Reddit mentions: The best literature books for children

You can [adopt a star] (http://adoptastar.whitedwarf.org/) for her. Just be aware that this isn't an ACTUAL adoption/naming of a star, and it won't be listed with NASA or anything. It's just a nice novelty, but at her age, she'd be pumped.

If you haven't already, check out the [NASA Kids Club] (http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/#.VLIU5SvF-So) site. Lots of space-related activities and education!

You can buy her a [Meteorite kit] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039ZT0KY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0039ZT0KY&linkCode=as2&tag=ufowioutrspcgft2012-20) that also provides educational materials as well as meteorite samples

[Here's] (https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/196434533/women-in-science-valentina-tereshkova?ref=related-3) a great poster of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, to keep her enthused about space exploration.

And [here's] (https://www.etsy.com/listing/156254584/space-explorer-iron-on-patch) a cute iron-on patch to make her feel more official!

There are also a lot of great children's books about space, such as [You Are Stardust] (http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781926973357) and [Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos] (http://www.amazon.com/Star-Stuff-Sagan-Mysteries-Cosmos/dp/1596439602/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1420958032&sr=8-3&keywords=cosmos+carl+sagan+book). Stephen Hawking also wrote a series of [children's books] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416985840/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1416985840&linkCode=as2&tag=stephenhaw042-20) with his daughter Lucy that are incredibly adorable. And finally, [Born With A Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story] (http://www.amazon.com/Born-Bang-Universe-Sharing-Children/dp/1584690321/) helps tell the tale of the beginning of our universe, narrated by the Universe itself!

Of course, there are also many neat planetariums on the market. She can have a star show every night! Invest in a telescope (if you haven't already), and take her out on a clear night to explore the stars with her own eyes.

It's really great that you're encouraging her in this. It's vital for future space exploration that we keep children's interest piqued when it comes to science and space. Heck, she may end up being the first woman on Mars! Kudos to you, and best of luck finding something perfect for your little space explorer, and I hope she feels better soon! :)

My 14 month old twins LOVE to read. Some of our favorite books include:

The Dreamers series by Emily Winfield Martin. All of her books are amazing. The art is beautiful and there’s whimsy to her stories. There are two more books outside of this set I linked and they enjoy them both.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is very well liked by them, although it’s not my favorite. They love the bright colors and the fun attitude. It was one of the first ones I read to them when they were newborns (with the big paper back size) because the colors and shapes were bold.

Mama Loves You So is a short and sweet story. I love the illustrations and my girls love it too.

Wish is especially great for those who have struggled with infertility or loss. And even if you haven’t, it’s a lovely story. Warning: I still cry every time I read it to them.

Every Little Thing for you Bob Marley fans

Take Heart My Child is a sweet book for those of you who are sentimental. They don’t always love to sit still for it now, but it’s great for newborns.

And in general, they LOVE the books you can interact with and touch a feel like the dog/animal books with different furs. They like this Monster book that has a bunch of textures. They like this Dont Touch the Button book that is fun and interactive. They love flip the flap books, especially ones with animals and they helped them learn the sounds very easily. They also like the little puppet books.

1.) Something that is grey.

Silver is grey, right? ;)

2.) Something reminiscent of rain.

When I think of rain I think of cuddling up with a good cup of coffee.

3.) Something food related that is unusual.

Coffee chocolate Not that weird... but pretty amazing.

4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!)
Bones for my dog because he hates being alone!

5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it!

I haven't read this yet, but it's supposed to be amazing!

6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related!

This book

7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...)

meow.

8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it.

I don't think any nail polish is useful, but I love this color

9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why?

Shawshank Redemption Come on, it's amazing. And sad. And Stephen King.

10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain.

These would be particularly useful because I could keep my hair out of my face so I can see zombies better to kill them!

11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals.

skip for now

12.) One of those pesky Add-On items.
Apparently you can straighten your nose with this interesting little item Ohhhh, China.

13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why?

This book is the most expensive item on my list. Dream item? Nah. A kindle would be my dream item, but not feasible to have on list right now.


14.) Something bigger than a bread box.

This big enough?

15.) Something smaller than a golf ball.

This ring is itty bitty!


16.) Something that smells wonderful.

This air freshener. Mmmm



17.) A (SFW) toy.

Amazon lists this as a toy, so I'm going to have to go with that!

18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.

These would be great to hang papers and reminders up on the fridge.

19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be.

I'm obsessed with books, so uh... most of my wish list. Or this bookmark that symbolizes all that is books.


20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand.

I'm sure you've seen this but come on! It's John Snuhhhh!

Bonus! Oregon Fruit

Fear cuts deeper thank swords! Thanks for the contest. =)

Hmm what's his reading level like? Is he catching on quick, or is he learning a little more slowly? In my son's kindergarten class, his teacher read the Mercy Watson books to them, which are hilarious. Some of the kids were able to read them by themselves, but my son was not at that level until the end of first grade.. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type is another good one - my son LOVED it. He was able to read that one in kindergarten though partly because he'd memorized it from hearing me read it to him so so so many times - but many kindergarteners are able to read it by themselves. The classics like Dr. Seuss are always a good stand-by too. Green Eggs and Ham is especially great because it's the same 50 words over and over, so it's easier for beginning readers.

If he's not a very strong reader (and if he likes animals/nature), he might enjoy the National Geographic kids series of books - pre-reader level. They're great for giving more confidence to readers who get overwhelmed by small print and lots of words. Hoot Owl was my son's favorite; I even got him a snowy owl plushie because he loved it so much. But we also had the Safari one, the Rainforest one, the one about bugs.. If you want to get him something with an educational angle, the Bob books are really good at teaching sight words and building reading ability.

I have a B.S. and M.S. in math, and am currently working on my PhD...here's my shot at your questions:

>1) At what point in your studies did you come to know about your limitations and abilities?

I didn't really have any struggles through my bachelor's, but as I got further into graduate studies I definitely had some hard classes and had to work much longer and harder to understand things than I ever had.

>I read about "Maryam Mirzakhani" two days ago. Do you think that you have a chance of producing worthy work in the future?

I don't think I'll ever win a Field's medal or be anywhere near the level of intelligence of someone like Maryam Mirzakhani, but I don't let that keep me from enjoying the journey. I know that I'll do something worthwhile, even if it's not groundbreaking.

>2) How did you choose your specific graduate program? I'm confused about what I should start with.

I was confused about what area to work in also, until I began studying for my comprehensive examinations (we have to take 3, each in different areas). I found that I really enjoyed studying the logic material, and I wasn't even too worried about the exam because enjoying the preparation made me well prepared. I just wanted to keep learning more. Just pick something that you find really interesting. It doesn't have to be "your area" for the rest of your life...you can always try something else later.

>3) How did you develop your critical thinking skills that are needed in following through with proofs and ideas?

The only way to get better at proofs as to do a ton of them. I had to get reamed pretty bad on some proofs at the beginning of grad school before I really got it...and I still have a long way to go. There's is always something to be improved upon.

There's a great excerpt from The Number Devil that sums up my feelings about proofs exactly:

"Have you ever tried to cross a raging stream?" the number devil asked.

"Have I?" Robert cried. "I'll say I have!"

"You can't swim across: the current would sweep you into the rapids. But there are a few rocks in the middle. So what do you do?"

"I see which ones are close enough together so I can leap from one to the next. If I'm lucky, I make it; if I'm not, I don't."

"That's how it is with mathematical proofs," the number devil told Robert. "But since mathematicians have spent a few thousand years finding ways to cross the stream, you don't need to start from scratch. You've got all kinds of rocks to rely on. They've been tested millions of times and are guaranteed slip-resistant. When you have a new idea, a conjecture, you look for the nearest safe rock, and from there you keep leaping--with the greatest of caution, of course--until you reach the other side, the shore."
...
"Sometimes the rocks are so far apart that you can't make it from one to the next, and if you try jumping, you fall in. Then you have to take tricky detours, and even they may not help in the end. You may come up with an idea, but then you find that it doesn't lead anywhere. Or you may find that your brilliant idea wasn't so brilliant at all."

Happiness is REQUIRED in life!

Things that make me happy:

• My husband
  
  
• Reading a book to/with my stepdaughter or niece and nephew!
  
  
• Knitting, especially something from a new and awesome book of patterns
  
  
• A good pair of warm, fuzzy socks
  
  I know this isn't anything major, but I tried my hand at designing in a certain game, and getting more into doing things that are aesthetically pleasing. I'm hoping that having an eye for things that are graceful to the eye in games will carry over into the real world, so I might be able to more appropriately decorate our home, so it is saved from just having "stuff" cluttering the place and put in random places, so that oure house actually LOOKS like a home. But for now, I can practice in a couple of virtual worlds. I'm using guides for now, but I'm getting better at the free-lance stuff as well!
  
  How are you at decorating? If you're good at it, how did you learn? Is it something that matters to you? Do you think I'm silly for practicing in virtual worlds? (to whoever answers, you need not answer all questions, just... I'm starting to get curious about the notion of decorating in general, and would enjoy hearing people's thoughts!)

I love this contest. I absolutely love reading with my children. They are 7 and 4 and they are such little bookworms! Reading with children is one of the most important things you can do as a parent (or an educator)!

That being said, I have a ton of books I want to recommend to you. My kids favorites thus far have been:

• Anything by Shel Silverstein, particularly The Giving Tree which is an actual story, or Where The Sidewalk Ends which is a collection of child-friendly poems that are sweet, silly, funny, cute, etc.
  
  
• Anything by Mo Willems, particularly the Pigeon and Duckling series. Our favorite was The Duckling Gets A Cookie!?. It's hilarious and adorable, and very fun to read! I like to put on voices for the duckling and the pigeon. The kids get a kick out of it!
  
  
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This one was my daughter's favorite from the time she was 2 til she was 4! She has it memorized now.
  
  
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Eric Carle (author of Hungry Caterpillar as well).
  
  
• Love You Forever is a wonderful bedtime story.
  
  
• Madeline is a classic, and for a good reason! :)
  
  I have lots more but I'd be here all day if I don't stop myself now.
  
  If I win, I would love the second book in the Amulet series for my 7 year old. She is really into graphic novels right now and I just bought her the first one the other day, and she has already finished it. She really wants the second one! :)
  
  Green eggs and ham.
  
  Edit: I'm going to stick around and get suggestions for my own kids, as well :P This is such a great contest!

> but not children's books because she is at an adult reading level.

It is great that she is precocious, but she is still a little girl. There are things you won't understand until after puberty and, besides, who doesn't like a good story?

Have her read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. It should be perfect for her and she will love it.

Also get her a copy of Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. One of the best adventure books ever written. It's a touch slow in the beginning, but once they get to sea you can't put the book down.

If you want to give her something a little bit on the mature adult side, The Universal Traveler is an extremely unique and interesting book. It is mature and adult in terms of abstract concepts. No sex or violence. Nothing offensive whatsoever. Not sure if it would interest her, but it's a terrific method for channeling creativity and working through processes. And much more. She might get more out of it at 14 or 15, but there is something useful inside for everyone. One of my favorite books.

Copying my response to a similar post from 2 months ago.

I have a 4 year old and a 7 year old and I am mostly trying to focus on inoculating my kids against cult thinking by giving them a broad scientific knowledge and a love for mythology. (We spent a holiday with religious family and it was their first time exposed to dinner prayers and heaven talk and it was quite confusing for them.)

​

Books we currently read:

​

Gods and Heroes Popup book

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLr2vMC9Tjc

The kids love choosing which flaps we'll open and read and we return to this book often. The hercules trials flip book and pantheon of the gods has them enthralled almost every time.

​

The Story of Life

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1786033429/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Amazing illustrations and easy to read both linearly or by choosing random pages. The pages on bacteria and lif moving onto land

​

The Story of Space

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1847807488/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The subject matter here is slightly more conceptual and I'll be honest the 4 year old gets a bit bored. My seven year old like to listen because he has learnt about the planets at school and has a rough recollection of words like black holes and super giants.

​

Christian Mythology for Kids

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1631775235/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lukewarm reception here. I tried to read a few of the stories but they were a bit too gory for my personal preference. The pages explaining angels, heaven and similar things were a bit more useful to me personally as it gave me simple terminology to help me explain what other family might believe.

​

Magical Myths and Legends

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magical-Myths-Legends-Michael-Morpurgo/dp/0192767356/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1552637566&sr=1-1&keywords=magical+myths+and+legends

Book of short stories. The BEST telling of hercules trials I've ever read for kids! It is so engaging and brilliantly told.

​

Includes:

Mulan

Icarus

Finn MacCool and the Giant's Causeway

The Giant of Mont Saint-Michel

The Lambton Worm

Legend of Robin Hood

Thor and the Stolen Hammer

Vulcan and the Fabulous Throne

Hercules the Hero

Gawain and the Green Knight

​

______________________________

Books I've looked at for the future (slightly older kids) :

The Bacteria Book: Gross Germs, Vile Viruses, and Funky Fungi

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241316588/?coliid=I1U9SIN1TBSI1T&colid=2Z7CVBNPWSZNY&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

​

How to Be a Scientist

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241283086/?coliid=I269G89U76154A&colid=2Z7CVBNPWSZNY&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

​

Secret Science: The Amazing World Beyond Your Eyes

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Science-Amazing-World-Beyond/dp/1407188143/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1552637368&sr=1-1&keywords=dara+o+briain+secret+science

Some help:

Maybe Yes, Maybe No (LINK)

by Dan Barker

In today's media-flooded world, there is no way to control all of the information, claims, and enticements that reach young people. The best thing to do is arm them with the sword of critical thinking.

Maybe Yes, Maybe No is a charming introduction to self-confidence and self-reliance. The book's ten-year-old heroine, Andrea, is always asking questions because she knows "you should prove the truth of a strange story before you believe it."

"Check it out. Repeat the experiment. Try to prove it wrong. It has to make sense." writes Barker, as he assures young readers that they are fully capable of figuring out what to believe, and of knowing when there just isn't enough information to decide. "You can do it your own way. If you are a good skeptic you will know how to think for yourself."

Another book is "Me & Dog" by Gene Weingarten.

And Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Books 1, 2, 3

Here Comes Science CD + DVD

The Magic of Reality by Richard Dawkins

Bang! How We Came to Be by Michael Rubino.

Grandmother Fish: A Child's First Book of Evolution
Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online

Also:

Greek Myths – by Marcia Williams

Ancient Egypt: Tales of Gods and Pharaohs – by Marcia Williams

God and His Creations – by Marcia Williams

"I Wonder" by Annaka Harris

"From Stardust to You: An Illustrated Guide to The Big Bang" by Luciano Reni

"Meet Bacteria!" by Rebecca Bielawski

See also Highlights for Children - this has materials for younger children.

Atheism books for children by Courtney Lynn

"It Is Ok To Be A Godless Me", "I'm An Atheist and That's Ok", "I'm a Freethinker", "Please Don't Bully Me" and "I'm a Little Thinker" etc.

Courtney Lynn has a couple more for grown ups as well.

Grandmother Fish, free in PDF form online

A child's first book of evolution.

15 Holiday Gift Ideas for Secular Families

Bedtime Bible Stories by Joey Lee Kirkman - for mature teens only

Coming up: TINY THINKERS is a series of books introducing popular scientists to children, by telling their stories as if the scientists themselves were kids!

Given both like art, would a low-end drawing tablet be in the cards?

For Rylee, maybe an art kit composed of the following: Tachikawa nibs and holders and ink, or a finetipped pen set Deleter manga paper, and a grown up sketchbook a la trendy Moleskine or Pentalic or classic art student hardcovers like so. As she develops as an artist she'll learn more whether she likes different sizes, thicker or thinner paper, or toned paper. Maybe throw in a few making of books from her favorite series (like IDK this one for Avatar the Last Airbender or this one for Spirited Away.) Getting a good making of book for a movie or animated film can be life changing. For me, even though I read it years after Brother Bear came out, this was an enlightening read about the movie making process and has some seriously gorgeous art. I haven't read the one for Moana yet so I have no idea whether it leans more toward text (like the making of Hunchback of Notre Dame did...so very little art in that book) or pictures, but it's more recent than Brother Bear. And yes, most of us artists have these books on our shelves, albeit with different movies/series depending on taste. Some of the Marvel movies have excellent making of books too. ;)

I'd recommend some drawing books, but the ones I know all have nudity in them and I don't know how you'd feel about that. I'd caution against 'how to draw manga' books as a general rule, but I owned a few and some art very, very good at teaching how to direct the eye for storytelling.

For your younger, I'd suggest many of the same things, except maybe not the nibs and ink because sharp and messy. If you get either of them colored art supplies, I'd either make sure they get the exact same set of markers or colored pencils, or get one markers, the other colored pencils. It can be rough sharing an interest with a sibling. And maybe some Sideways Math from Wayside School (I'd also suggest all three Wayside School books, they're brain bendy in a good way). Another brain tickling book (for me it was, anyway) was the Phantom Tollbooth. Maybe a how to draw horses book. A making of book or two about movies she liked - Frozen, maybe? IDK. Maybe a Goldiblox set to get her engineer brain in gear. Oh! I forgot about Spirit, the animated horse movie no one remembers.

I devoured the Magic Treehouse series when I was younger. I thought it was so great that they went to all these cool places (and they were very easy to read chapter books, so I flew through them!) :)

Edit: I ran a Reading Buddies program at the local library and a couple of our younger readers really liked them because the writing style is simple, but interesting. There are new words, but nothing terribly difficult and since the main characters are the same throughout, it's easy to follow :)


In terms of other books, I thought all of these were great:

1. Dr Seuss
   
2. Shel Silverstein
   
3. Alexander
   
4. Amelia Bedelia
   
5. Frog and Toad
   
6. Henry and Mudge
   
7. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
   
   Those were all pretty popular with my kids (and with me)! :)

The Magic Treehouse is a series of at least 50 books by Mary Pope Osborne. The first book is Dinosaurs Before Dark and they are fiction, but the children in this book can travel back in time to various time periods and learn a lot of cool and interesting facts about events and culture in those days. I think it's a great "non-fiction" series for kids, they will learn a lot about so many things. I also really like Bailey School Kids by Debbie Dadey, and The World According to Humphrey by Betty Birney. If your daughter likes animals, Puppy Magic by Sue Bentley, also The Animal Rescue Club by John Himmelman, and Rainbow Magic Fairies is a cute, "girly" series and I think perfect for a 6 year old. Amelia Bedelia is hilarious, and so is Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.

In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson.

1.) For this I choose a pencil box because when I was in grade school I collected pencil shavings mostly from colored pencils to do a craft project idea I had with them. Sad ending though, I never did get around to making the craft.

2.) I know this notebook would make me insanely jealous. I wasn't much of a note taker however so it would end up mostly filled with doodles :P

3.) I think any teacher would smile if they saw one of their students wearing this shirt

4.) YAY! Art class! I think with this I will be fully prepared!

5.) In my state (Washington) it rains a lot during the school year, so these fashionable rain boots are a must have for splashing around in the puddles!

6.) If I could pick my school's mascot, it would definitely be the blobfish because I don't think anybody else has him as a mascot yet. And of course because he's so cute!

7.) You would think a box of nerds candy this big should last the whole school year, but it's kids we're talking about here, come on.

8.) I have always been in love with the Shel Silverstein books such as Where The Sidewalk Ends. Also they rhyme and have silly drawings!

9.) There is no way to beat this amazing spectacular backpack any kid wearing this would be the most popular kid in school!

10.) Between homework and dinner, my favorite activity would be playing the Wii U with friends or family. It's a fun video game system that can also keep you up and active!

Bonus #1 - School newspaper?

I've never read The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, but for anyone who is interested in some historical background for various fairy tales and how the early versions told the tales, I'd recommend From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers.

>In this landmark study of the history and meaning of fairy tales, the celebrated cultural critic Marina Warner looks at storytelling in art and legend - from the prophesying enchantress who lures men to a false paradise, to jolly Mother Goose with her masqueraders in the real world. Why are storytellers so often women, and how does that affect the status of fairy tales? Are they a source of wisdom or a misleading temptation to indulge in romancing?
>
>Warner interprets the history of old wives' tales from sibyls and the Queen of Sheba to Charles Perrault, the Brothers Grimm, and Angela Carter. And with fresh new insights she shows us the real-life themes in the famous stories, which, she suggests, are skillful vehicles by which adults have liked to convey advice, warning, and hope - to each other as well as children.

9 year old girls

They're old enough to be reading chapter books, but you didn't mention how advanced they were...

Hmm...this might be tricky...

If they like animals:

Summer of the Wolves

A recently orphaned twelve-year-old girl and her younger brother leave a foster home in California to stay with their estranged uncle, a biologist studying a wolf pack in the woods of Minnesota. Heartfelt and informative.

If they like fantasy:

Fablehaven

Kendra and Seth's grandfather has a secret. His woods is a sanctuary for all creatures magical and mystic.

If they like mysteries:

Frightmares: Cat Burglar On the Prowl

Peg Kehret has written a score of mysteries, but the best for middle readers are the Frightmares. Kayo and Rosie run into quite a few mysteries, and quite a bit of danger.

If they want to read about normal kids:

You can't go wrong with Beverly Cleary; I will never not recommend her. If I had to choose a single book of hers to recommend...

Dear Mr. Henshaw

7 year old boy

If he likes fairy tales:

The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales

The best set of fractured fairy tales I can think of. And perfect for a seven year old boy.

If he likes mysteries:

Jigsaw Jones

Encyclopedia Brown and its emphasis on logic and catching people in lies might be a touch too much for him at the moment, so I'm going to recommend Jigsaw Jones, the other elementary sleuth solving mysteries at reasonable rates. There's approximately a bazillion Jigsaw Jones books, so take your pick.

4 year old boy

If he likes little stories:

Mouse Tales

****
I may need a little extra time to think of books for the other kids.

I'm working with my son on this right now. My sister is a teacher and has helped me get started on this. There are two main schools of thought in terms of teaching reading, phonics and 'whole language'.
The current 'winner' seems to be phonics (Phonics is where you learn the general sounds each letter makes and you sound-out words.), with the addition of teaching 'sight words'. Sight words are a set of words that are most common in reading and that you should know by sight. "Fry's sight words" are a really good resource. The first 25 words make up 1/3 of all we read!

I'm assuming your brother knows all upper case and lower case letters? If not you should start there. My sister then said it is good to start with a little bit of multiple approaches, if that makes sense. You don't want to work on sight words only, for example. So, start with the first two sight words ("the" and "of). Write them clearly on a blank index card and tell him what words they are, and then as he starts to learn them, add in more ("and" is the next word, etc). Use these multiple times a day. When he first wakes up, before breakfast, when you're about to leave somewhere, during a snack, while in the car is another great spot, etc. They are so quick and repetition will help him learn them quickly. Knowing these key words by sight will be a big confidence booster when he's reading.

Request from your library "Leapfrog Letter Factory" which is an awesome introduction to phonics, and has a game at the end where you have to guess which letter makes the sound. My son loved this. Additionally, work on his name, say what sound the first letter makes, and dot-out each letter of his name and have him trace it. Note that the Leapfrog DVD introduces the most common sound each letter can make, but there are more than those out there, and there are a lot of rules.

After the basic phonics introduction, you can start showing him how to make the word "at", and how you can add a letter in front of it to make bat, cat, fat, hat, mat, etc.

After the basic introduction, look at things like Bob books from the library.

They key is to do this consistently, several times a day for short periods each time so they don't burn out.

And you're quite an awesome big brother for doing this! Learning to read is surprisingly complicated but if you break it down into small segments he'll start getting it. Good luck!

Batman has been published non-stop since 1939, so yes, it is still being published, and there is a lot of it. As to reading most, you have tens of thousands of comics to read (if not more) so it is unlikely that you will be able to read all of the Batman comics. That reading list on the side is comprised of above average graphic novels (which are generally a "run" of comics that tell a self contained story, where as if you buy a single comic on its own it likely will not make sense because it will likely be in the middle of a story arc). So I recommend buying graphic novels because they are a self contained story, meaning that you don't need other comics to understand the plot. All of the ones on the side there are really great, but there are so many other great graphic novels, for instance, you mentioned that you liked the game Arkham Asylum, which was loosely based on the graphic novel of the same name. If you really want to try to read all the Batman stories in order I recommend The Batman Chronicles which is a republication of every Batman comic in order of publication, but you should really read some other graphic novels first because The Batman Chronicles starts with the 1939 comics, and the Batman mythos have changed a lot since then, also, because there are so many comics The Batman Chronicles are expensive, so far 10 volumes have been released and they have only gotten to 1943, so it will be many volumes before they reach some of the best Batman stories. I hope I helped and feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Also, I recommend the graphic novels Year One, The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke, Hush, and The Long Halloween.

As a mom who was equally pragmatic about her pregnancy -- at the anatomy scan, I made halloween skeleton decoration jokes instead of being all excited about the tech finding my fetus's penis, she was very upset with me -- I would recommend Emily Oster's books. She and her husband are behavioral economists, and so their approach a lot of the fluffy "recommendations" and "averages" people tell soon-to-be and new parents was to look at studies to find whatever data they could to support it.

Here's her Amazon page, you'll want copies of both "Expecting better" -- her pregnancy book -- and "Cribsheet" -- her early parenting book. They've reassured both my husband and me about what's actually good precautions and what's just hysteria, and I've referenced Cribsheet at least twice more since actually giving birth. You can also back your wife's and your decisions up with real studies and data when people decide to offer advice you didn't ask for that runs counter to what you want to do.

I'd also recommend the parenting classes the hospital should offer new parents, for everything from how labor will go to new parent awareness. Some of it feels really dumb and sentimental, but some was good reminders and stuff I never thought about -- like how cleaner looks like juice to little kids. (Also, fetuses are swimming in their own pee in the womb.)

Finally, we were gifted an encyclopedia-esque book aimed for fathers at my baby shower. I'll look up the title at home -- my very reserved husband has enjoyed reading it for what's to come type stuff.

PS: You'll want a copy of this book for bedtime, especially when he's little, and Shel Silverstein poetry is much better than any children's book to read at nighttime when they're too little to pay attention to the pictures. All the docs want out of reading to your kids is just talking to them... all the time... so read something you like.

I completely support the library card suggestion. My parents got my brother and I one when we were very young, and we loved it. We also loved going to the events in the library--guest readings and summer programs and such. But we could spend hours there, browsing, and would leave with handfuls.

Some books that I enjoyed when I was young were the [Wayside School books] (http://www.amazon.com/Wayside-School-Boxed-Set-Stranger/dp/0380791714/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1334001442&sr=1-1) by Louis Sachar. I haven't looked through them in well over a decade, but when I was young, I believed they were incredibly funny and terribly clever.

Roald Dahl was also an inspiration. Maltilda is especially dear to me. As was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The BFG.

I loved Judy Blume's Fudge books--especially Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I also loved Beverly Cleary's books.

I was a little too old when I realized they existed, but my younger brother enjoyed Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events books.

This book. It looks like a fun read and a great gift for cat lovers. And I thought this song was funny! So much like the cat's I've known.

As a bonus, here are a couple fun cat gifs :)

http://i.imgur.com/mgxmK3f.gifv

http://i.imgur.com/cbSbtjJ.gifv

[A Wrinkle In Time] (http://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Time-Quintet/dp/0312367546/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409281122&sr=1-1&keywords=a+wrinkle+in+time) by Madeleine L'Engle.

As someone who was also an advanced reader, I think she'll very much enjoy this book. It's got heart and adventure and it will make her giggle too. I really adore this author, I basically read everything she ever wrote after I finished that book.

The main character is a girl, which I appreciated. She's a strong and bright girl too, there isn't anyone rescuing her. :)

The vast majority of the 'witchcraft' books are reconstructionist and 100% shit made up and adapted from myths and legends.

Wicca was created in 1954 and any book remotely connected to "wicca" is 100% reconstructionist, basically the opinion of the author or whoever taught them.

Some authors, Cunningham for example, are far more well respected but in the end you aren't practicing something people did 100 years ago, 1000 years ago, 10,000 years ago. If it's in a book like that it's almost certainly someone's personal folk-magic.

The exceptions to this would be stuff based on earlier sources, like Solomonic magick which mostly draws from texts like Clavicula Salomonis Regis (Lesser Key of Solomon) which is a compiled grimoire or 140 spells from the mid 1600's which may or may not be based on texts from the 1400-1500s.

Unless a book is claiming to be newly divined/gifted information but then it is absolutely someone's interpretation of magick or the alleged interpretation of spirits/entities they were contact with.

Magic(k)/witchraft/druidry/asatru isn't like Christianity where you have a documented history going back 1700 years (Counsel of Nicaea and then moving on to any particular denomination's history which may be tens of years old or 1700ish years old) where you have a documented history.

Just like organized religion, magic(k)/witchraft/whatever is something that is very personal. You adapt what works for you, you adopt what calls to you.

You want to start somewhere? Start with mythology.

• https://www.amazon.com/Myths-Legends-British-Richard-Barber/dp/1843830396/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Early-Irish-Myths-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140443975
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Myths-Legends-Peter-Berresford/dp/0786711078
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Edda-Lee-M-Hollander/dp/0292764995
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Edda-Everymans-Library-Snorri-Sturluson/dp/0460876163
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Bulfinchs-Mythology-Legends-Charlemagne-Chivalry/dp/0440308453
  
  
• The Iliad and the Odyssey, just search Amazon for a copy with reviews that speak to you
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Pushkins-Fairy-Tales-A-Pushkin/dp/5938934176
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Folktales-Collection-Afanasyev-Dual-Language/dp/048649392X
  
  
  That's a good start.
  
  
  I'd also find the Audubon society book for trees and the like in your area, you should be able to find one for your region on Amazon used for 5-10$. Becoming aware of the plant life in your area will help you be able to find materials from the earth instead of coughing up money to some 'new age' shop or witchcraft supplier like 13Moons or Azure Green for a horribly overpriced piece of wood or herb.

Okay, so what I'm recommending is not necessarily aimed at adults, but I got a lot of enjoyment out of these texts.

A few years ago, I taught Percy Jackson and the Olympians with my students. I truly love that series. In conjunction with that, I pulled from D'Aulaire's Book of Myths, and I bought the 3 books of The Greek Mytholopedia for them to peruse. The mythlopedia is definitely aimed at students, but I'm not going to lie.... I really enjoyed reading them. I never truly found one definitive source for Greek myths that would be accessible at the level I was teaching. I mostly cobbled together what I could find from teacher's books and the sources above.

This text seems to have been released after I taught that unit. It looks promising.

Personally, this is the book I started with. Remember, I started in sixth grade, so of course the stories are censored. But it's a good primer of Greek myths, and it provides pictures which might make them a bit more memorable. In any case, I used that book for the majority of my Latin classes, so I got pretty well-versed in it. Later on, I was given other sources like Metamorphoses. Personally, I'm doubtful that poetry would be as easy to learn the myths from though: I got a lot more from plain-spoken prose than I did from my attempts to translate Latin poetry. The language is pretty and all, but it doesn't make the meaning as clear as other media might.

One other thing to consider is that certain stories didn't cross over as easily from Greek to Roman. Greek myths focus a lot more on the gods. Heroes are usually tragic heroes, and a lot of the stories are how those heroes end up getting screwed over by the gods for being stupid and trying to show up one of the gods. Roman myths start to give more credit to the heroes. They're less flawed, and at times the gods become less relevant. If you ask me, it's a cultural shift, since Rome was getting pretty confident in the power of mankind to master the world around them. So Ovid probably wouldn't cover as much of the myth as you'd like.

If you want to look into greek plays, they tend to portray some of the more classic stories pretty well. The structure may be a little weird at first. The style is usually something like this: there's a chorus of generic people, like soldiers or handmaidens or whatever. The hero struts in and explains the backstory up to this point (Agamemnon brags about the Trojan War, Oedipus explains that his kingdom is freaking out over something). The chorus, or else another character who's introduced, warns the protagonist to be careful and he naturally ignores them. Then tragic events unfold revealing that the protagonist has unknowingly ruined things for himself because he didn't leave well enough alone.

I don't want to repeat things people have already suggested. One book that I really enjoyed reading throughout my childhood were books by Richard Scarry. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of the books are out of print, but they are still for sale on amazon.com for very reasonable prices.
Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever!
I remember this book very vividly with the lion on the cover. I loved the drawings, and how everything was categorized on pages.

Another great book that is both enjoyable read aloud or read alone was The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. It would of course be in your nieces best literary interests to learn of these fairy tales properly first, but once she does, share this book with her.

I had Richard Scarry's Best Storybook Ever as a child and bought it for my children, too! It's got little golden books in it, but also tons of fun lists and things like that. Love it! I also got Where the Sidewalk Ends, no matter their age, the poems are fun to hear, pleasing to the ear!

I think your best bet on finding anything age appropriate will be anything pre-1960/70. I have a nephew I love to buy comics for, and he's only just turned 5. I buy him the Batman Chronicles (http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Chronicles-Vol-Bill-Finger/dp/1401204457) and he kind of enjoys those. Some of the language might be a little out there; I mean I often have to read it to him because he doesn't understand some of the words. Other than that I always pick him up Young Justice which features Robin predominantly, and Batman pops up from here to there. Young Justice is very kid friendly too. If she wants to explore some other stuff DC also makes a pretty good Scooby Doo comic book for kids.

So much awesome here!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B007KFXIDE/ref=aw_ls__5?colid=7CWYXJ1UUUS5&coliid=I470A7VTO4OVI&vs=1 is something I need. I currently have no expandable storage for my phone so I have to be real careful with pics and videos of my kiddos.

For the under $20, would love this to read to my boys. My husband and I both loved this book as kids http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0060572345/ref=aw_ls__10?colid=1XBDHCB7ELEOA&coliid=I2D46YYD2FJCA0

C'mon...gimme.

You both look extremely lovely today by the by :)

ETA: Just realized the double post, whoops! All clear now :)

Howdy! I would love to read A Wrinkle in Time because I haven't had the chance to yet and I loved the movie as a kid!

• The best book I have read in the past year is probably The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling). It was so interesting and I absolutely loved the characters.
  
• I love Scooby Doo so here's that as well
  
• I just did my intro recently, so here is is!
  
  Thanks so much!

I don't have time to read into the article, but your title reminded me back to a book my mom would read my brother and i from time to time. When i was way younger, and it's stuck.

I want to say it was called the "Paper Bag Princess" or something. I'll look, but it's basically a princess who saves herself, wears a paper bag, i think she saves the knight, and he returns the hero or something...i forget how it ends. I forget how it ends, but my mom was real adamant on showing my brother and i that girls are just as good as boys.

She didn't have to read us a story, being 28 now i see how strong women can be. She raised my 2 brothers and i while working full time and going to college to get a nursing degree and helped put 2 of us through college with my youngest starting soon.

She showed me she was strong by her actions, not her words. :D

This game does LOOK awesome, i like the aesthetic so i'm excited to check it out later! :D

EDIT: Here it is!
http://www.amazon.com/The-Paper-Bag-Princess-Annikins/dp/0920236251

I too love fun math[s] books! Here are some of my favorites.

The Number Devil: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0805062998

The Mathematical Magpie: http://www.amazon.com/dp/038794950X

I echo the GEB recommendation. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0465026567

The Magic of Math: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0465054722

Great Feuds in Mathematics: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DNL19JO

One Equals Zero (Paradoxes, Fallacies, Surprises): http://www.amazon.com/dp/1559533099

Genius at Play - Biography of J.H. Conway: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1620405938

Math Girls (any from this series are fun) http://www.amazon.com/dp/0983951306

Mathematical Amazements and Surprises: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1591027233

A Strange Wilderness: The Lives of the Great Mathematicians: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1402785844

Magnificent Mistakes in Mathematics: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1616147474

Enjoy!

Hi there,

Thanks for the info. Between both of the replies I've got lots to going on with. How great of you both. Thanks. :)

The omnibus I got is this:-

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1595825223/ref=sxts1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469714285&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65

It starts with the Windy and the Jump card.

I intend to get the other books too once finances permit. Gives the kids something to look at (and again - hopefully soak up some English here or there)

I'll definitely be checking out those merchandise stores. Handy for Christmas. :)

Thanks again.

Congrats! What did you make that sold?! I love Etsy.

http://www.amazon.com/Where-Sidewalk-Ends-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0060572345/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=MP4WCNL8A4OU&coliid=I1AHGCUPWK5YM

Even though this is a "children's poem book" I believe it has some really good stuff for us adults. Heartwarming, inspiring and comforting.

I really really want it !
Under $10:
http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Deathly-Hallows-Part-Pc/dp/B004S0PN2I/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=CXQJ7EYU2U45&coliid=ITGH75B6P4I6S

Under $5:
http://www.amazon.com/Dotting-Marbleizing-Manicure-Pedicure-Ounce/dp/B004OHQR1Q/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2674WN1C6SC9Z&coliid=I39O9340ZYIVAV

1. I've never been gifted!
   
   
2. I like hugs: this is important because I hug every person I meet... or random people on the street because I like to be nice.
   
   I'm an actress.... I'm not sure why this is important but at least I know what I want to do with life!
   
   I like to give people things or do the drive through difference because I like to make others smile but I can't always afford it.
   
   3.) I would like to read this
   
3. Ask me about my milkshake!
   
4. by the way, I have a throwaway account named busterbar32417, you caught me :p

When he can reliably read those, I love the BOB Books series for emerging readers. They're little books and they really build up children's confidence nicely. Plus, they don't randomly throw in non-phonetic words out of nowhere like a lot of early readers. Bonus if you get your own set, the illustrations are mostly black and white so when he's mastered a book, he can color it. That might be a cool incentive for him and a way to "celebrate" reading the book successfully.

edit: added link

Ooo, I have a great one!
https://www.amazon.com/Number-Devil-Mathematical-Adventure/dp/0805062998
It's a children's book, but if you can overlook that, it has the best explanations of fundamental mathematics I've ever seen.
The idea is that a kid is fed up with his maths lessons, he can't see the point of questions like "If 2 pretsel makers make 444 pretsels in 6 hours, how long does it take 5 pretsel makers to make 88 pretsels?".
The falls asleep and the number devil comes to him in a dream and explains things like infinity, prime numbers, the fibonacci sequence etc.
It's amazing, I promise!

Baby's first book? Hm. If it's going to be read to the child without them wrecking the paper, I recommend https://www.amazon.com/Chicka-Boom-Board-Book/dp/1442450703 - it has a super pleasant rhythm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPf5Rr1SGi4

For self-paced you really want something indestructible and cleanable, with bright colours and not very many words. Maybe cute animals. Something like https://www.amazon.com/Nontoxic-Education-Activity-Crinkle-Toddler/dp/B076P8C2X4

The Magic School Bus
series of books are amazing for scientific concepts broken down in a way kids can understand.

Aesop's Fables awesome collection of stories that teach good values/morals like hard work, honesty, kindness, patience, etc.

The Stinky Cheese Man collection of weird fairy tales that's sure to challenge expectations and result in lots of laughs at its funny and ridiculous stories.

Hopefully you find these suitable! Kid's being introduced to literature and especially the variety contained over the many genres and styles of books is such a critical and I think undervalued thing. My mom used to read me and my brother's to sleep every night as children and the early out of school contact with books really instilled a sense of wonder in me that expanded my imagination which lead to wanting to read and learn about everything. So much so that a grade school teacher of mine at one point had to sit my parents down to explain that she was concerned about my rushing through class work in order to read books I brought to school or checked out from the library.

Whatever you do, don't turn your nose up at children's books.

I recommend D'Aulaires' Books of Norse Myths and Greek Myths immediately, they are amazing. My husband and I have been collecting books that meant a lot to us to share with our future family, these were among the first we sought out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0440406943?pc_redir=1407906902&robot_redir=1

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/159017125X/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SL500_SY115&simLd=1


Edit: You should also study Arthurian mythology. TH White's "The Once & Future King" is great, I'll try to find the beautiful book my husband wants to find from his childhood -- it was strangely comprehensive.

Source: We both studied classic literature, I'm a teacher. :)

I've included Amazon links for all the suggestions:

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a great book. It's about a brother and sister who decide to run away to a museum, then get caught up in a mystery.

Nancy Farmer's books are always fantastic. The Ear, The Eye, and The Arm is great to start with.

A Wrinkle in Time is the first of a trilogy. It's really, really good. I know that technically it's recommended ages 10+, but I think that a big part of it is because the characters tend to use some vocabulary-building words. If you're reading it to him, he'd be fine. Great series!

I think what was most funny for me about that book was that I loved reading it as a kid. When I got older I read it again for nostalgia's sake and laughed out loud when I realized it was a fantasy satire. So many of the things that happened that I thought were just meant to be weird were actually making fun of fantasy cliches. A lot of the stuff is based on her fantasy "handbook" The Tough Guide to Fantasyland: The Essential Guide to Fantasy Travel, which is pretty funny on its own.

Shel Silverstein is great! I loved Mrs. Piggle Wiggle when I was a kid, too, and I love to give it as a gift.

Not OP but I highly recommend "Sailing the Wine Dark Sea" by Tom Cahill, and really all of his books in "The Hinges of History" series.
Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter (The Hinges of History) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385495544/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ywLPBbZ1K4HJW

Edith Hamilton's "Mythology". Many consider it dry by today's standards but I appreciate her depth I
Of analysis.
Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446574759/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_QvLPBb447ENFT

On the lighter, young reader side, D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths." Beautiful artwork in there. I grew up reading it with my dad so it's special to me.
D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths https://www.amazon.com/dp/0440406943/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TuLPBbK30N3K0

For when you want to listen with your earballs, check out Dan Carlin's Hardcore History podcast, specifically the entire series Kings of Kings. It's not specifically about Greece, but about Persia and Greece interacting. He covers a lot of ground, including the Battle of Thermopylae (of 300 fame).
https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-56-kings-of-kings/

He's right around the right age for The Number Devil.

He's also probably right in the age range that Goosebumps were meant for. I got my start reading Fear Street, but I gather that Goosebumps was a big, big hit for a later generation. I can't even tell you how much finding out that I loved the Fear Street books changed my life.

I'd also recommend magazines geared toward his age and whatever it is he's interested in. I used to get Sports Illustrated for Kids, for example, and loved it.

I think the key is letting him find something he wants to read by providing him a lot of variety and letting him tell you if he like it or not. My parents were really, really patient about it and my grades took some serious hits as I learned to really read on my own.

I don't know if this counts but it's worth a shot. I have a niece due in October and I want to get her some books since I want her to appreciate reading. Plus I don't want her to become one of those kids that doesn't know how to turn a page. So this would be a good book to add to the collection =)

I wasn't raised religious, so never had those issues, but my parents are feminists and read me The Paper Bag Princess (http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Bag-Princess-Annikin/dp/0920236251) and Not One Damsel In Distress, (http://www.amazon.com/Not-One-Damsel-Distress-Folktales/dp/0152020470) both of which I and my sisters loved. When they get older, Tamora Pierce has a bunch of fantasy books with female protagonists, and Diane Duane's So You Want To Be A Wizard books were also favorites.

Edit: How could I forget Madeline and Pippi?! https://www.buzzfeed.com/sarahbreen/feminist-books-ftw?utm_term=.hs2PoxVvj#.ug2KJ8X0B
Also Ella Enchanted is a great retelling of the Cinderella story, I think it's either Jane Yolen or Ursula K LeGuin

DCs Chronicle Collections for Batman sounds like a good bet for you, think there's 7 or 8 of them. They also have a hardcover Archives editions that are a bit pricier.

Marvels got their line of Masterworks collecting early editions for the X-mens first appearances and continuing. I have an Inhumans collection and couldn't be happier, great quality.

For chronology following those types of collections is pretty easy. If you still want more info wikipedia helps (along with dc/marvel wikia sites), or comicvine or comicbookdb.

Damn, imagine having someone spell stuff out for you in explicit detail and you still walk away thinking that. But it's okay champ, I know reading's hard. Here's one of my favorite books growing up. It's short poems so it should be a good starter. After that I'd recommend stuff like The Magic Treehouse series, really small and easy to digest with a little mystery if I remember right. After that you can probably move on to the Harry Potter series and some non-fiction books, but make sure you wait until you're ready. It'll take a bit but I believe in you :\^)

I really want to reread CardCaptorSakura!! I used to have some of the small ones from TokyoPop back in the day, but would really like to read the whole series, so that Omnibus is probably a good place to start. =)

Get those kids some books!

My suggestions are more advanced for a brand new reader, but were a staple of my elementary years:

• Who is Bugs Potter? is one of my all-time favorites. Really, anything by Gordon Korman! He's amazing.
  
  • Also, the Wayside School series
    
  • and Bunnicula!

Yes, this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Tough-Guide-Fantasyland-Essential-Fantasy/dp/0142407224

It's a full dictionary with the common cliche for just about every last word you'll ever use in fantasy fiction. It's HILARIOUS and useful.

Also it's written by the woman who wrote the novel Howl's Moving Castle was based on. So that's cool!

I was in 6th grade when I read "A Wrinkle In Time" by Madeline L'Engle. I immediately then devoured all the books in the series. The movie is so awful... stay away from that. From Amazon

I read this as a sixth grader but I still enjoy it as a 34 year old. It's simple to read in terms of vocabulary, but the concepts are pretty profound.

If your son is at all interested in time travel... these books are so good. They're very classic.

I hope you feel Happy, satisfied, and rested soon. ((HUGS))

don't worry, be happy

Item

Thanks for the contest!

Love Sesame Street.

One of my favorite kids' books, is Chicka chicka Boom boom

https://www.amazon.com/Chicka-Boom-Board-Book/dp/1442450703/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1504836973&sr=1-1&keywords=chicka+chicka+boom+boom

Stop making it work. Do you read to him every night? If so, just start reading books like the one above that focus on letters and numbers. Your public library should be a great source.

He shouldn't necessarily know his alphabet yet. Is he in prescho

One birthday present I will always remember is a book on Greek mythology, given to me by a family friend when I turned twelve and was going through my "I'm a good little Christian boy" phase (while still being interested in both science fact and fiction). I was immediately hooked. To me, the Greek myths were just like more sci-fi. I remember this family friend being atheist, and to this day can't help but think she was planting some intellectual seeds by giving me that book. I distinctly remember one day reading the mythology book for awhile and then switching to the Bible, and suddenly having an inkling--which I quickly quashed--that Jehovah seemed at least as arbitrary, if not more so than Zeuss. That may even have been the initial seed of my de-conversion.

Hands down, I think every single (preschool-aged) child should have the "Blue box of BOB Books" as their very first readers:

http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Books-Set-Beginning-Readers/dp/0439845009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376121216&sr=8-1&keywords=bob+books

After Bob Books, other books that were on the "early-ish" side included:

"Jack and Jill and Big Dog Bill" by Martha Weston:
http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Jill-Big-Dog-Bill/dp/0375812482/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376121351&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+and+jill+and+big+dog+bill

We also liked, "Fat Cat Sat on a Mat" by Nurit Karlin:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Fat-Cat-Read-Book/dp/0064442462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376121427&sr=8-1&keywords=fat+cat+sat+on+the+mat

The "Biscuit" and "Dick and Jane" books were great to have on hand. I think it's worthwhile to own a small stack of easy readers for the child to become familiar with and read over and over... and then get some to circulate from the library for new challenges.

One of my favorite things to do (I'm a big numbers-fan. Not quite adept enough to be considered an actual math-geek, but enough to be a math-geek-groupie).

There's a great book called The Number Devil. I highly recommend it both for an adult read AND to read to your kids (2nd grade and up, maybe).

There is a cookbook. It's awesome. I haven't made everything yet, but the Shrimp n Hotroot soup is just as wonderful as I always imagined it. Next up is Deeper n' Ever Pie :)

Edited to add the link...

My junior high school library had this book. It's beautifully illustrated and, as a weirdo kid who read all of the mythology texts he could get his hands on, I was impressed by the fact that it presents the most widely accepted versions of the myths (only slightly sanitized) without any odd, out-of-place variations in such an accessible and fun style.

It's the only book on Greek mythology I ever recommend to people.

Devil in the White City- By Erik Larson A fantastic nonfiction that reads like fiction.

Anything by HP Lovecraft for a dose of Horror. I think the story, "Horror at Red Hook" and "Lurker in Darkness" have more of an adventurer GM theme to them than others. Fair bit of warning, when reading his stuff have a dictonary pulled up on your phone. Since it's older material there are a lot of anitquated words in there. Don't worry about learning every new word for future reference. Your brain will pick a couple.
My favorite collection.

I have used some history books about WWI and WWII to make campigns for Iron Kingdoms.

I'm a fan of varied mediums, if you haven't done graphic novels before, maybe look into one that could strike your fancy. Hellboy, Batman-The Long Halloween, most titles by Allen Moore, Superman-Red Son.

Also sneak some poetry in there. Even light stuff like Shel Silverstein was helpful to me. It helps you think of how to use words in new ways.

Edit: Formatting

Big Green Monster is one of my favorites!! I love it tons.

Also,

• But No Elephants
  
• Sweet Dreams, Clown Arounds!
  
• Little Mouse's Big Valentine
  
• Buggly Bear's Hiccup Cure
  
• No Carrots for Harry
  
• Pigs in the House
  
• Pickle Things
  
• The Stinky Cheese Man
  
  Get those kids some books! :)

The Turing Omnibus has a bit of that sort of thing. It is mainly focused on computer science, and features some anecdotes about the uses of the techniques explained. This book has a lot of contributors, so the tone varies a bit from chapter to chapter, but it introduces a lot of topics.

In Code examines the RSA (and goes into a bit of depth about Modular Arithmetic) as well as the author's exploration of an alternative encryption.

Aha! Insight and The Number Devil are good books too. They're both aimed at younger readers, and feature lots of illustrations but focus more on thinking about numbers (and problems) than the mechanics of doing calculations.

If you're looking to buy the series, they just started re-releasing it with these beautiful hardcover editions, you can get them at Barnes and Noble or on Amazon for a bit cheaper :)
https://www.amazon.com/Cardcaptor-Sakura-Collectors-1-CLAMP/dp/1632367513/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=cardcaptor+sakura+collector%27s+edition&qid=1564796417&s=gateway&sprefix=cardcaptor+sakura+&sr=8-1

The whole manga series is also available in 4 omnibus editions. This is currently the cheapest way to get the whole series in print. The first volume is a little pricier right now, but the other 3 are just under $20
https://www.amazon.com/Cardcaptor-Sakura-Omnibus-Book-1/dp/1595825223/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?keywords=cardcaptor+sakura+omnibus&qid=1564797062&s=gateway&sr=8-2

And Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card is the continuation of the manga that just started coming out in 2016. You can also find those on Amazon, the English editions are up to volume 5 currently with the 6th coming out later this month
https://www.amazon.com/Cardcaptor-Sakura-Clear-Card-1/dp/1632365375/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=cardcaptor+sakura+clear+card&qid=1564797235&s=gateway&sr=8-5

chronicle! It's a movie from the bad guy's point of view. It's really interesting! It makes me wish I had telekinesis!

20 bucks

5 bucks

<3
Thanks for the contest! You're awesome!

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths was the one I grew up on that made me love mythology. A copy ended up in my classroom when I taught 6th grade and they loved it too. Highly recommended!

Where the Sidewalk Ends was one of my favorite books as a kid. I wish I still had it, I've never been able to find it for my kids. My mom sold my copy on a yard sale once when I was a teenager because I'd apparently outgrown it :( It's on my kids' Book Wishes wishlist!

Some of my kids' favorites are Frog and Toad, Clifford the Big Red Dog and anything by Dr. Suess :)

I would like to take a moment to recommend The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch if anyone is looking for a good children's book with a strong female character.

It's about a princess who decides to rescue the prince she's supposed to marry from a dragon when he gets kidnapped. However, the only thing she can find to wear is a paper bag. After the princess eventually outsmarts the dragon and rescues the prince, he's a complete jerk to her because of what she's wearing. So, she calls him an ungrateful bum and decides not to marry him after all.

I've heard good things about the new Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls collection! You could also try some anthologies of stories from different cultures around the world (anansi the spider, tales from ancient china, etc) or greek and roman mythology. The website A Mighty Girl has all kinds of great recommendations. You might also think about some books of poems like A Pizza the Size of the Sun or Where the Sidewalk Ends.

edit: And The Stinky Cheese Man is always good one if you want something silly!

Heartily agree, so happy this was one of the comments!

I recently bought myself the Redwall cookbook - made Deeper'n'Ever Turnip'n'Tater'n'Beetroot Pie last night, after years of reading about it, and it was delicious! Simple, but delicious.

I'll make the scones with meadowcream next!

I have this Shel Silverstein book on my list. I adore his writing and have fond childhood memories of reading them!

Thanks for the contest!

There are tons these days. It's a real popular format. Some stuff I'd recommend:

Just Good Stuff:

• Gunslinger Girl
  
• Umineko no Naku Koro ni
  
• Vinland Saga
  
• Victorian Romance Emma
  
• Another
  
  Classic Clamp from Dark Horse:
  
  
• Cardcaptor Sakura
  
• Chobits
  
• Clover
  
  Yuri:
  
  
• Girl Friends
  
• Whispered Words

If you like Greek and Norse, I'd recommend D'Auliere's Greek and Norse.

Also, I'd recommend fairly tales from the Pantheon Library, which do not have images but will help him to learn to picture them in his mind and pay attention as well. I should give you a warning though: some of them can still be a bit intense and inappropriate to modern listeners, depending on which culture the stories come from.

You're going to especially want to proof-read the European ones for strange acts of violence as well as many other cultures for potential moments of sexuality or bathroom humor. Though the potty humor might be very amusing to your son depending which age he is.

Dragon Coloring Book would be fabulous, my darling. I love dragons and that fantasy stuff.

Either that or this song from the new Lonely Island album.

Oh and Bea, go to sleep.

His love of math is the most important thing to preserve. Do look for local math circles and places he can play with math, rather than simply doing it. It is not simply about going to the next level of the school progression. Get him math toys if you can. I have some suggestions for resources.

For your son's age a couple of things that might also be useful are the books Math Circles for 3-7 year olds and The Number devil.

(I am a math professor, but have worked with bright kids in this age group in a variety of ways)

I'm a fan of Limyaael's Rants for inspiration.

I occasionally have some luck with Springhole.net also, especially the generators and Mary Sue litmus test.

The Tough Guide to Fantasyland is also supposed to be helpful, though I haven't read it yet.

If formulas are more your thing, try some beat sheets as a starting point.

Green eggs and ham.

I have this book on my WL for my little sisters! The Stinky Cheese man is one of my favorite books from when I was a kid, so I think any kid will love it :)

I used to love The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales when I was younger. Always enjoyed it.

I recently read The X-Files: Earth Children Are Weird and I thought it was a good picture book. The author also has picture books aimed at kids for E.T. and Home Alone and next year is releasing Back to the Future. The pictures are great.

There's a great book with insights like this for young and old alike called The Number Devil
It helped my kids appreciate math a little more.

The best part about the books was the food described. I got myself the Redwall cookbook and it is awesome!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0399237917/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=15772724047&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=20977776792072861159&hvpone=16.49&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&ref=pd_sl_7jqqpt3ijt_e

Your mythology books might be Druids, Gods & Heroes from Celtic Mythology -- they had a whole series so it's possible that the other myth/folklore books were by the same publisher. There's also the D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, which is great, and they've got a Celtic title as well.

Thank you! It's the first one I've done in my new Dragon Coloring book! It has so many pretty pictures and I'm excited to color more! (but hopefully on less of a deadline!)

EDIT: For anyone who might want to add the book to their wishlists, it's this one! Link

In my personal opinion, the D'Aulaires produce some of the best books of Greek and Norse mythology. They give a wide view of the cultural myths, they're totally appropriate for children, and they're beautifully illustrated.

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341187978&sr=8-1&keywords=d%27aulaires%27+book+of+greek+myths

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Norse-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/159017125X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341187978&sr=8-2&keywords=d%27aulaires%27+book+of+greek+myths

I would absolutely suggest those.

You're right. My kids used to plead for stories. I could do a pretty good Grover voice. Their favorite was "The Monster at the End of this Book".

Of course, they insisted on turning the pages by themselves.

"The Number Devil" is a great book, lots of pictures, easy to read, but really has some neat mathematical concepts explained simply.

you got a lot of great movie opinions now here is a kids book my daughter loved at that age The paper bag princess

Unsure if it counts as a picture book, but The Monster at the End of This Book was always my favorite as a child. I've read it to all my nieces and nephews who have all enjoyed it equally.

How about The Number Devil? It might be a bit below the reading (and mathematical) level of a 15-year-old, but it brings up some really insightful ideas that highlight how basic principles can lead to really exciting results.

D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths sounds like what you want. If that's too easy for you, I remember liking Bulfinch's Mythology as a kid, though I think it contains more analysis.

I don't know what age, and students at that age vary wildly in level. However, there are a number of things I might suggest, for different parts of that age range:

The dragonbox app suite.

This link for a list of great toys/physical resources, sortable by age range.

Bedtime Math

Turing Tumble

https://scratch.mit.edu/ (Just let 'em play with making whatever they want to make!)

The book The Number Devil

One of my faves!
Honestly I read a lot but I heart stinky cheese man.

I just wanted to share that is all.

Green eggs and ham.

So I'm not sure if you already have any, but Shel Silverstein is lots of fun. We don't have any so I added it to my list too! I've got a 1 and 3 yr old who are book obsessed, poetry is so much fun to read out loud.

Thanks for the contest!

Absolute number one favorite book of my early childhood: The Monster at the End of This Book

As an older child, like late elementary, I adored the Anne of Green Gables books.

This is on my Amazon wish list.

Until that glorious day, this will do.....

When I was a new reader the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle books were my favorite, then I graduated to Romona. I loved her.

Get those kids some books!

my almost 4 year old is reading the Bobs books. They are great for beginning readers to build confidence slowly.

http://www.amazon.com/Bob-Books-Set-Beginning-Readers/dp/0439845009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412881941&sr=8-1&keywords=bob+beginning+reader+books

You should read one of my favorite childhood anthologies:

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. Very short, still hilarious.

I also had another childhood favorite called East O' the Sun and West O' the Moon, but I couldn't find the exact edition I had because, as it turns out, it's a fairly common legend. Just google it and you should be able to find a text. It's a beautiful fairy tale.

I'm a big fan of the books produced by Dover. They've been around forever and were making adult coloring books long before the latest craze kicked in so they have a huge selection to choose from and are relatively inexpensive. They also have every kind of style, pattern or theme you could imagine so it's easy to find something that lines up with your interests.



I like their National Parks and Dragon books.

Since you're not aware, it should be mentioned that most manga tend to be long series and span multiple books, so it's rarely just one book.

I would recommend something like Cardcaptor Sakura. This particular edition of the series has 4 books in total. You can search them using the search term "Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus".

Since you've mentioned she likes Hayao Miyazaki's works, check out this manga box set by him. It's called Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.

I found this one on Amazon in 5 secs. Cool looking dragons and great reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Dragons-Coloring-Book-Dover-Books/dp/0486420574

Edit: Cheap too at $3.19 with prime shipping.

This book was a huge part of my childhood and I would read it practically every day. It really make me feel like I have a connection with my childhood.

Thanks for the contest!

To rank the quality of each series from lowest to greatest would go as follows.

Showcase Presents: Batman - super cheap paper, printed only in black and white.

Batman Chronicles - much better quality paper, printed in color, a lot less pages than Showcase presents

Batman Archives - Most expensive, high quality glossy paper, printed in color, more pages than Batman Chronicles but less than Showcase Presents.

If you are about high quality than get the archives. If you just want to read it in color then go with Chronicles. If you just want to read the story and the quality doesn't matter then get Showcase presents (I got showcase Presents for Green arrow vol 1 for $5 at my local shop and I didn't regret it)

Yep! Go buy this:

https://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943

After that, buy this:

https://www.amazon.com/Iliad-Odyssey-Boxed-Set/dp/076369813X

And then you’ll know enough to either satisfy your curiosity or go do some reading of the original sources.


Source: classics major, read Ancient Greek, etc etc

Oh, I remember the cartoon!

Here's the cookbook.. It's a little pricey ($16) but the recipes in it are really delicious. I cook more from this cookbook than I do my Paula Deen/Rachel Ray/etc. ones.

If you get it and make the Shrimp and Hot Root Soup (a staple for us).....add panchetta or bacon. You will never know something half so good.

1.
By the Great Horn Spoon!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316286125/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

2.
Benjamin Franklin: Young Printer
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0020419201/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

3.

Aesop's Fables

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0451529537/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

4.

For Boys Only: The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312377061/ref=ox_ya_oh_product


5.
Linus Torvalds, Software Rebel

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761319603/ref=ox_ya_oh_product


6.
Strange Stuff: True Stories of Odd Places and Things
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0208024050/ref=ox_ya_oh_product


7.

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060256672/ref=ox_ya_oh_product


8.

Call It Courage

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141695368X/ref=ox_ya_oh_product


9.

Rocks and Minerals


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0789497603/ref=ox_ya_oh_product

I need I Could Pee on This because I read a poem from it once and it's hilarious! Also because I love cats and poetry.

Buying a book is not about obtaining a possession, but about securing a portal.

Oh grover, how you have been sidelined over the last decade. You will always be the hero of my favorite book.

Turns out there's two versions of this book. There's the full-length hardcover (like this) and a significantly abridged board book version (like this). We had the second one growing up, and I remember walking around in a Barnes & Noble when I was like 16 and having my mind blown when I picked it up for nostalgia's sake and found out there was a whole second half to the story.

This is meant for younger children, probably, but The Number Devil is still an excellent children's book on many mathematical topics.

I would love to have the monster at the end of this book to share with my granddaughter. it is 4.49 and prime

Sammy

Here is a set of picture books that put evolution and related idea into words a toddler can understand: http://www.amazon.com/Born-Bang-Universe-Tells-Cosmic/dp/1584690321

Stepping up abit, you have things like Richard Dawkins' Magic of Reality which is pitched at slightly older children, and explains evolutionary ideas in a way they can understand.

heck I got the basic idea when I was eight, and I don't have delusions about being a super genious. I learnt it on my own bat from a book, if I could do it then many other kids can do it too. Teaching evolution is not an all or nothing question, any more than any other form of teaching is.

Maybe not terribly helpful or the most pertinent in this case but D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths is a must for those not already familiar with the origins of the Greek myths and looking to get the basic understanding of them. It was our first required reading for my Greek Myth college course and could be helpful if you chance an encounter with anything referring to them.

You might also try reading Nagel's What Does it All Mean? with her:

>This book is a brief introduction to philosophy for people who don’t know the first thing about the subject. People ordinarily study philosophy only when they go to college… I would be very glad if the book were also of interest to intelligent high school students with a taste for abstract ideas and theoretical arguments… This is a direct introduction to nine philosophical problems, each of which can be understood in itself, without reference to the history of thought… The center of philosophy lies in certain questions which the reflective human mind finds naturally puzzling and the best way to begin the study of philosophy is to think about them directly

And I can't help but plug this math book for kids (more number theory than probability, but very, very good).

I Have wanted this book for a really long time. The reason that I want it is because it is the first appearance of one of my all time favourite characters (Batman) and it would be interesting to see how the character has evolved. It hasn't been on my Amazon wishlist very long only because I just recently decided to create one to remember all the stuff I want.

Totally off topic but there's a legit cookbook with all the delicious sounding food from the books. Haven't tried the pie yet.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths was one of my favorite books when I was in fifth and sixth grade.

I bought the book when I was an adult and it was just as good as I remember.

Okay, I think I know what you are talking about. It all the Batman stories in chronological order, right? I don't think people know you mean this

Read them all, they are all important. Basically Detective Comics was around and had (monthly or weekly) mysteries, and Batman had his first appearance, just as many other DC characters did. However he proved to be so popular that they introduces a concurrent book of "Batman". They were written at the point where there aren't big overarching plots, and each issue had its own story that would be wrapped up by the end. But you should really read them both so you can get an idea of how Batman evolved in his early years, I find them extremely entertaining.

https://www.amazon.com/Tough-Guide-Fantasyland-Essential-Fantasy/dp/0142407224 Not a dwarf, but you'd probably really enjoy this. :P

I loved D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths growing up.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0440406943

Gifts for Teens

• Guys Fire Beanie
  
• Girls Chunky Slouchy Beanie
  
• Animal Tote Bag
  
• Giraffe Print Infinity Scarf
  
• Hedgehog Notepad
  
• Wreck This Journal
  
• Finish This Book
  
• Foldable Headphones
  
• We Didn't Playtest This At All
  
• Crazy Cat Lady Action Figure
  
• All 7 Dragon Balls
  
• Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed (and Other Heartwarming Letters from Kitty)
  
• I Could Pee on This: And Other Poems by Cats
  
• Creative Cats Coloring Book Great stocking stuffer!
  
• Super Awesome Postcard Book
  
• The Art of Vintage DC Comics: 100 Postcards
  
• The Art of Star Wars Comics: 100 Collectible Postcards
  
• Guardians of The Galaxy Dancing Groot
  
• Taboo Buzzd Game
  
• Rick Grimes Action Figure
  

The number devil. I love math.

You might try some Kurt Vonnegut novels. Many delve into sci-fi topics, while others are absurdly realistic, and are written in straightforward language while exploring some really interesting ideas. My favorite, Galapagos, tells a tale about an apocalypse and human evolution over a million years.

The Giver by Lois Lowry is technically considered YA, but it's so amazing it doesn't matter. I still read it every few years as an adult, and I only just found out it is part of a set of four. Another book that is technically YA but is really smart and has a lot of depth is A Wrinkle in Time and the books that follow it. They are stories about imperfect and relatable characters that touch on topics such as cellular biology, time travel and ethics.

Discrete mathematics with ducks!

Contemporary Abstract Algebra

An Illustrated Theory of Numbers

Visual Complex Analysis

Number-Crunching

The Magic of Math: Solving for x and Figuring Out Why
The Princeton Companion to Mathematics
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure

Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid

One Two Three . . . Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science

Recently made a move and these are a few books on my shelf that stand out more.

There are so many beautiful mathematical images that could be chosen though and I do wish more publishers would have more creative book covers also.

Have you read this? It's one of my favorites, and it sounds like something you'd be into.

This was wonderful, but my heart goes to The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, since it was the first book for me that went meta and also one of my absolute favorite things to read as a little kid, both then and now.

The Green Book by Jill Paton Walsh. This book sparked my love of science fiction. I can't wait until my nephews and niece are old enough to read it.

Also the [Wayside School Books] (http://www.amazon.com/Wayside-School-Boxed-Set-Stranger/dp/0380791714/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382359948&sr=1-3&keywords=sideways+stories+from+wayside+school)

I've thought about doing this with D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, I love the illustrations so much

The best way is to read the Batman Chronicles. They're cheap, and they're meant to publish every single Batman story in chronological order: http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Chronicles-Vol-Bill-Finger/dp/1401204457/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320435216&sr=8-1

One of the teachers at school has this series, and it's beautiful!
Born With a Bang: The Universe Tells Our Cosmic Story : Book 1 (The Universe Series) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1584690321/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_aWDaAbG42469A

Non-mobile link.

I really liked the deeper'n'ever pie, and if I recall right it was a fairly straight-forward recipe as well.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths is a popular introduction for children to the myths.

There are also Aesop's Fables for which there are multiple books but I don't have a particular one to recommend. Personally, I would look for a conventional/classical collection.

It reminds me of the map of Fantasyland in Diana Wynne Jones's The Tough Guide to Fantasyland mocking tropes in fantasy fiction. The book is pretty hilarious to anyone who is a fan of the genre. Basically, to make the map, she flipped Europe upsidedown and renamed everything.

I had a copy of The Number Devil when I was a kid and it was wonderful.

I have nothing relevant to add, but this is my favorite princess story.

Edit: Mixed up brackets. Derp.

The GOAT alphabet book is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

It's a little early for alphabet, but this is still my favorite book from being a toddler. I can recite the whole thing still.

Shel Silverstein was my favorite growing up! Have not seen this book in years... Something about his poems always made me happy:)

http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943

My dad used to read this to me as a kid and I loved it.

This was my introduction and I loved it. I was also much younger, though.

Amazon, of course! I just got it myself. Haven't made anything yet, but I'm really excited to.

http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Piggle-Wiggle-Betty-MacDonald/dp/0064401480

Some of my favorite books as a child. Right up there with the Ramona and Beezus books! I wanted to have the magical house on the block where all the kids came to be themselves and have fun.

While this is aimed more at children, it's a fantastic guide and it's illustrated: http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Greek-Myths-Ingri-dAulaire/dp/0440406943