Wednesday-end of Summer Reading Program and 30 minutes of reading

Today was the final party for the Summer Reading Program.  All the participants were given prizes.  Each child got a book as well as several printed mini books, certificates for free Karl's Jr. kid's meals, Del Taco, etc.  I decided to be like everyone else and pick through all the books for PreK-1st and was pleasantly surprised to find a Henry and Mudge book for Monkey!  If you don't know from reading previous posts, Monkey LOVES Henry and Mudge (Cynthia Rylant's characters).  Of course we had to rush home and read it but were interrupted trying to get in our townhouse by some heavy machinery in the parking lot...

Taken from my front door-huge crane!  The next picture shows what the huge crane is holding.

That's right-a HUGE tree.  I have no idea why they chopped down the trees (this is my kitchen window by the way)-they ended up chopping two down and now there's less shade :(.

Getting ready to chop down #2

Tree #1 almost gone

Just to show how tall the crane was.

So we after watching for a bit and waiting for the noise to go down (we had lunch while we waited) we started reading.  We started with Monkey's new book: Henry and Mudge and Mrs. Hopper's House (our cover looks slightly different because the library purchased it but it's the same book-if you look at the link you can also buy the paperback).  This is a great book to read any time of the year but especially around Valentine's Day because of the mentions of the Sweethearts Dance that Henry's parents go to.  Monkey loved it but decided he needed to read "Pow Boom" also (we originally read it this day).  So that was our second book (I HAD to buy it for him because it's been his very favorite Henry and Mudge up to this point): Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind.

We then had to read "Bubble" as Monkey calls it.  This was Monkey's first Rebus book we read.  Benny's Big Bubble by Jane O'Connor (we also had to buy that one).

Monkey then picked this one out of the pile (he picked it off the shelf at the library): Honey Bunny Funnybunny by Marilyn Sadler.  It was a really cute book about a big brother picking on a little sister and how she realizes once he stops picking on her that life is boring.  I think it would help with sibling rivalry if you have a little stinker of an older son (Monkey will SO be a big brother like PJ Funnybunny!).  Cute book!

We then read Puppy Mudge Wants to Play by Cynthia Rylant.  This is a Pre-Level 1 reader.  It reminds me a lot of the first Henry and Mudge book though.

Monkey then picked another Rebus reader, Silly Willy by Maryann Cocca-Leffler.  It was a cute book to go through all the different pieces of clothing and where they can incorrectly go and then where they can correctly go.  Monkey thought it was funny.

We decided to finish with It's Not Easy Being A Bunny by Marilyn Sadler.  I think this is supposed to go before the Honey Bunny Funnybunny book (it's about PJ).  It helps kids see why it's important to be who they are.  PJ decides to try and be several other animals but realizes he's most comfortable just being him.

Our three favorite books of the day were:
Benny's Big Bubble
Henry and Mudge and The Wild Wind (AKA Pow Boom by Monkey)
and It's Not Easy Being a Bunny












Happy Reading!