Birthday Parties
School started Monday and we’ve already had an invite to a birthday party. In pondering what to get this little girl, I remembered a post that JC Handmade wrote about a birthday gift idea. She made a tote, some barrettes (do I have enough time before 3 o’clock to whip up some barrettes???) and filled the tote with books/games. I loved the idea for so many reasons, no plastic toys that will be thrown out or added to landfills in a few months, I get to use my sewing machine and the games/books promoted learning.
I was pleased with how it turned out, although I think the handles might be a bit long. It is lined with the same AH fruit print and I put the two books in the bag. I really have no idea what reading level the girl is at, or what little girls read these days. I’m more focused on boy literature- just got an abridged version of Treasure Island yesterday. What kind of books would you recommend for a beginning male reader, I really want my son to love reading and am struggling to find books that aren’t boring and girly to him.
August 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
You just got the invite and have the bag embroidered and made already?? WOW! It’s a great gift idea. I may have to steal it for our next bday party.
As for beginning readers, my boys loved Junie B, Magic Treehouse, and Beverly Cleary books, particularly Ralph S Mouse.
August 8th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
I LOVE the bag! The fabric is so fun and the apples are so academic. What a great gift idea!
August 8th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
OK–beginning readers interesting to boys. The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborn. A brother and a sister find a treehouse that magically transports them to whatever illustration from a book they want to visit. Short chapter-books. Another short chapter book that boys love (that I’m scared of, frankly) is Captain Underpants. I haven’t read them, but I’m thinking they’re not for me.
All of the Dover Abridged classics work as well. My daughter ate up the Robin Hood abridged version by Anne Ingle.
Good luck! Finding early reader books that kids love is tough.
August 8th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I’ve got a 6 (almost 7) yr. old boy and boy literature is my life. I also want to instill in him the joy of reading and finding great boy lit is difficult. One of the best is The Adventures of Taxi Dog series. Not only is it kind of boy oriented, the artist, Mark Buehner, is amazing (finding pictures within the picture). I hope you check it out. Because of this one book, I became a fan of Mark’s, so I search out everything he has illustrated and I’ve never been disappointed.
BTW - Very cute bag!