Book Squirt

Has It Really Been That Long?

Exactly a year ago, my Mom sat me down at the table with my younger brothers and said “It’s time for you guys to start a blog.” We picked out our domain names, purchased them, and wrote our first blog posts.

Mom got us each podcasting, ignoring our protests. That very day she brought us upstairs to the podcasting equipment and made us each record our first podcast.

Even though I didn’t like podcasting, I wasn’t going to quit. So each week I forced myself to podcast, praying that it would get easier. And in time, it did!

When I went on Outward Bound, I did my best to get two podcasts scheduled before I left, but it didn’t happen. So I wrote a blog post from the hotel room in NC, explaining that I was sorry, but I hadn’t gotten my podcasts recorded.

When I got back from Outward Bound I jumped right into recapping it, recapping that first day with only two posts. That never happened again! As I kept going I started posting everything I remembered, making sure that I would never forget.

I promised myself that I was going to get back to podcasting. But as time went by I realized that it had been two, three, and then four months, and I still hadn’t started again. Oh well, I thought, I’m having much more fun just recapping my trip. 

As 2012 turned into 2013, I began feverishly writing posts. Starting September 3rd I had been publishing a blog post every single day, and I didn’t want our Florida vacation to ruin that. I wasn’t bringing my computer with me, so I had to get them all uploaded and scheduled before we left.

I wrote my last post the morning we left.

After we got back from Florida I started writing again, glad to be back to recapping. But after a while I wanted to do something different occasionally, so I wrote posts about the time I got the truck stuck while learning to drive stick shift, and the time I did a commercial with our videographer. But I kept up with the recapping.

Then kidding season started, and I wanted to blog about the baby goat births. So I did! I made sure that I wasn’t posting anything too graphic, but real enough that people could see what a birth was like.  I also put together a page with the more graphic pictures so the people who wanted to see them could.

March 2nd was smack dab in the middle of Kidding Season, but I knew I couldn’t ignore it. March 2nd was the day of the tornado last year, the tornado that we saw from our backyard. So I wrote a post about it with lots of pictures, including the post I wrote a month after the tornado.

After kidding season I went straight to another thing, the A to Z Challenge.  I managed to complete it, though I was really glad when it was over.

So, now I’m working on finished Outward Bound. I’m about to start the last day, which, honestly, makes me sad. I don’t want to finish. But I have to finish at some point. 🙂

And when I’m done with Outward Bound? I don’t know what I’m going to do. I might get back to “Book Squirt” and do book reviews. Not podcasting – been there, done that.

Thank you all for being there the whole time. I have gotten more views on my blog than I ever expected, and more and more people just keep coming. In this year I have written almost 300 posts (this is number 280), and I’ve learned a lot about writing. You could almost say I’ve gotten pretty good at it! 😉

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Leaving…

Hey everyone!

I am typing this from a hotel room in NC. I am going on a two week backpacking and white water canoeing course,  today. 😀

I had planned on getting two extra podcasts recorded and scheduling them for the two weeks I was going to be gone, but that did not happen.

So I should get my next podcast out Wednesday the 15th. Sorry that it will be so long! I am really bummed that I was not able to get them recorded, but there was just too much to do at home before I left yesterday.

Do you know what I just realized? The podcast I released on Wednesday was my 12th! I have been podcasting for three months! How awesome is that? 😀

Anyway, I am bringing a camera with me and I hope to write at least one blog post about my experience when I get back.

Feel free to go back and listen to my older podcasts, since I won’t be releasing any in these next two weeks. 🙂

 

 

PS – prayers would be appreciated! 🙂

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is one of the funniest books that I have read in a long time. It tells the story of the Herdmans, the toughest bullies you have ever heard of.

They are the kids who would stuff a pussy willow down your ear, so far that you can’t get it out. They are the kids who would go to church just to steal from the Sunday School piggy bank and “have refreshments”. They are the kids who would sneak into the nurses office to see how much you weighed, so they could blackmail you.

And they are the kids who turned this small town’s boring chirstmas pageant into a pageant that the people of the town will not forget.


I would love to hear what you thought about this book!

 

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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Buy It On Amazon.com
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Buy It On Audible.com
Read about Barbara Robinson on Wikipedia
Read about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever on Wikipedia
Copyright 1972
Illustrated by Judith G. Brown
Published by HarperCollins
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Orion’s Son

Remember the poem that my friend wrote? Well, she wrote a book and let me proofread it! I thought it was great, pointed out a few spelling mistakes, and then promptly forgot about it. (I know, what kind of a friend am I? LOL)

It has since come out in print. I was really glad to see it in it’s printed glory, and I was even happier to get a paperback copy. 🙂

Did I mention that Abigail has no idea that I am podcasting about her book? 😀

I loved this book when I read it, and I hope you love it too!

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Orion’s Son by Abigail Smith
Buy It On Amazon.com
Copyright 2012
Published by Abigail Smith with CreateSpace.com
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Mrs. Piggle Wiggle

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My Mom first read this book to me when I was really little, and I have always loved reading it again. It is a very funny book that tells the stories of children with some of those common illnesses like Answerbackism, Fighter-Quarrelitis, and Won’t-Put-Away-Toys-itis. 😀

This is a great book to read to children, and I hope your kids love it! (And I hope you love it too! 🙂 )

 

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Mrs. Piggle Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
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Read about Betty MacDonald on Wikipedia
Read about the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books on Wikipedia
Copyright 1947
Illustrated by Hilary Knight
Published by HarperTrophy
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Twenty and Ten

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Twenty and Ten was written by Claire Huchet Bishop. It started some very good conversations with my younger brothers about WWII, and I am going to ask Mom about reading it to the girls in a couple of months…

 

 

 

Twenty and Ten is a short read, but it tells a good story of what life was like for children living during WWII.

I love reading this book, and I hope you enjoy this podcast episode!

 

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Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop
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Read about Claire Huchet Bishop on Wikipedia
Copyright 1952
Illustrated by William Pene Du Bois
Published by Scholastic, Inc
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Twenty-One Balloons

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I first read this book when I was almost ten, and have loved it ever since. When I am trying to describe it, all I can think of is the word interesting. It’s just interesting. 🙂


I am sorry that this was not my best podcast episode! But I did not have time to re-do anything, because we have a TV crew coming out tomorrow and the soap room still needs to be cleaned. 🙂

I hope you enjoy this podcast episode!

 

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The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene Du Bois
Buy It On Amazon.com
But It On BarnesandNoble.com
Buy it on Audible.com 
Read about William Pene Du Bois on Wikipedia
Read about The Twenty-One Balloons on Wikipedia
Copyright 1975
Illustrated by William Pene Du Bois
Published by Scholastic, Inc
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Maida’s Little House

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I have always loved this book! And I really want to read the rest of the series… I think I am going to try to get them for my birthday or Christmas!

Sorry that there are not a lot of links below – it seems this is a really hard book to find.

I hope you love this book as much as I do!

Maida’s Little House by Inez Haynes Irwin
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Read about Inez Haynes Irwin on Wikipedia
Read Maida’s Little Shop with Project Gutenberg
Copyright 1921
Published by Grosset & Dunlap
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Great Gilly Hopkins

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The Great Gilly Hopkins is a book written by Katherine Peterson, who also wrote Bridge to Terabithia. I have always loved her books, and this one is no exception.


One thing that I forgot to add to the podcast – this book does deal with racial discrimination, and it does have curse words. If you are not sure about either of those for your kids, I would read it before you give it to them

This book started several good conversations between me and Mom about the civil rights movement. Maybe it will help you start a conversation about it with your kids!

I hope you like listening to this podcast episode!

Brett

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
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Read about Katherine Paterson on Wikipedia
Read about The Great Gilly Hopkins on Wikipedia
Copyright 1978
Illustrated by
Published by Harper and Row Publishers, Inc
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Strawberry Girl

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A book that I have always enjoyed is Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski. It is a story of survival, hard work, and feuds between neighbors. It teaches lessons about doing the best you can, and helping your neighbors.

I hope you enjoy listening to my podcast about this book!!

Brett

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
Buy It On Amazon.com 
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Buy it on Audible.com 
Read about Lois Lenski on Wikipedia
Read about Strawberry Girl on Wikipedia
Copyright 1973
Illustrated by Lois Lenski
Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Ginger Pye

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This week I am talking about a book called Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes.

It is the story of a little dog named Ginger, his masters Rachel and Jerry, and their Uncle Benny, who is three years old. It teaches a lesson in determination – Jerry, Rachel and Uncle Benny never give up on their dog, and they are rewarded for it in the end.

I hope you enjoy listening!!

Brett

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes
Buy It On Amazon.com
Buy It On BarnesAndNoble.com
Buy it on Audible.com
Buy It On Alibris.com
Read about Eleanor Estes on Wikipedia
Read about Ginger Pye on Wikipedia
Copyright 1951
Illustrated by Eleanor Estes
Published by Harcourt Brace and Company

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I almost always post links to books I have read personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The All Of A Kind Family

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This week I talk about a book that I have read many times. It is the All Of A Kind Family by Sydney Taylor.

It is the story of five girls: Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie. The girls, Mama, and Papa live in NY, where life is hard for Jews. But you would not know it from listening to these girls!

The things that give them pleasure are very simple: a few pennies, a new book for each of them, dressing up, and some firecrackers on the Fourth Of July. I learned a lot from this example.  I learned I don’t need big, expensive things (like an iPhone or the newest video game) to be happy.  I can have fun with my family doing inexpensive things like playing with our hula hoops, or playing a card game like Apples To Apples.

In the book, Mama and Papa are very hard workers, but even the best parents need some help. So they enlist the girls. They implement a game to make dusting fun, they call on them for help when it is time to make the traditional Jewish foods, (I actually got hungry reading parts of this book. :)) and they have the girls help build the Succah. (To find out what a Succah is, you will have to read the book. Or google it. LOL)

The way the girls worked hard reminds me of my family.  I don’t always like working hard, but I know it’s turning me into a better person.

I would recommend this book to any girls – read it aloud to the little ones and let the bigger girls read it themselves. Boys might love it too – I’ll have to get Colter to read it and tell me what he thinks. 🙂

I hope you enjoy listening!

Brett

The All Of A Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
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Buy it on BarnesAndNoble.com
Buy it on Audible.com
Read about Sydney Taylor on Wikipedia
Copyright 1951
Illustrated by Helen John
Published by Follett Publishing Company

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

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This is my second podcast! 🙂

This week I am talking about one of my favorite books. It is the story of the Pepper family, and it follows them through all the ups and downs of their crazy lives. With a couple of very funny, and a couple very cute stories thrown in to balance it out. 🙂

This is a great read aloud for the whole family – kids of all ages will enjoy it.

I hope you like listening!

Brett

The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew by Margaret Sidney

Read it online with Project Gutenberg.
Buy it on Amazon.com
Buy it on BarnesAndNoble.com
Buy it on Audible.com
Read about Margaret Sidney on Wikipedia

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe you will enjoy. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions’s 16 CFR, Part 225:”Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”