Booking in June

We’re back getting a regular supply of books from the library and some we’ve been waiting on for months are now available and we have been having a great time.

Picture Books

A couple of these have been on my book list for awhile, so it was great to get them finally.

Unplugged, by Steve Antony – This is a brilliant introduction for very young children to the need to monitor their screen time (punny, right?). Seeing the issues that are going on with our teenagers around social media and online activity I have to believe that there is no such thing as starting too early in discussing healthy, age-appropriate digital limitations.

The best bit about this book was the way it showed that everything that could be done while ‘plugged in’ to the computer could also be done outside. It is more difficult to take kids outside to learn and play but so much more valuable to them. We loved this one.

The Worrysaurus, by Rachel Bright and Chris Chatterton – I’ve become a big Rachel Bright fan, she writes so well for the 3-7 year age range and this one was delightful. It is about a little dinosaur who worries about things that are not even likely to happen. One of the lines has stuck in my head, and I think it will have to go up in our quote frame: “If it’s not a happy ending, then it hasn’t ended yet“. There are difficulties and challenges in life, but they all come to pass, never to stay.

Why Do I Feel Like This?, by Shinsuke Yoshitake – This is the latest in Shinsuke Yoshitake’s philosophical series. I’ve reviewed some of his other books, and I loved this one just as much as any of the others. In this book, kids will be given ideas and vocabulary that might help them make sense of their feelings. What can they do when they feel mad or sad or confused?

There are lots of books that are designed to help children make sense of the world around them by explaining feelings, death, relationships and identity, but Shinsuke Yoshitake’s are by far the most imaginative, interesting and engaging we’ve read. I adore them!

Mopoke, by Phillip Bunting – This book got lots of, very well deserved, attention a few years ago. Philip Bunting’s books are so very well designed, the colours are perfect for their Australian settings.

I had a beautiful session reading this book with all three of the kids. The images and deliberately simple text allow for all ages to enjoy this funny book. There was one precious moment when I saw Freya’s face as she ‘got’ one of the jokes; she totally lost it and belly laughed for 5 minutes. Magic!

Booking for Jude

During isolation and learning from home Jude ran out of books he was interested in. He read Cressida Cowell’s How to Train Your Dragon series in the first couple of weeks but especially towards the end he couldn’t find anything he was interested in. Luckily we had Epic Reading and he worked he was through the entire collection of Big Nate, re-read The Terrible Two series, and got started on Peanuts. He is very much in a comic book or graphic novel phase so with the libraries opening up I went and got as many as I could, especially new releases.

Below is a list of some books he liked. Most are from series which is great for knowing what to get him next.

Carmen Sandiego: The Sticky Rice Caper

Snapdragon, by Kat Leyh

Rory Branagan Detective: The Leap Of Death, by Andrew Clover and Ralph Lazar

Catstronauts, by Drew Brockington

Selby series, by Duncan Ball

Super Side Kicks: Trial of Heroes, by Gavin Aung Than

Booking for Mum

I’ve really struggled to read anything requiring deep thinking or self-reflection during the time the kids were are home. I found early on that I just couldn’t concentrate, my brain felt full of tasks and new information that I couldn’t take in anymore. But it’s time to break the habits I fell into, ie, too much brainless TV in the evenings and not enough exercise.

Miss-connection: Why Your Teenage Daughter ‘Hates’ You, Expects the World and Needs to Talk, by Dr Justin Coulson, Phd.

With more time to get out for walks Jordan (Mr Bookingfor4) has put Borrow Box on his phone and has been listening to Dr Justin Coulson’s books, so I thought I’d get on to listening to his latest book myself. It’s been on my list for a while, and with my brain getting back to a space where I can learn and accept new information I started listening to it.

I had high expectations as I’ve really enjoyed Dr Coulson’s other books (see September 2019 and November 2019). I find his insights helpful and in line with my own attempted parenting style. This has totally exceeded my hopes. This is THE book parents need to guide them in connecting meaningfully with their teenage girl. Even though my oldest girl only turns 8 next week, now is the right time to start thinking about the teenage years. Reading this book has ‘made me woke’ to the linguistic abominations and other highly stressful, dangerous, and challenging issues and situations she will face. But it also gives me hope that with connection, communication, empathy, and love we can navigate these years successfully.

Dr Coulson doesn’t pull any punches. He addresses the really tough issues in an honest, friendly way. He is not overly prescriptive in his advice; he is more about opening parents’ eyes to the potential and real issues and empowering them to solve those issues based on sound principles. His research and personal experience with 6 daughters, makes him the ideal candidate to write a book like this. I will be recommending this to all parents I know.