UK. They then stuck the relevant more »
