by William McCleery

Synopsis

Michael’s father tells a story about a wolf and a hen with the help of Michael and his friend, Stefan. It’s a story you won’t want to miss!

Why I like this for a read aloud book:

*Michael’s father encourages him to make decisions about how the story will go
*Warm, close relationship between Michael and his father
*Anything can happen in a story

Family Fun

Michael chooses a hen with colorful feathers for his story. Make Rainbow the Hen.

Draw a hen shape, or click here for this template.
Cut different colors of paper about 1″ x 8 1/2″. Maybe red, pink, purple, lavender, violet, yellow, orange, green, dark green, and light green–or whatever colors you have. (Or use more white paper and color the feathers any color you like–remember the point is to have fun together, not to create a perfect project!)

Trim one end to a point and make small slits down both sides.
Glue the feathers together and then to the tail of Rainbow. You might also like to cut out a hat, a beak, and legs and feet. Use a marker to color in the eye.
She’s beautiful and brainy!

More Family Fun

Michael, his father, and Steffie play “Bunnies and the Wolf!” Michael’s father doesn’t want to be a wolf. Play Bunnies and the Wolf/Fox.

Put a blanket or towel on the floor to be the Wolf/Fox house.

The bunnies cavort around the outside edge of the blanket singing, “Ya, ya, ya, you can’t catch me!”

The person playing the the Wolf/Fox stands on the blanket, reaches out and grabs for bunnies, pulls them onto the blanket, and stuffs them in the icebox (designate a spot on the blanket for the icebox).

The bunnies can escape saying, “Ya, ya, ya, you left the door unlocked!” when the Wolf/Fox looks away.

Even More Family Fun

Michael’s father made a very complicated box kite that was heavy and hard to get off the ground.

For instructions to make this super simple, but good kite go to More Floating Fun in Princess Hyacinth (the Surprising Tale of a Girl Who Floated).

Fun Firefly Facts

*Fireflies communicate with each other with light; usually to help a female firefly find a male firefly.

*Fireflies are earth friendly. They make “cold light.” All of the energy they emit is light, with no heat. In contrast, an incandescent light bulb’s energy emits 10% light and the rest heat. The wolf was smart to catch some fireflies in a jar for his light.

*Firefly eggs and larvae also glow.

*Fireflies live on every continent but only where it is warm and humid. In the summer they come out and glow to each other, sometimes looking like flickering Christmas lights in the trees!

*Fireflies who are threatened shed drops of blood that taste bitter and are poisonous to some animals. This mechanism helps protect them from predators.

(Special thanks to www.learn-malayalam.com for three of the pictures above.)

Food Fun

Michael’s father gets Cracker Jack for the boys. Make Homemade Cracker Jack.

You’ll need:

4 quarts popped corn (I used 2 pkgs. microwave popcorn, popped)
1 c. Spanish peanuts (or any kind of nut you like or no nuts at all!)
4 T. butter (half a stick)
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
2 T. molasses
1/4 t. salt

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine the popped corn (pick out any un-popped kernels), and the nuts on a lightly greased cookie sheet and put them in the oven.

Put the rest of the ingredients in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
Remove the popcorn and nuts from the oven and drizzle the hot liquid over the hot popcorn–be careful because everything is very hot!
Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove and stir again to get everything well mixed.

Continue baking another 55 minutes (1 hour total) checking and stirring every 5 to 15 minutes. The popcorn will darken and become crunchier like Cracker Jack.
Yum!

Reading Reinforcement

*Why do you think Michael always insists on a wolf in his stories? What would you choose if you were telling the story? Why?

*Why was Michael’s father surprised when Michael replied,”A fence”, when asked what went all around the chicken yard? What do you think Michael’s father was thinking went around the yard?

*When Michael’s father has so much trouble with the kite, Michael tells him, “With courage and patience you can fix anything.” What does that tell you about Michael’s confidence in his father? Do you agree that a person can fix anything with courage and patience? Why or why not?

*After Jimmy saved Rainbow, his family cheered and shouted. Jimmy thought he would rather have their help than their accolades, but “when you love people you do not go around finding fault with them. Or at least you shouldn’t.” What do you think of Jimmy’s comment? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

*Why did the boys think Waldo skinning his nose was so funny? Did you think Waldo skinning every part was funny? Why?

*Do you like Jimmy’s solution for Waldo? What would you do with Waldo if you were Jimmy? See if you can get your dad or mom to tell you a wolf story with an ending that you pick!

 

Find this book at your local library or buy it here. (I couldn’t find this at my local library, so I bought it. I have NO regrets!)

 

 

by Edward Eager

Synopsis

Roger hopes that someday something magic will happen to him. When it does, he finds himself in the world of chivalry where his own bravery is required to save the day, and maybe even his father.

Why I like this for a read aloud book:

*12th century English history refresher–according to Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe
*Tension between girl and boy siblings with a sweet ending
*Roger finds strength in himself and his sister that he didn’t expect
*Mix and confusion of old times and new

Family Fun

The children play with a castle Aunt Katherine gives Roger. Make a Shoe Box Castle.

*Draw a drawbridge on the side of the box and cut it out. (Adult supervision required!)
Since my box was a solid color, I decided it would be easier to cut a piece of sponge and sponge paint the sides of the box. I also like the stone look. If your box won’t cover with sponge painting, wrap it with paper. Paint the paper if you like.

Use paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls for the towers. I used one paper towel roll cut in two, and two toilet paper rolls. Paint them like the shoe box.
Cut  notches or crenellations along the top. Cut slits in the sides of the paper rolls and slide the towers onto the box.

Use Lego men, plastic toy soldiers, Dominos, or whatever you have for the people.
Now you are ready to play!

*OR like Eliza and Ann who were inspired by Philip in the The Magic City, build a town of blocks, books, toys, and whatever else you can find.

Imagine what it would be like if it came to life and you found yourself in the middle of it.

More Family Fun

The siege turned into a baseball game. Play Baseball or Kickball.

*If you have enough people, a bat and ball, and a field, go outside and play a game of baseball or kickball, which is basically baseball without a bat and with a bigger, bouncier ball. (I especially like kickball because it is easy for players of all ages to play together and have fun.)

To play kickball, you need a playground ball and an outdoor area with markers for the four bases.

Divide the players into two teams. Team One chooses a line up and receives the pitch, kicks the ball, and runs as many bases as possible.

Team Two rolls the ball to the kicker, tries to catch the kicked ball or retrieve it, and touch the base or the runner before a base is reached.

The runner can be tagged by the ball held by the opposing team or thrown by them. He is also out if his kick goes in the air and is caught. When a team gets three “outs,” the teams trade places.

Play for a set amount of time or until one team has 10 points. Or just play as long as everyone is having fun–enjoy the fun and the running and don’t worry about the score!

*If you can’t go outside or don’t have enough players for baseball or kickball, stay inside and play a game of Authors which is essentially a game of “Go Fish.”

The goal of the game is to collect the greatest number of “books” or sets of four cards of the same type.

Use a standard 52 card deck. Deal 7 cards to both players.

The person to the left of the dealer asks if the other player has any: 5′s. (Or kings, or queens, or whatever.) She must hold at least one of the cards in her hand that she is requesting.

If the other player has any 5′s he must give her all the 5′s in his hand. She then may request another type of card until he doesn’t have what she asks for. If there are more than two players, she may ask other players if they have a particular type of card if she hasn’t been turned down yet.

Then he tells her, “Go Fish.” She draws from the pile in the middle. If it is a 5, she may continue to play. If it isn’t, play goes to the other player.

The game ends when the stockpile is depleted or someone runs out of cards in his/her hand. The person with the most books is the winner.

Food Fun

The hungry people were saved and strengthened by pea soup. Make Pea Soup.

I love pea soup, but usually don’t make it because I don’t have a ham bone and because my family thinks the green color is unappetizing, so I was excited to find this vegetarian version that uses yellow peas.

1/2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 t. salt
1 large cube vegetable bouillon
1 1/4 c. dried split yellow peas
3 1/2 c. water
1/2 T. lemon-optional (reserve the zest)

A few pinches of smoked paprika
Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and salt. Cook until the onions soften, just a few minutes.

Sort the split peas. (I cover the peas in water in a pot and let the loose shells float to the top. Drain off.) Add the split peas, vegetable bouillon, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat, cover, and simmer for 50 minutes, or until the peas are soft but not completely broken down.

Remove half of the soup and puree it in a blender. Be sure to leave the opening on the lid open and cover with a kitchen towel–so you don’t unintentionally do an experiment on how much soup heated air can shoot out the top of your blender! (Or use a hand blender on the half of the soup in the pot.)

Put the two parts back together. This will make the soup smooth but with a little texture. (Pea soup IS thick, but if it’s too thick for you, add a little more water.)

Stir in the lemon juice. Taste to see if it needs more salt–the flavor will pop when there’s enough salt. (If your listener is a picky eater don’t add the lemon juice. It gives it a fresh, tangy twist that is delicious, but the soup is great without it too.)

Serve in ramekins or pannikins like in the book, or just a mug or bowl. Add a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, a pinch of smoked paprika, and a sprinkle of lemon zest.
(For a non-vegetarian version, add cubed ham or cooked turkey sausage.)

Reading Background

To understand this book better, a little Ivanhoe review is helpful. I’ve simplified a very complicated story to bare bones. If you are interested in more detail, here are a couple places to find more information.

Summary of Ivanhoe

Things are a mess in England. Four generations before, the Normans invaded the Saxons who still aren’t happy about it–to the point that Cedric disinherits his son, Ivanhoe for supporting the Norman King Richard (the Black Knight). Cedric is also unhappy with his son for falling in love with Rowena, Cedric’s ward whom he hopes will marry someone else.

Ivanhoe has been away from England with King Richard fighting the crusade but comes back in disguise and participates in a tournament as the Disinherited Knight. He wins the tournament, and the admiration of Rowena, but is wounded. Ivanhoe is cared for by Rebecca who falls in love with him.

Meanwhile, King Richard’s brother, Prince John, has been trying to take over the throne while his brother was on crusade. His minions are De Bracy, Bois-Guilbert, and de-Boeuf.

Wounded Ivanhoe, Rebecca, Cedric, Rowena, and several others by more plot twisting end up in de-Boeuf’s castle, Torquilstone. A siege takes place as King Richard and Robin Hood combine forces to free the captives.

In the meantime, all the love interests get tangled up. Ivanhoe loves Rowena, Rebecca loves Ivanhoe, Bois-Guilbert loves Rebecca, de Bracy loves Rowena, and Rowena loves whomever seems the best option at the time.

Torquilstone catches fire and King Richard rescues Ivanhoe, reconciles him to his father, endorses his marriage to Rowena, and pardons de Bracy. Rebecca leaves the country. Bois-Guilbert dies, maybe of a broken heart. (You will notice that the ending of that story is changed in this book.)

Hopefully that is enough to help you follow Roger in his adventures!

Reading Reinforcement

*On the first page Roger acknowledged that his adventure included his sister, “but she was a girl and didn’t count.” Why does he think that? This book was written in 1956 so attitudes were a little different then than now, but what does Roger think about girls, and particularly his sister by the end of the book? Do you think girls count? Why or why not?

*One of the things Roger and Ann loved best about their father was that he “always read to them for an hour after dinner.” If you are reading this post, you probably read aloud together too. However, they don’t always agree on what type of book they want to read. What is your favorite kind of book to read?

*When Eliza made fun of the doll house, Ann pretended that she didn’t like dolls either. Think of a time when someone else’s opinion influenced yours. Should you let someone else influence your opinion? Why or why not? What can you do if you don’t want to be influenced by someone else?

*Why do you think the Words of Power work? Why is it important for the children to believe? Are there things that are important for you to believe even though others might not? What?

 

Find this book at your local library or buy it here. This links to a paperback book.

 

 

by Elizabeth Enright

Synopsis

The Melendy children pool their allowance to allow each one the delicious freedom of a Saturday on their own doing something they couldn’t afford with the allowance of one, with the result of interesting adventures.

Why I like this for a read aloud book:

*Loving family relationships
*Children’s creative ideas for things to do
*Adventure without serious consequences

Family Fun

Randy and Oliver played Drugstore with leftover toothpaste and cold cream. Try these Shaving Cream Activities.

Make a Raining Rainbow

Fill a clear glass or vase about 2/3 full of water. Cover the top of the water with shaving cream.
Drop food coloring in various colors on top of the shaving cream. Wait for the rainbow to start raining.
(My green and red didn’t go through the shaving cream as quickly as the blue and yellow. I have no idea why. Gel food color mixed with water would probably be more consistent.)

Make Shaving Cream Bathtub Paint

Squirt shaving cream into the cups of an empty egg carton (or you could use a muffin tin.) Mix a different food color into each of the cups.
Use a paintbrush or your fingers to be an artist in the bathtub.
You’ll have the cleanest tub in town too!

Make a Marbleized Leaf

Cut leaf shapes from card stock or other heavy paper. Draw your own or click here for this template:

Squirt some shaving cream into a shallow pan. Squirt some acrylic paint over the shaving cream.
Swirl the paint until you are happy with the design.
Press the leaf into the paint on the shaving cream.
Carefully lift it off. Let it sit for a minute on a protected surface. Then squeegee off the excess.
OR you could use a plain piece of paper to create a background.

Then cut a silhouette.
OR think of your own use for cool marbleized paper!

Food Fun

Mrs. Oliphant gave the children Petit Fours. Make Petit Fours.

Make the cake. While it is baking, make the lemon curd. Then make the glaze. After the cake has cooled, slice in half.
Spread about half the lemon curd over the bottom half of the cake. (If there’s too much lemon curd, the layers will slide apart.) Then replace the top layer.
Cut into 1 1/4″ squares. Place on a wire rack over a cookie sheet.
Apply glaze evenly over the tops and sides of the cake squares. You may need to glaze more than once for complete coverage. Let dry completely. (This is a very messy process. I found it easiest to hold the cake by the top and bottom, almost frost each side, then set it down and glaze the top.)
Decorate the tops. I used a slice of maraschino cherry and a slice of mini-marshmallow.
(If you want to go the quick route, you can used purchased pound cake, fruit jam like raspberry or strawberry for the filling, and then glaze with the glaze below. Or you could dip a cookie or a large marshmallow in chocolate and decorate it like a petit four. Remember–this is supposed to be fun, so do what works for you!)

Cake:
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. milk
3 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks (save one egg yolk for the lemon curd)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut a piece of wax paper the size of the bottom of a 9″ x 9″ pan. Grease the pan and press the wax paper in the bottom. (This is a trick my mom taught me that works to get a cake out without the bottom breaking. It also works for quick breads!)
Beat the butter, shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients.  Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the batter. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lemon Curd:

1 1/2 T. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/2 t. lemon zest (opt.)

Beat the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes. Slowly add the egg and egg yolk. Beat for another minute.

Mix in the lemon juice. It may look curdled. Pour into a sauce pan. Cook over low heat until it looks smooth–till the butter melts. Then cook on medium heat stirring constantly until it is thick (about 170 degrees.) Don’t boil. It’s ready when a path can be created with your finger on the back of the spatula or spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap to avoid a skin. Cool in the refrigerator. (I only used half of the lemon curd. Save the other half to put on the gingerbread found in The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy under Food Fun.)

Glaze:

1 lb. powdered sugar
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. light corn syrup
1/4 t. vanilla

Mix together. If you want it a little runnier for glazing, microwave it for a few seconds to warm it just a little.

Reading Reinforcement

*”All the Melendy children had their own jobs.” What jobs do you have in your house?

*Randy suggests a new club. What do you think of the idea? What would you name your club if you had one like Randy’s?

*What do you think of Father’s rules? Does your family have the rule “don’t get run over”? What other rules does your family have?

*Randy found that “being by yourself, all by yourself, in a big city for the first time is like the first time you find you can ride a bicycle or do the dog paddle. The sense of independence is intoxicating.” Think of something that you have done by yourself that made you feel that way.

*Randy found a painting that was “her very own. Randy was always finding things that belonged to her in a special way, though ownership had nothing to do with it.” What things have you found that are “your very own”? (When I was in college there was a tree along a parking lot between my apartment and campus that was my very own. I talked to it every time I walked to campus. Sometimes I even gave it a hug! It was beautiful in every season and seemed strong and secure.)

*Randy found it “easy to make this picture alive.”  Find a picture you can imagine coming alive. For example, Johannes Vermeer painted many portraits. Click here to see many of his paintings. (Or select any artist or painting of your choice.)

*Mrs. Oliphant tells Randy that no one who uses “eyes the better to see with” and “ears the better to hear with” is “likely to find life humdrum very often.” What does Mrs. Oliphant mean? Do you agree? Why or why not?

*Be sure to look up any words you might not be familiar with such as lugubrious or alacrity, one of my favorites. (Rush used a tone of lugubrious satisfaction and later played a funeral march lugubriously. He also obeyed with alacrity.)

*While Rush waited for the opera to begin, he counted “thirty-nine bald heads…and twenty-six brown fur coats.” What could you count while you are waiting for something?

*Mona discovered after listening to Miss Pearl’s story that “sometimes people are not the way they look…it was a great surprise.” Think of someone who surprised you by being different from the way they looked. What made you think they were different?

*Randy “went leaping and pirouetting” as she dusted. Her thought was “pleasure combined with work whenever possible.” Do you agree with her? How can you combine pleasure with your work?

*Apparently in 1941 red nail polish was shocking for a 13-year-old girl. What would be shocking now? What other differences do you see in the Melendy’s world and yours?

*Sometimes when parents are surprised they overreact like Father and Cuffy. When Cuffy recovers, she tells Mona that it is not the end of the world. What do your parents do after they overreact? What do you do after YOU overreact?

*If you could go somewhere for the summer, where would it be? Why?

 

Find this book at your local library or buy it here.