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Monday, July 4, 2016

Fantastic Summer Reads from Simon & Schuster


My daughters and I have embarked on our own summer reading program - we each set a goal of how many books we wanted to read this summer {I picked 25, Peyton - 30, Little Miss Lo - 40, and my oh so ambitious Kenziekins decided that we should read her 60}, the person who meets their goal first will get the ultimate bragging rights and I'll buy them a book of their choice when the competition ends {right before they go back to school on August 8}. Considering our collective involvement in Kenzie reaching her goal, it has been very important to us to find books that will entertain us all - in comes these perfect selections from Simon & Schuster! {Books provided for review/feature consideration}

A Tiger Tail (Or What Happened to Anya on Her First Day of School) by rising star illustrator Mike Boldt:  A hilarious and original tale about overcoming back-to-school jitters and making new friends, this picture book is perfect for any start of school coverage. In the book, Anya wakes up and discovers that she's grown a tiger tail. Yes, a tiger tail. It also happens to be the first day of school. What will the other kids think? Are girls with tiger tails even allowed to go to school?!

Using humorous text and bold, fun illustrations, Boldt perfectly captures the nervousness many kids experience as they head off on that first day. This was a perfect pick for us because Kenzie is starting kindergarten in the fall. The book was a hilariously adorable way to add some levity to an occasion that she's a bit anxious about.

Derek Jeter Presents Night at the Stadium by Phil Bildner & Illustrated by Tom Booth: A baseball stadium comes to life in this magical picture book brought to you by legendary sports icon and role model Derek Jeter. Seven-year-old Gideon is overjoyed to be at Yankee Stadium watching his favorite team win! And when the game is over, he’s going to get an autograph from his favorite player. However, Gideon gets separated from his family and then he tumbles into a secret part of the stadium. There he discovers a magical world where everything from the rakes and the hoses to the bats and balls to the food to the monuments in Monument Park has a story to tell. But can Gideon finally find his family and get the autograph he really wants?

An enchanting combination of Night at the Museum and Alice in Wonderland—with a little bit of Field of Dreams thrown in for good measure!—this book captures the excitement, wonder, and magic of your first trip to the ballpark!


I LOVE DAD by Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot: Show Dad how much you care with this warm story of parent appreciation from the creators of The Perfect Hug and The Biggest Kiss, which School Library Journal called “a wonderful cuddle-up-and-read choice.” When the clock ticks around to a bright new day, I know today will be filled with fun things to do with dad. From his stubbly kisses to his sky-high piggyback rides to his bedtime stories, no one is quite like dad. This charming picture book is a celebration of fathers everywhere!

My daughters really love this book - especially when the hubby reads it to them. It's beautiful to see the special relationship between a father and his child illustrated in such an cute and heartwarming way


Bring Me a Rock! by Daniel Miyares: From the author-illustrator of Pardon Me! and Float comes a funny and fun picture book about a little bug who proves that even the small can be mighty. When a power-hungry grasshopper king wants a throne to loom over his bug subjects, he summons each of them to “bring me a rock!” One by one, the bugs bring him the biggest rocks they can carry, but one little bug can contribute only a very small pebble. The grasshopper king shuns the little bug. But when his throne is in danger of tipping, that little bug might be the only one who can save him.

With beautiful, bold illustrations and a folk-tale sensibility, Bring Me a Rock! is a classic underdog tale with a humorous twist. My girls and I loved this story {it reminded them a bit of A Bug's Life} - we are of the opinion that mighty good things can come in small packages. 

These are just a few of the books that we've counted towards Kenzie's lofty goal - do you have any recommendations for more? I have a "bookstagram" account now, so please follow along as I share our selections there. I also added a widget to the right sidebar that share my latest reads on GoodReads so please feel free to follow me there as well! Until next time...





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