Reader Chat

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Ever want to share a cute kid story, or ask a parenting question, or let us know about a resource? Pour a cuppa and pull up a chair.

Please note that we are a Children's Books group and try to keep your posts at least tangentially related (please consider the proverbial 'no politics or religion'). And authors, remember, your own thread is the only place where you can mention your own book's sales.

[Jane]

I am so excited, Kate DiCamillo has been announced as the Ambassador of Young People's Literature. This will allow her to travel the country promoting reading.

[Aimee]

Yes! She will be a wonderful ambassador, I'm sure.

[Jane]

Aimee wrote: "Yes! She will be a wonderful ambassador, I'm sure."
I agree, Do you have a favorite book? Mine would be The Tale of Despereaux.

[Aimee]

I Iiked Because of Winn Dixie. Also, I think her Mercy Watson early readers are hilarious.

[Fjóla]

The NPR website highlights some picture books today, in 8 Picture Books That Make Us Wish We Were Kids Again. It's not very long but it displays pictures from each of these book, and it may be interesting to you if you've been thinking about the Caldecott choices this year.

The comment section gave a link to Brain Pickings Picture Book Year Review where a section on Vladimir Radunsky immediately caught my eye.

[Aimee]

Thanks for sharing this link from NPR, Fjóla. These choices are truly lovely offerings from authors and illustrators I enjoy.

[Aimee]

I can relate to trying to keep my children supplied with books! It's a good problem to have.

[Mari]

Why don't we see more childrens books in a giveaway?
Are any of your children using ebooks?

[Mari]

Aimee wrote: "I can relate to trying to keep my children supplied with books! It's a good problem to have."
Greta problem to have! I homeschooled and we read and read!

[Mari]

I listed this giveaway, its only for 7 days
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

[Mari]

Aimee wrote: "I Iiked Because of Winn Dixie. Also, I think her Mercy Watson early readers are hilarious."

me too!

[Mari]

Tanya wrote: "It was mentioned this is the thread to mention free/good deals, so here are two I found for my kids recently on Kindle or ipad (for picture books).

http://www.ama..."
Thank you, I posted this one a few days ago, it is a giveaway - https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

[Mari]

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Ever want to share a cute kid story, or ask a parenting question, or let us know about a resource? Pour a cuppa and pull up a chair.

Please note that we are a Children's Books group and try to ke..."
Nice to meet you

[Ahmed]

hello, every one where I can find free books to read could you give me some websites for free

[Chris]

Bookbub has some free books. But you have to have a kindle or Nook to get them.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

www.gutenberg.org has lots of free classics, pulp short stories, etc. - you can read them right on your PC or download them in a variety of formats

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Does anyone here belong to a YA group here on goodreads? I'd love to join a group that 'fit' me like this one does, but that reads books for teens.

[Jenny]

Cheryl, no but if you find a good one let us know. I have looked around a few times but haven't found anything that really seemed like it would fit what I was looking for.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

ok, thanks :(

[Ann]

Cheryl in CC NV wrote:
Please note that we are a Children's Books group and try to ke..."
The rest of the sentence says "please remember the proverbial 'no politics and no religion.'

I am new to this site. I wonder what you mean by "no politics." Does that mean that books with social justice themes are out of bounds?

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

No, of course not. Just be respectful of others' opinions, don't troll, don't start a flame war. Mind your manners, kind of thing.

[Christine]

I'm looking for a book I learned bout a few years bock, probably in the NYT Review of Books. It consisted of beautiful illustrations and then blank pages to encourage a child to write a story to go along with the illustration. This was probably in the last 5-6 years. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

That does sound memorable - I hope someone knows it!

[June]

Christine wrote: "I'm looking for a book I learned bout a few years bock, probably in the NYT Review of Books. It consisted of beautiful illustrations and then blank pages to encourage a child to write a story to go..."

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: 14 Amazing Authors Tell the Tales came out in 2011, where authors wrote short stories for the pictures of Van Allsburg's book The Mysteries of Harris Burdick?

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I did just happen to pick up Mysteries... at a thrift store and read it yesterday! Amazing book for the right readers, could indeed be what you're thinking of, Christine.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Have any of you ever heard of anyone collecting those little cookbooks collated by members of a church or other group, often as a fundraiser activity? Do you even know what I mean? Or what they're really called? I refer to them in my mind as 'association cookbooks' and I jut love 'em. Right now I'm reading one called "Code 28" after a group called the Code 28 Recreation Committee. I found it in a thrift store some time ago, probably central California.

If I was going to actually collect something, I think they'd be really fun. (It would be more fun if I knew where this group is based, what they do, but google didn't help me.) Many of the recipes look so nummy. And most are real easy, with common ingredients. 'Course, many are heavy in cheese, cr. mushroom soup, etc., too.

[Chris]

I have three cookbooks like that, that I got from my family and a friend. I got one last year at Christmas from the Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. That one has how to make the recipe the old fashioned way and then the modern way. That one is really interesting. And I agree, a lot of those recipes are yummy and easy to make.

[Jenny]

I have a couple also...from church groups and from my husband's company. I like trying new recipes (and follow about 5 cooking blogs as well as owning a number of regular cookbooks) so I can definitely see the pull to collecting them.

[Portia]

Cheryl wrote: "Have any of you ever heard of anyone collecting those little cookbooks collated by members of a church or other group, often as a fundraiser activity? Do you even know what I mean? Or what they're ..."

I call them The Church Lady Cookbooks and have a bunch of them. I even contributed to one when my hub's company decided to write one. It is the first thing I look for when I arrive in a new place. The recipes are often old, so lots of salt and cream. But they are also practical. These ladies may not have successful,careers as advisors to Hilary Clinton ( hello, Anne-Marie) but they had the full responsibility of family and needed sensible recipes that everyone would eat or a wonderful recipe for Sunday Dinner.

[David]

Although many of the ones I've seen are Church group ones, calling them association cookbooks allows including similar types from PTA groups, homeowner associations etc., that are essentially the same. They do offer practical successful recipes for busy families. They may require a little tweaking to lower salt and sugar levels, but are indeed fun! My mom used to pick up local ones, and I have kept them even though I don't cook as much as she did! I like the idea of the Sturbridge Village one that gives two alternatives to recipes! Especially interesting to me are ones with ethnic family recipes, such as Scandinavian.

[Fjóla]

Cheryl wrote: "Have any of you ever heard of anyone collecting those little cookbooks collated by members of a church or other group, often as a fundraiser activity? Do you even know what I mean? ..."

My mom owns a few of those and I so badly want to have them. The best thing about them is that they are often so clever, the recipes are more often than not simple and practical, the truly "tried and tested" kind ...

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

My husband has about 6 or 7 of these comb-bound little volumes, from various sources.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh, sweet, I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves these. The Sturbridge Village one does sound especially fun. I like that they sometimes have little anecdotes or drawings, too.