Read and loved The Enormous Egg by Oliver Butterworth. Deightful tale of a boy who keeps a pet dinosaur after it hatches out of a hen's egg. Lots of deep thoughts there (disguised as fun and funny reading) about how ignorance of people in power can destroy what's precious if you let it. And many reminders of how important it is to actually listen when someone, especially someone young, is speaking.
Found this book: The Story of Science by Anna Claybourne and Adam Larkum at the Book Depository. Another Usborne winner. Lots of slapping forehead for not finding it sooner LOL. A very entertainingly visual depiction of the history of discoveries and inventions and the people behind them.The content doesn't actually go into a lot of depth but there's enough here to whet the appetite and spark a wonderful trail of learning.
Here are snaps of two spreads from the book:
Lots of giggles with Murderous Maths The Mean and Vulgar Bits (fractions and averages) and Murderous Maths The Perfect Sausage (various formulas). Although much of the content was possibly over his head, he was extremely absorbed anyway and had so much fun with these. We got our copies from the Book Depository by the way (clearly one of my new favorite places to shop online).
Reading Gandhi by the wonderful Leonard Everett Fisher. Out of print hardback picture book that offers some insight into the life of the amazing icon of Indian history. He also has Fisher's David and Goliath in his library bin. Also, The Saracen Maid by Leon Garfield (a short and witty romance says an Amazon reviewer...will have to check out what it's about since DS isn't always into romances but seems to like this one).
Other read alouds we haven't finished are Prometheus Project: Trapped by Douglas E. Richards and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.
The former is a sci-fi tale of two siblings who are plunged into an amazing adventure when they discover that their scientist parents are embroiled in a research project involving extra terrestrial technology. The writing itself isn't top quality but the story reveals many scientific concepts including the workings of the immune system and principles of the scientific method. Plus, there was solving of codes that got DS excited as usual. There's a sequel too: Prometheus Project: Captured.
The latter of course, is the well-loved classic that brought us all Dorothy and Toto and The Tin Woodman and The Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. And the Wicked Witch of the West. Thinking of trying to catch Wicked one of these days.
We're still listening to A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson in the car and there have been lots of discussion and animated narration during lunch and dinner (Mom, did you know... and Mom, do you remember what Short History of Nearly Everything said about...).
Also, DS is excited to try his hand at cursive writing and this is the book we've decided on since it brought about his most interested response: Cursive Writing Made Easy & Fun. We were lucky to find a much cheaper new copy on Amazon last week...prices now are preposterous!
One of his favorite leisurely reads is The Complete Family Medical Guide by Dr Warwick Carter (Hinkler Books). It was actually a Moms' Day gift to me two years ago from his (terribly practical) Dad. So from about the age of 4.5, he began reading some of it (mostly about symptoms of various diseases) and enjoying the pictures. Nowadays, he has taken to diagnosing his Dad's and my variety of sighs or complaints of this pain or that. Like if I say my tummy doesn't feel good, he asks if I have a leather bottle stomach and recites the string of symptoms from memory (which include weight loss, so obviously I don't have this disease). Just loves the stuff!
Off I go now to analyse how two and a half people produce so much laundry.
Happy Mothers' Day dear reader!
7 fun thoughts:
So he's going to be a dr then??!
Lots of great books there - that Story of Science one looks fantastic!
Anything but if you look at his list of things-to-be...there's mathematician, writer (this one was surprising), scientist, naturalist and a host of others but no doctor yet. Another lady asked me the same question today while we were in line at the post office...he was trying out various reading poses on the PO floor with his copy of Purple Death by David Getz (a book about the 1918 flu). Long time left for figuring out careers...I wanted to be a vet so badly and ended up nowhere near that LOL. Thanks for stopping by Kerrie!
HA! I too spend a lot of time diagnosing ailments. IMO it's a fine hobby.
Suji, you have a fabulous blog! How do you keep up??? LOL
sheila, you should meet my brother (who has a striking resemblance to David Tennant were my bro a little skinnier and DT of Indian descent) who diagnoses ailments from 1000s of miles away over the phone no less LOL.
lifejourneys3 (I'm guessing it's you Yen?), thank you for the compliment :) and for stopping by too :) Blogging is my only escape these days :)
It's always a pleasure to stop by your blog(s), Suji! Happy Mother's Day to you, too.
Thank you Christina! And you know how much we love yours, both DS and I :)
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