Bonnie Ferrante's Blog, page 65
March 23, 2016
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green – Book Review
Colin Singleton has “dated” 19 girls named Katherine and, nurturing a broken heart, he decides to go on a road trip with his best friend Hassan. The road trip doesn’t go very far and he finds himself in a small town interviewing local characters for pay. On the side he decides to devise an algorithm […]
March 19, 2016
Mr. Pattacake and the Big Idea by Stephanie Baudet
I won a set of three Mr Pattacake books on a Goodreads giveaway. I’m ashamed to say, they sat on the shelf for a very long time. They are chapter books for early readers with a cartoon sketch every page or two. They turned out to be better than I anticipated. I do wish, however, […]
March 10, 2016
Hippity Hoppity
Easter is on it’s way and whether you celebrate it as a religious holiday or a harbinger of spring, there are books galore. It isn’t easy to find ones suitable for preschoolers though. Chester’s Colorful Easter Eggs by Theresa Smythe is great for toddlers. Chester, the rabbit, dyes six eggs different colors and hides them […]
March 2, 2016
Regalia
I thought I’d let you in on why my writing and blogging has fallen behind. In addition to working on our new house, I have been sewing regalia for my two granddaughters. The two shawls and dresses total over 110 hours of work, but they are finally complete. The yellow and red one was a […]
March 1, 2016
Never Too Much Red
Whether it is Valentines Day, Christmas, a birthday, or some other red letter day, red is always a fun color to play with. These red activities can stretch over a week. Start by reading the endearing classic The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse. Give your child a red balloon. Talk about how red makes you […]
February 25, 2016
The Doll’s Hospital
Continuing with the Crazy Forts inspired construction, I created a simplified hospital for my two-year-old granddaughter to play in. Remember, these play centers are temporary. I used Lego, Duplo, and Mega blocks to build equipment. The waiting room I rounded up a number of books on going to the hospital. Once again, it was difficult […]
February 19, 2016
The Ice Cave
Due to health problems, I seldom go outside on cold winter days with my little granddaughter. So when I’m babysitting, I try to provide as much stimulation as possible. I’ve used Crazy Forts with my other granddaughters but have been disappointed with the poor connections. The whole thing collapses with the least movement. I decided […]
February 9, 2016
What’s in a Name?
Having a photocopier makes teaching a child so much simpler than when my children were young. Here is a quick and simple way to use lacing letters to help a child learn his or her name. Tape the letters down on a piece of paper and photocopy it. You may have to glue several pieces […]
February 5, 2016
Anyone for Pizza?
Where has all the time gone? When we moved in August I wrote a series of blog posts knowing that I would be busy redecorating, renovating, etc. There were fifteen windows needing treatment in our new home. I thought I had enough blog entries to get me to the middle of February, but it turns […]
January 14, 2016
Jay, Stacy. Juliet Immortal. Book Review.
I love writers who are confident enough to use Shakespeare’s characters in a new piece of fiction. The premise for this novel was completely unexpected. Not to give too much away, the forces of good and evil have enrolled Romeo and Juliet in an eternal battle of opposites. They are able to inhabit the bodies […]
