Thanks to a friend I’ve been introduced to the world of Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout. I was given two Nero Wolfe books, and so far I’ve read And Four To Go. I am so glad that I found this wonderful character. And a character Nero Wolfe is.
He’s big (one-seventh of a ton as we are frequently reminded); he’s secretive about how he solves cases; he’s OCD about so many things. I really like his assistant, Archie Goodwin. The stories are written in the first person in Archie’s voice which I love. He’s funny and cheeky.
I enjoy a good mystery which these are. They’re great for if you want to read but not have to think. I’m certainly going to be looking for more of these books when I visit used-book stores.
17-year-old daughter – Night Watch by Jack Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh is her favourite author, and she says I really, really need to read this one – a Christian thriller. People all over the world are getting messages that they will be dead within hours, and it always happens. What is behind this?
15-year-old son – Shane by Jack Schaefer. A western that my oldest daughter recently discovered and is getting everyone in the house to read so it must be good. My oldest son agrees with her.
13-year-old son – Monster by Frank Peretti. Something is out there killing people. Can they find out what it is before someone else becomes a victim? This is a great read for fans of Peretti.
11-year-old daughter – Edith Head’s Hollywood by Paddy Calistro and Edith Head. My daughter is very interested in the dresses of the movies from the ’40’s and ’50’s so this was a perfect gift for her.
10-year-old daughter – All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown by Sydney Taylor. This is a delightful series that follows the life of a Jewish family living in New York in the early 1900’s. She is devouring this series of five books.
8-year-old son – Ted’s Shed by Cox Roxbee. Usborne has a set of books that are excellent for beginning readers. As my son’s dyslexia comes ever closer to being cured he can read more and more of each book on his own. Last year we struggled to get through these books. Now he’s reading at least 80% of the words on his own. The stories are fun with simple phonics and some rhyming words.
4-year-old son – One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey. This is an old family favourite with a fun story about a lost tooth and beautiful pictures.
3-year-old son – Why Do I Cry? by Edith Witmer. This is a “Little Jewel” book by Rod and Staff. It’s a great book that talks about all the reasons a little one might be crying, and what they can do to be happy.
I haven’t done one of these posts in a long time. It feels good to share again our suggestions for good reading. What would you recommend to us?
Intentional Simplicity 
Oh my goodness, I love a bunch of these! Shane, obviously, and I have never yet read a non-delightful Nero Wolfe mystery. (Rex Stout did write a few about other characters that lack the same joy and charm as the Nero Wolfe mysteries.) “Cheeky” is a perfect word to describe Archie. He’s such a scamp. He makes me laugh aloud 🙂
I love the All-of-a-Kind-Family books! Maybe I’ll read one aloud to my kids soon.
And I love Robert McCloskey’s books. I prefer Blueberries for Sal and Make Way for Ducklings, but One Morning in Maine is fun too. I love his junior fiction books about Homer Price best.
I love these posts of yours 🙂
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I knew you’d like this list. 🙂 Your children would enjoy the All-of-a-Kind books. I remember that it was a set that my dad read to my sisters and I.
I grew up on Homer Price – love those books. Have you ever read Lentil?
I’m glad you like these posts – we like sharing. 🙂
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Yup, I’ve read Lentil too, which may have contributed to my love of lemons :-9
A homeschooling friend of mine just asked me if I would consider compiling a list of books I recommend for different reading levels. I’m both daunted by and excited about this idea! I’m thinking I’ll break it down into ages, like 6-10, 11-14, and 15+. Because I love sharing too! So anyway, look for those to pop up soonish… and maybe they’ll inspire you to share something similar too?
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That does seem daunting. I did start making up that kind of list once for a friend of mine. Maybe I should think about getting it out and seeing if it’s usable at all.
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I think I’m going to start by just going through the books that I own — if I love them enough to have bought my own copy, that’s a good start for recommendations, huh?
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That’s a great place. 🙂 What I was doing was categorizing the books we were checking out from the library. It was actually a great plan because it pushed me to borrow more and to expand and not just always get our old standbys.
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That’s a good idea! I don’t have a lot of trouble getting new books for the girls, but Sam does tend to want to get the same books over and over, and he digs in his heels over trying new ones all too often. (And sometimes he forgets how good a book he once read is. I finished reading A Cricket in Times Square aloud and said next I would start Half Magic by Edward Eager. He pitched fits, and I put off starting it for over a week. Finally started it today, and I read the first 3 chapters and had to stop because I was hoarse, and then he begged and begged me to read more, so I read chapter 4 during dessert after supper. The girls are loving it too, but he keeps saying, “I forgot how good this book is! It’s so funny!” Hee.)
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Why do they not trust our opinions? Oh well, it’s nice when you’re vindicated.
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I don’t know. I suspect I was a bit like this when I was a kid too, and just don’t remember it. Then again, I tended to just inhale whatever books came my way, whether my parents said anything about it or not.
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I was like that – just inhaling anything that came along.
Now my daughter is recommending books to me, and I will admit to resisting sometimes. Recently I started reading a book that she recommended months ago and loving it. I can hardly put it down. 🙂
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Heh heh. You know, I recommend stuff to my mom that she resists reading too. I gave her a copy of Persuasion for her birthday like 4 years ago and she still hasn’t read it.
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I can’t imagine anyone having a Jane Austen book in their possession and not reading it. 🙂
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I know, right?!?!?!?
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