Read Aloud Thursday & a Giveaway!

Have you guys given up on me yet?  Life is continuing here just as it usually does, only with the addition of one thing (nausea) and the lack of one thing (motivation).  Seriously, all I get done most days is schooling the girls, fixing their meals, and maybe a teensy bit of housework.  That’s it. 

But I have better things to discuss than my excuses for being a bad blogger.  🙂  Books!  🙂  And a give away!  (We’ll get to that in a bit.)

We’ve been continuing on with our annual tradition of unwrapping a Christmas book (almost) each day, and the girls continue to be excited about it.  That makes it worthwhile and oh-so-much-fun for me!  Some of our books are series titles or I-picked-this-up-at-Wal-Mart-because-it- looked-cute–that sort of thing.  However, some of them are worth mentioning, so I will.  🙂

Santa Mouse by Michael Brown is a simple rhyming tale with lots of appeal.  It’s the story of a lonely little mouse who has an original thought:  that no one gives a gift to Santa Claus!  (Actually, maybe it’s not so original, since Arthur had the same idea in Arthur’s Christmas , our book of the day.)  The little mouse decides to remedy this situation, and appropriately, Santa Claus shows his appreciation by taking on the little mouse as his mascot and dubbing him “Santa Mouse.”  First published in 1966, this book has very old-timey looking illustrations by Elfrieda A. De Witt.  If you’re in the market for a fun but touching story that focuses on giving, this one does just that. 

This next book is not one that ever actually made it to be wrapped up for opening this Christmas.  I first read about it on Janet’s blog and Heidi’s blog and scurried away to order it, a few days late to include it in the holiday tradition.  (I got it here because it was out of stock other places.) Like Janet, I went on Geraldine McCaughrean’s record (my thoughts on a couple of her YA novels here and here) and assumed that The Jesse Tree would be one I wouldn’t regret.  Although I can’t yet speak for the whole book, so far it hasn’t disappointed me.  We’re actually using it as a daily read-aloud, and along with these coloring sheets, we’re making ornaments for our own Jesse tree this year.  I’m trying NOT to stress about it, especially when we miss a day (i.e. weekends, etc.).  Last year we made an attempt at a Jesse tree but didn’t get very far.  I think reading The Jesse Tree might just be what keeps us more on target this year.  I’ll try to update next week on how things are going with our little tree.  🙂

And now, the giveaway!  Can you believe it has been one year since Read Aloud Thursday first appeared here at Hope Is the Word?  I can’t!  I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing our read-alouds, and I’ve enjoyed even more getting know a few of you who also share here.  I couldn’t let this anniversary pass by without something to commemorate it, and what better than a book to do this?  I came across a copy of one of our favorite anthologies back a few months ago, and I snatched it right up!  It is a used book and so is a little rough around the edges, but that just means it has been loved, right?  🙂 

So, what do you have to do for a chance to win this awesome book? 

1. Leave a comment and tell us the title of your favorite Christmas book.
2. For a second entry, simply compile and post your own Read Aloud Thursday post and link it here.  Be sure to leave another comment if you do this! 

This giveaway will be open until 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday, December 16.  I will post the winner next Read Aloud Thursday.

So what are you waiting for?  Link up your post by clicking on the MckLinky link below.  🙂

Powered by MckLinky

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

Have a terrific Read Aloud Thursday!

Advertisement