Aliens Love Underpants – Claire Freedmen

I thought my son (3yrs) would love this book. Underpants and fun looking aliens, what’s not to like? Well, for some reason he just thought it was ok.

I liked the colourful pictures and that the aliens were not scrary, just lots of fun. Apparently, aliens don’t have underpants in space, so they come to visit earth to take our underpants. The book shows them wearing them on their heads, etc. They usually take them from unattended clotheslines.

Never thought of this till now, but if you have a child that likes to steal things maybe this is not the best book. I will have to double-check if the aliens steal the underpants or just play with them and put them back when done.

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SpongeBob Squarepants The Halloween Scare -By Steven Banks

I just don’t get what is so great about SpongeBob, but my son just thinks he is great.

This book is about how SpongeBob does not want to be scared this Halloween, but wants to be the person doing the scaring. He wants to be a ghost, and at first he looks more like a mattress than a ghost. He gets Patrick to shave his head into a round shape, and the fun continues from there.

My son (who is 3) wants me to read this book over and over. He loves the last page where SpongeBob brain is popping out and it scares everyone. I think it is the gross factor that my boy loves.

It is a Ready to Read Level 2 book.

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Snuggle Puppy (a little love song) – By Sandra Boynton

Very cute book. Just a nice way to say I love you to your child. Would  make a nice valentine gift for a young child.

My daughter loved this book and my son (3 yrs.) loves it now too.

This book about a song/poem that a mom dog sings to her puppy. There is no actual music in the book so you need to make up your own tune. I made one up and it has stuck. The nice thing with kids is the tune does not have to be elaborate.

I did a search and there is actually an official song on Sandra Boyton’s website. Here is the link if you want to take a listen — Snuggle Puppy MP3

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Babymouse Monster Mash – by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

Babymouse Monster MashThis is my first reading of the Babymouse series. It is a graphic (cartoon) novel. I read the whole thing while waiting for my daughter to finish up something.

Good Halloween story. And also could be used to discuss peer pressure and being true to yourself.

The book is about how babymouse wants to be something scary for Halloween but the cat tells her that girls are not suppose to be scary they are suppose to be pretty. Babymouse caves and dresses pretty, she also invites people she does not like to her party. She goes trick-or-treating with the cat and her friends and not her true friend. The cat decides to toilet paper yards, steal candy, and egg houses. Babymouse is told to join in, and she does.

In the end Babymouse realizes that the cat and her friends are not who she really wants to hang out with.

As a parent it was disappointing that Babymouse joined in on the egging, toilet-papering, and stealing candy. It was not until she went home that she got up the courage to say no to the mean cat.

A fun book. My daughter had a hard time understanding that babymouse was daydreaming in parts. It was not that clear. She liked the book though. This is the second Babymouse book she has brought home from school.

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Stop Picking On Me – by Pat Thomas

Good book to discuss bullying with your child.

If your child has been bullied it may help them discuss it when looking at the different situations in the book. If your child had not been bullied it is a great “what if…” book.  ”What if this happened to you? What would you do?”   What if this was happening to one of your friends, what would you do?”

The book starts out by saying that bullies usually look like everyone else. Bullies don’t always hurt your body – they can hurt your feelings as well. It also talks about how adults can be bullies too.

It does not offer solutions other than saying it is good to talk to someone about being bullied, and that feeling good about yourself is probably the best way to stop bullying.

I would say this book is a good overview of bullying. It would be a great discussion starter for school or home. I think if your child is being bullied this book will not give them a lot of answers, but it might give them some comfort knowing they are not alone.  The back of the book has some other resources that might help.

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Make Way For Tooth Decay – by Bobbi Katz

My daughter brought this book home from school today. She thought it was funny and even though she had read it all ready, wanted me to read it to her again.

It is a rhyming book about the bacteria that live in your mouth and how they want you to eat candy and not brush your teeth. That is about all it talks about.

It is a fun book with fun pictures. It is factual. The only problem I have with the book is it does not clearly say that the bacteria causes cavities, which are bad, and that flossing, brushing, etc. are a good way to keep teeth healthy.

If I was a dentist I would not put this book in my office.

As a parent who reads to my child I would say the book is ok, as long as you make sure they understand that tooth decay IS bad and how to prevent it.

Scholastic Reader Level 3

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