Tuesday Tales

A weekly peek at what we're reading.
Post your peek in the comments and share your favorite books!


Anne is reading
Cat in the Mirror by Mary Stolz

Irun caught her breath, looking down at the little cat nestled in her hands.  It was not, like most cats of the country, honey-orange with faint stripings.  It was an entirely special cat of silver-grey, with eyes and ears outlined in black, as if with kohl.  The eyes, staring up at her, were green as -- green as --

"Her eyes," said Perub, "reminded us of the lakes in the Oasis."

Holly is reading
Thistle and the Shell of Laughter by J. H. Sweet

Starfish's name was Gina.  She had long, curly blond hair and wore a soft, sand colored, star-shaped cap.  Her dress fell to just below her knees and was made of sweeping green and blue tendrils that looked like brightly colored seaweed strands.  Starfish's tiny, delicate wings were the exact color of sea foam.  When she moved, a refreshing mist of sea drops lightly sprayed the other fairies.  And her voice had a rich, breathless quality like coastal winds and roaring waves.

Lily is reading
Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown

There was a little fur family
warm as toast
smaller than most
in little fur coats
and they lived in a warm
wooden tree.


 

First Sunday of Advent

How dark outside!

but see -- a star's in the sky;

Mary and Joseph are passing by.

So let's light a candle to welcome them

as they go on their way to Bethlehem.

Our homemade Advent wreath with one candle lit.

Father, we're going to celebrate your Son's birthday soon.  We will be preparing our home, our gifts, ur food.  Help us to remember to prepare our hearts.

(Please note that the prayers and images that we use for our Advent wreath prayer cube came from somewhere else, but unfortunately I don't remember where.)

Look who's here!

It's Wink!  Our resident elf -- back again to keep an eye on things and make nightly reports to Santa.

The Holiday Shelf: Thanksgiving

If You Were At . . .
The First Thanksgiving
by Anne Kamma
illustrated by Bert Dodson


Nobody went to church on the First Thanksgiving, because a harvest festival wasn't a religious holiday.  In fact, the Pilgrims never called it "Thanksgiving" at all.  They just called it a harvest festival.  If you had said "Happy Thanksgiving" to the Pilgrims, they wouldn't have known what you were talking about.

Merry Thanksgiving
by Natasha Wing
illustrated by Isidre Mones


Today Joey was making the most important list of all -- his Christmas list. 

He found a piece of paper on his mother's desk and wrote everything down.

"It's not even Thanksgiving yet," said Mrs. Melvin.

"I want to send it early so Santa doesn't forget to put everything in his sack," said Joey.  "Last year he forgot the ant farm."

Milly and the Macy's Parade
by Shana Corey
illustrated by Brett Helquist


"What's wrong?" asked Milly.

"I miss our holidays back home," said Papa.  "I love America, but everything here feels different."

My Book of Thanks
by B. G. Hennessy
illustrated by Hiroe Nakata


Thank you for my friends.

Help me to comfort those who are lonely.

The Pilgrims at Plymouth
by Lucille Recht Penner
illustrated by S. D. Schindler


Every inch of space on the Mayflower was crammed with the supplies and mementos its passengers were bringing from their old homes in England.

The little ship also held the seeds of the future -- the people whose dreams, courage, and hard work would create a new home and a new country far across the vast ocean.

Saying Grace
by Virginia Kroll
illustrated by Timothy Ladwig


When harvest time came, everyone helped with the picking, plucking, heaving, hauling, peeling, cooking, canning, and storing.

Mrs. Oates's son Benjamin brought back a wife named Abigail who told about a custom that had started in her settlement: Once a year everyone came together from miles around to share a harvest feast.  Grace's neighbors liked that idea and set a date for their own fall celebration.

The Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
illustrated by Helen Sewell


After the storm, the sea grew calmer, and the Pilgrims gave thanks to God.  A baby was born to the Hopkins family.  A baby brother for Giles, Constance, and Damaris!

What was the new baby to be called?

Some of the children on the ship had names like Love, Resolved, Humility, and Remember.

There seemed to be only one name for a child born on the ocean.

And so the Hopkins baby was called OCEANUS.

November 25, 2010: Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving!

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 11.

-Give [picture of leaves] Thanks-

Watch "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving"

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 10.




-Give [picture of leaves] Thank-



Find something that you can give to someone who needs it more than you



Outgrown clothes

Tuesday Tales

A weekly peek at what we're reading.
Post your peek in the comments and share your favorite books!


Anne is reading
The Woman I Was Born to Be by Susan Boyle

As I finished, there was a moment of pure silence.  I was aware of the other children turning to look at me with their mouths hanging open.  Then all the teachers started clapping and smiling at me.  I'd seen other children doing well and getting praised, but I had no idea what it actually felt like to be good at something.  It was as if I was a balloon filling with air and floating up into the sky.

Holly is reading
Saying Grace by Virginia Kroll

Grace and her younger brother swished through the fallen leaves and breathed their delicious smell.  Grace spun in circles under the still-warm sunshine.  "What a glorious day, Isaiah!" she shouted, her worries forgotten for the moment.

Lily is reading
Merry Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing

Joey made a list.  "Well, it looks like we're having sardines, peas, beets, pearl onions, garbanzo beans, and tapioca pudding."


Mrs. Melvin burst into tears.


Joey gave her a big hug.  "It's okay, Mom.  Everything we need is right here."

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 9.

-Give [picture of leaves] Than-

Have an after-school picnic with cider and doughnuts

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 8.



-Give [picture of leaves] Tha-



Plant bulbs



Giant Allium



On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 7.

-Give [picture of leaves] Th-

Make a Christmas present for someone

Work in Progress

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 6.

-Give [picture of leaves] T-

Go for a night walk

Sparkle Lights

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 5.

-Give [picture of leaves]-

Trace your hand and draw a picture of a turkey

A Gaggle of Turkeys

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 4.

-Give-

Play with the Thanksgiving felt board

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 3.

-Giv-

Have a family hug

Tuesday Tales

A weekly peek at what we're reading.

Post your peek in the comments and share your favorite books!

Anne is still reading
The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton

He kept a good deal to himself, taking refuge in the things of nature, which he loved for their own sake as well as for the protection they gave him.  He knew all the woods and creeks around the countryside.  He knew where to find the first wild grapes, the biggest hazelnuts and the greediest fish, and what day of spring the button willows showed their first green.  He could stand for a long time so still that the wood doves gathered in the branches around him, while their soft plump syllables fell through the leaves like ripe fruit.

Ron is reading
Inside the Vatican

Holly is reading
Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Do you think me a
witch, too, Lancelot?
I asked, my breath coming
in fits.
In that brief instant, as I
waited for his answer, I felt
myself a pink salmon,
sparkling in the sunlight,
caught in a fisherman's snare.
But when I looked up again into
Lancelot's meadow-green eyes
that smiled back at me, and
his lips made a perfect circle
as he mouthed the word no,
I knew I was safe.
That he would always keep me safe.


And that, I believe,
is when I first began
to love him.

Lily is reading
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin

They sat by the warm embers of the fire and ate pumpkin pie with whipped cream.
"How delicious," said Maggie.

"How delightful," said Grandmother.

"How about another piece?" said Mr. Whiskers.

On the Way to Thanksgiving

A family tradition.
A photo essay.
Number 2.

-Gi-





Put on a Thanksgiving puppet show

 

The Mayflower sailing over the sea

The Pilgrims meet the Indians

Catch that turkey!