Tumtum and Nutmeg

While perusing at our local library I picked up Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn.  I had seen it many times and its cover always stood out as fun to me.  The particular copy that I picked up has three different stories in it and my kids and I just finished the first.  And we loved it.

Tumtum and Nutmeg are two mice who live in a cupboard hidden by a bookshelf.  Their house has a billiards room, a ballroom, a butler's room and a banqueting room - among others.  Tumtum and Nutmeg's human house has two children - Arthur and Lucy.  And although their family has had money in the past they do not now - and their clothes are tattered and their attic bedroom has no heat.  Tumtum and Nutmeg decide to climb the stairs to the attic at night and start darning their clothes, fixing the furnace and cleaning up the toys.   Arthur and Lucy and thrilled and are sure that a fairy has come to help.

But then Aunt Ivy comes to visit.  She is awful.  And hates mice.  When she sees Tumtum and Nutmeg dressed in clothes she is disturbed.  But when she locates their house she is on a mission to exterminate.  Tumtum and Nutmeg, with the help of General Marchmouse and his army, hatch a plan to chase Aunt Ivy back to Scotland.  What ensues is a fun story full of humor.  As we read the story my kids and I were laughing - a lot.

And last night when I saw a small mouse scurry across my own floor (eek) and I jumped a little higher up on my chair I couldn't help but think of Tumtum and Nutmeg. The thought of their plan to get rid of Aunt Ivy made me laugh, and cringe just a little.  This is a very funny, charming story.  We just started in on the second story - The Great Escape - and are enjoying it too.

The Princess Academy

It was a great end of summer for me -  a wedding, an extended trip to see family, our first family campout (a success!), and long days spent at the park.  Now it is back to school and I am hoping back to regular blogging.

A few days ago I indulged in re-reading Shannon Hale's  The Princess Academy - and it was just as wonderful the second time around. It tells the story of Miri a 14-year-old girl who lives at the top of Mount Eskel where they quarry linder.  Miri is small for her age and her father will not allow her near the quarry.   She is friendly and quick to laugh and no one would expect that her exclusion from the quarry is a source of anxiety for her.  The lowlanders give them little money for their linder and food is scarce - but despite this Miri and the people on Mount Eskel are generally happy.

Life changes for the people of Mount Eskel when the priests in Danlander divine that the future bride of the prince will come from Mount Eskel.  All the young girls from 14 - 18 are required to go down the mountain three hours to attend a princess academy. Everyone is apprehensive about what this will mean for the girls as well as for their society at large.

The story that unfolds tells of Miri's coming of age - learning to read, listening to and learning the language of the linder and learning to leave and appreciate home.  Hale's use of language creates a story with a strong heroine and words that create an enjoyable escape.

Wonderstruck

I loved Brian Selznick's first novel - The Invention of Hugo Cabret.  The illustrations and story are both amazing.  So you can imagine my excitement when I saw a review for his upcoming book - Wonderstruck -  at the blog Chocolate Air.  Read the review and you too will be excited for the September 13th release date . . .

Now we are six

Now We are Six is a charming book of poetry by A.A. Milne. It is a fun book of poetry in its own right - however, it is the perfect gift for a six-year-old.  My daughter is six today and this is the book she received, because it contains this poem:

When I was One,

I had just begun.

When I was Two,

I was nearly new.

When I was Three,

I was hardly Me.

When I was Four,

I was not much more.

When I was Five,

I was just alive.

But now I am Six, I'm as clever as clever.

So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

I love this poem.  I also found a fun printable and idea for rolling quarters that you could give with the book for a fun gift at giverslog.com.  It is the perfect six-year-old gift.  Here is to hoping that my clever as clever daughter will stay six forever . . . .

RRRalph

Lois Ehlert's picture book RRRalph is about a talking dog.  The narrator's voice is that of a young child who is very proud of her dog.  When the narrator asks the dog what his name is he responds, "RRRalph."  Ralph likes to chase birds.  When asked what is on the tree, Ralph says, "Bark, Bark, Bark."  The book goes through a series of questions which Ralph always answers with one of his various barks. This book is very simple and humorous. The brightly colored and textured collages are a fun compliment to the text.

If your child likes dogs they will love this funny book about a "talking" dog.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

Last summer we went on a vacation that involved a lot of driving. We brought various diversions for our children but by far the favorite was Betty MacDonald's Mrs. Piggle Wiggle.  Originally published in 1947 this book tells the story of Mrs. Piggle Wiggle who lives in an upside-down house and whose husband, now deceased, was a pirate.  What child would not want to live by Mrs. Piggle Wiggle?  Her home is open to everyone and soon all the children find themselves playing at Mrs. Piggle Wiggles.  Word spreads around the neighborhood that Mrs. Piggle Wiggles everything about children and soon parents begin calling her to help them solve problems with their children.

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle soon finds herself giving the parents cures for a variety of illnesses, for example, The Slow-Eater-Tiny-Bite-Taker Cure, The Answer-Backer Cure, and the Radish Cure among others.  Each chapter has a very familiar problem to most parents and a very humorous pathway to a cure.  We found this book very funny and my husband and I and our kids all enjoyed it - perhaps finding humor from different parts.

Because Mrs. Piggle Wiggle was written in 1947 some parts are a little dated but all of us still enjoyed it.  Mrs. Piggle Wiggle is the first book in a series about Mrs. Piggle Wiggle and her many adventures.

Moon Over Manifest

The Newbery Award for this past year went to Clare Vanderpool's Moon over Manifest.  I just got it a couple of weeks ago and read it very quickly.  It is one of those stories that you have to keep on reading until it is finished - all other non-essential things can wait.


This is a story about Abilene Tucker who has lived life hopping on and off trains and living in and out of every city.  But this summer her father, Gideon, sends her back to live in Manifest - the town where he grew up.  Abilene has what she calls "universals" - because every town has them - the kids that think they are better than others, the ones that are poor, and the mix in between.  But in Manifest, Abilene learns beyond the "universals" and sees what lies in between.  

The story moves between the present - 1936, the Depression - and when her father lived there - around 1917.  The writing is superb and as the story unfolds we see a town of immigrants - friends, foes, pranksters and family - and what tears them apart and brings them together.  And in the process, Abilene unfolds the mystery of her father, and ultimately herself, with the help of Miss Sadie the diviner.  

This is a very well written story that is fun to read as the mystery of the town unfolds.  This is Clare Vanderpool's first novel, and it is impressive.  Her website reads as though she is talking to her best friend, which is very endearing.  I would say this book targets children 13ish and older and is a great summertime read.