Books we've been reading

On our recent library trips, the boys have enjoyed some fun new books:

• Put It On the List, by Kristen Darbyshire.  Malcolm got a huge kick out of this book, with silly, simple illustrations of a bird family that keeps running out of essential ingredients for their planned meals.  They have cereal, but no milk, pancakes, but no syrup, and macaroni, but no cheese.  Don't even ask about the toilet paper.  Mom really needs a shopping list, and they should definitely NOT put pickled grubs on it.  Malcolm was also really proud that he could read a lot of the words in this book.  We are so proud of how he's starting to read!

• For our first Texas favorite, Diamond Jim Dandy and the Sheriff, by Sarah Burell.  Nothing exciting ever happens in Dustpan, Texas, until a friendly rattlesnake shows up and starts entertaining the town - and causing a lot of consternation for the sheriff.  This book is pretty much impossible to read without a Texas twang, and it has had Malcolm and Michael (and Joseph, imitating) saying things like, "Dadgum it!" and "Holey buckets!"  It features characters with names like Idie Mae Tumbleweed and Odette.  It made us laugh every time. 

• The second Texas favorite is The West Texas Chili Monster, by Judy Cox.  This one takes place in Que Pasa, Texas, and features a widow named Mama and her six children, including Inez, Alma, and Baby, and a chili competition.  The competition is interrupted by a chili-eating monster from outer space who really, really loves spicy chili, and who at one point says, "Chee-lee," which Malcolm thought was hilarious.  I really had the best time reading this one in a total Texas accent.

• And on a different note, The Holy Twins: Benedict and Scholastica, by Kathleen Norris with illustrations by Tomie dePaola.  The text on this one was a little more involved and I sometimes paraphrased or skipped over some of the longer pages, but surprisingly, both boys really liked this one.  Each page features a story from the life of these saints - more on Benedict, since his life is better chronicled, but most pages at least had a little illustration of what Scholastica was likely doing in her convent while Benedict was studying, becoming a hermit, becoming a monk, and eventually the founder of his order.  It shows how the siblings loved each other and served God throughout their lives, and some of the miracles attributed to Benedict.