Read Write, Inc, Phonics Series

With Josh, there wasn’t any “Yay, he’s reading!” moment.  We would read with him every night at bedtime.  I vaguely remember trying to get him to sound out letters in a word; he was not interested.  I didn’t push it.  Then one day, it seems, he was reading and that was that.  I don’t remember doing phonics with him.

Zoë (4yo), on the other hand, had been doing letter sounds whenever she sees letters, instead of calling out the letter names.  She has been trying to sound out the words that she wants to write.  She would occasionally get a few right, but many of her words are mostly consonants. For example, Cinderella would be “Sndrla” or Jasmine would be “Jazmin.”  Anyway, because of this, we started to get her to read some of the simpler words whenever we’d read to her.

I came across the Read Write, Inc, Phonics series at the local library and decided to check out a couple of books for Zoë.   SO glad I did.  The books were simple enough for her to sound out/read all by herself.  The stories are short, with a touch of humor that the kids could easily relate to –which makes the child that much more willing to patiently sound out/read the words.  Being able to read the stories “all by myself!” definitely boosts their reading confidence and gets them all the more motivated to tackle other books in the more advanced levels.

What I really like about the books:

1. The stories are short enough, but still interesting (not dry a la "David and Jane run. David and Jane play. David and Jane sleep."); often humorous, which the kids will definitely appreciate.
2. The illustrations are fun and colorful.
3. There is a section prior to each story where you "practice" the letter sounds first to get the child familiarized with the letter sounds for when he/she attempts the words in the story.  There is also a section for Green words (words found in the story that the children could sound out) and Red words (sight words).  It really helps to do this section at the beginning of each story (no matter that some of the Red words are the same for most stories).
4. There are questions to ask the child at the end of each story to make sure they understood what they have read.  These are great “discussion starters.”
5. There are Speed Words for each story --words that appeared in the story for the child to review and practice reading (in and out of order).

Zoë has just moved on to the non-fiction series of the Read Write Inc. books (one book featured for each of the seven levels –below).

There are five books to each level.  We are currently working our way through Level 6 (blue).  I am not totally clear on how these levels are structured in the non-fiction series as some books in the lower levels have some more challenging words than some books in the higher levels.  That said, we are sticking to going through each of the levels in order, although I don’t fuss too much if Zoë sometimes chooses to read a book from a different level to the one that she’s currently working on.

It has been really wonderful going through each book with her.   Reading these books alongside Zoë has been such a joy  --seeing her aha! moments and witnessing the growing confidence in being able to read independently and best of all, being able to share in her delight as she goes through her reading journey.

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Here is a link to a video of Ruth Miskin explaining synthetic phonics and sharing some top tips on teaching your child to read:  http://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Videos/toptips-ruth.html

Workbook | Language Arts (Spectrum)

With 60* students in Josh’s class, I don’t expect the teachers to be able to always give each child individual attention.  I am not complaining; I think his teachers are doing a fantastic job and they have my utmost respect for what do on a daily basis.

I supplement at home once in a while.   We borrow books from the library, I buy books.  I also buy workbooks.  No, I don’t make him do the workbooks every day.  Once in a while, I’ll ask that he does 2-3 pages.  Sometimes he would just do the number of pages that I asked him to;  other times, he would flip through after he’s finished the pages I wanted him to do and do a few more extra pages because he wants to.

This particular workbook, –(Spectrum) Language Arts Grade 1, – is one of Josh’s favorites.   It might or might not have something to do with the fact that the workbook uses Mercer Mayer’s Little Critter to make the exercises more fun.  This workbook covers fundamentals in grammar and structure –capitalization, punctuation marks, contractions, parts of a simple letter, nouns, verbs, homophones, antonyms, etc. 

What I like about this workbook:

• It introduces concepts in simple terms, in terms that children could relate to –e.g. Use a period to end a sentence that tells something.  A period is like a stop sign. 
• Practically every single page has colorful Little Critter illustrations to help put the lesson in context or even only to liven up the lesson.
• Proofreader’s Toolbox – Occasionally there are passages to proofread (capitalization, proper punctuation) and the Proofreader’s Toolbox introduces different proofreader’s marks  --e.g.

Set in CAPITALS      Insert a missing comma    Insert a missing period

Using these marks make Josh feel like he’s a teacher and I think he likes that.

• Handwriting Check and other checklists – There are certain exercises that require Josh to write a few statements.  At the bottom of some of these exercises, there is either a Handwriting Check (see questions below) or questions that help him review his work himself, instead of having to rely solely on me to check his answers for him.  These checklists encourage him to give his work another look-through to spot if there is anything that he might have missed:
• Did you take your time?
• Are your letters sitting on the line?
• Did you put spaces between your words? 
• Do your tall letters touch the top lone and your small letters fit between the dotted line and the lower line?
• How did you do? (I did great!       I did o.k.        I will do better next time.)
• Each workbook page is perforated so that it could be torn out easily in case you’d prefer to have your child work on single pages.

Spectrum has a range of other workbooks designed for different areas, different grade levels.  I will definitely be checking those out.

~~—~~

*Two classes of around 30 students each have been “merged” and share one huge classroom.  There are two class teachers and three education assistants between the two classes, not counting the parents who help out in the classroom each day.

The Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald Sobol

I remember loving the Encyclopedia Brown series when I was small.  I was impressed with how smart he was, how he could so easily pick out inconsistencies and solve the mysteries.  Why, he even helped his dad, the chief of police, solve some of his cases!  I remember dreaming of setting up my own detective agency, just like Encyclopedia Brown did.   I don’t remember why I suddenly remembered the Encylopedia Brown books, but I’d thought (and hoped) that Josh might probably enjoy them as much as I did.

So, for Christmas last year, I had ordered  the Encyclopedia Brown Box Set from The Book Depository.  It contains the first four books in the series.  I was thinking that I’ll see whether or not Josh would love them before I invest further in more Encyclopedia Brown books.  Each book has about 10 separate ‘mysteries’ that the boy detective would solve.  I figured that each story would be short enough for Josh to go through in one sitting.  Just right.



Because he got so many Christmas presents, –among which was a Star Wars Complete Visual Dictionary that he’d asked Santa for,—Josh didn’t really show any interest at all in the Encyclopedia Brown books.  About a month later, I oh-so-casually asked him if he’d read any of the books yet.  He started on the first story and I could tell he was not very into it.  I think it might have been a little out of his depth.  (I definitely was not 6 when I read the books –more like 8 or 9, I think.)   I didn’t want to push him, so I didn’t bring it up again.

Then one night, Chris decided that he would read one Encyclopedia Brown story together with Josh, because he wanted to check out for himself what I was raving about.  So together they read, with Chris helping to explain the bits that Josh didn’t quite understand.  They then tried to answer the question at the end of the story:  How did Encyclopedia Brown know? / How did he solve the case?  before turning to the back of the book to check out the answer/explanation.

Each story ends with a question and the answers are found at the back of the book.  The answers refer you back to sections within the story where the inconsistencies occurred and explain the why’s and the how’s.

After a couple more sessions of reading the stories with Chris, Josh started to take a renewed interest in the books. I think he really benefited from Chris guiding him along with the first few stories that he got the hang of how the stories work.  Josh started devouring them the way he did with the My Weird School series.  No, he didn’t laugh out loud or giggle or roll over with laughter when reading Encyclopedia Brown, but rather he’d be very quiet and serious in his little corner, with a look of concentration on his face.   Occasionally, he would flip back pages to reread passages.  Sometimes he would ask me what certain words meant.

Josh has gone through all the four books in the box set plus another one that I’d borrowed from the library.  He managed to ‘solve’ at least one case and I remember that he was quite proud that he did so, without checking the answer first.  I might have to go order some more online, as the local library doesn’t carry the complete set.  {I didn’t realize that the Encyclopedia Brown series were started by Donald Sobol in the early 60’s (!) and that it was an HBO TV series in 1989.}

My Weird School Series by Dan Gutman

With kooky titles like Miss Daisy Is Crazy!  and Mr. Klutz Is Nuts!, how could Josh resist?
I chanced upon this series at the library and decided that Josh might enjoy reading them over the holidays.  From a stack of books that I’d picked up, he just zoomed in on Miss Daisy Is Crazy! and started reading it on the drive home, chuckling and laughing out loud at certain parts.  I had to ask him to put down the book during the drive.  He’d pick it up again as soon as we stop for a light and I’d had to remind him to put it down again.  In the end, I gave up.  He finished the book shortly after we got home.

Then he started on the next one, Mrs. Roopy Is Loopy!, and finished it that night.  To say that he loves the books would be an understatement.  He just devours them and I’d see and hear him laughing out loud, exclaiming, “This is so funny!”

I read through one (Miss Daisy Is Crazy!) just to see what it is that he finds so funny in them and I’ll have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed it, too.  The story is told from A.J.’s point of view.  A.J. is a boy who hates school.  A.J.’s voice rings true and you could almost picture A.J. as you read through his accounts of events.  I guess it’s easy for Josh to relate to another little boy who’s telling about stuff that go on at his school. 

The My Weird School series by Dan Gutman are chapter books (about 100 pages per book) set at Ella Mentry School. (You just gotta love the names!)  Weird things seem to happen at that school.  All the grown-ups are, well, weird.  Check out some of the titles above. Weird = Funny in Josh’s world.

I think part of what Josh loves about this series, too, is that the main characters (A.J. and know-it-all Andrea and their friends) are featured throughout the series and the setting is the same, so there is some sort of continuity to it.  I asked him why he loves the each of the My Weird School books that he’s read and every time he’d say, “Because it’s funny!”  I guess if you’re 5 and you read chapter titles like “Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too” (Mr. Louie Is Screwy!), “Indoor Recess Is No Fun” (Ms. Todd Is Odd!), and “The Amazing World of Poop” (Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up!), you’d be totally drawn in, too!
Here is the complete My Weird School series:

1. Miss Daisy Is Crazy!
2. Mr. Klutz Is Nuts!
3. Mrs. Roopy Is Loopy!
4. Ms. Hannah Is Bananas!
5. Miss Small Is Off the Wall!
6. Mr. Hynde Is Out of His Mind!
7. Mrs. Cooney Is Loony!
8. Ms. LaGrange Is Strange!
9. Miss Lazar Is Bizarre!
10. Mr. Docker Is Off His Rocker!
11. Mrs. Kormel Is Not Normal!
12. Ms. Todd Is Odd!
13. Mrs. Patty Is Batty!
14. Miss Holly Is Too Jolly!
15. Mr. Macky Is Wacky!
16. Ms. Coco Is Loco!
17. Miss Suki Is Kooky!
18. Mrs. Yonkers Is Bonkers!
19. Dr. Carbles Is Losing His Marbles!
20. Mr. Louie Is Screwy!
21. Ms. Krup Cracks Me Up!

And then there’s the My Weird School Daze series, when A.J. and Andrea move on to third grade and get a new teacher…

1. Mrs. Dole Is Out of Control!
2. Mr. Sunny Is Funny!
3. Mr. Granite Is from Another Planet!
4. Coach Hyatt Is a Riot!
5. Officer Spence Makes No Sense!
6. Mrs. Jafee Is Daffy!
7. Dr. Brad Has Gone Mad!
8. Miss Laney Is Zany!
9. Mrs. Lizzy Is Dizzy!
10. Miss Mary Is Scary!
11. Mr. Tony Is Full of Baloney!

The Book Depository

Why haven’t I heard of The Book Depository until just recently?  This surely has to be one of the best-kept secrets.  Free shipping on books –to practically all countries worldwide!

The Book Depository was recommended to me by Josh’s school librarian when I asked where I could order certain sets of books that I’d been told were not available on Amazon.  She mentioned that that’s from where they get most of the school library books and that delivery time is usually around one week, certainly no more than two.

I decided to check it out and now that I’d received all the books from my first order with them, I know that I will be using them again and again.  They definitely do come out cheaper compared to Amazon (unless you live in the US and can avail of Amazon’s free shipping on certain products) and even to Paddyfield.  Here’s a quick comparison I did on a couple of books:

	Book Depository	Amazon.com	Paddyfield.com
Encyclopedia Brown 4-Volume Boxed Set	GBP 10.51 (HKD 127.22)*	USD 9.98 + 9.98 (shipping) (HKD 160.95)	HKD 160 + 15 (shipping) (HKD 175.00)
The Giving Tree	GBP 10.18 (HKD 123.22)*	USD 9.93 +  9.98 (shipping) (HKD 160.55)	HKD 169 + 15 (shipping) (HKD 194.00)

*Conversion done with help from xe.com

The above table was put together under the assumption that all books are to be delivered to a Hong Kong address.  Paddyfield.com does offer free shipping for orders over HKD 180, but even taking only the price of each item alone, it is still more expensive compared to The Book Depository.

I had ordered a total of 13 books from The Book Depository and I had received all 13 within two weeks of my ordering;  some I had received in just one week’s time.  The only beef I have is that each one of the books was packed and mailed separately.  It doesn’t matter to me that each was mailed separately as shipping was free, but the books were individually packed either in a bubble envelope or in corrugated cartons, --which, to me, was a bit of a waste.   I don’t understand why they could not have packed the books together to save on packing materials.

That said, they are the most cost-efficient in terms of ordering books online that I’ve come across so far.

Aussie Nibbles and Aussie Bites | Age-Appropriate Content for Proficient Early Readers

What do you do when you have a child who has learned to read early and who has gone beyond the “Look at Timmy. See Timmy. See Timmy run.” books?  Josh loves Star Wars and would devour any material related to Star Wars.  I am okay with that, even though I find the material a tad violent. Josh assures me that “It’s all just pretend, Mommy!”  My problem with the Star Wars books is that they are meant for older readers, readers with more understanding and with more life experiences from which they could draw to be able to put what they read in context.

One time, Josh asked me what an assassin was.  I told him.  He then followed up by asking if there are assassins in Hong Kong.  Umm, I don’t want to be talking about assassins with my 5-year old.

At a recent parent-teacher conference, his teacher suggested Aussie Nibbles and Aussie Bites.  She voiced out exactly what I was concerned about –i.e., that there’s a dearth of materials that are age-appropriate and suitable for very young proficient readers out there.  She then recommended Aussie Nibbles and Aussie Bites.

The series of short chapter books are written by different Australian authors.  Aussie Nibbles books are for readers just beginning and Aussie Bites cater to the 7-10 age group.  The books have “bites” on them –a smaller bite for Nibbles and a slightly bigger bite for Bites.  And then you progress on to Chomps for more advanced readers.  There is larger print on the Nibbles and the print gets smaller on the Bites.

The Aussie Nibbles were quick reads for Josh.  He really loves them and could finish two in one afternoon (yes, reading through dinner!).  Once he starts on one, he’s deaf to the world.  The house could be on fire 

and he wouldn’t even notice.

  

I plan to get Josh to read as many of the Aussie Nibbles as I could get from the library before introducing Aussie Bites to him.

As far as I could tell, the books are not available in the local bookstores, but I was able to borrow quite a number of them from the public library.  The Hong Kong Central Library (in Causeway Bay) has a very good collection.  If you want to order online, you’d find a better collection through Puffin Books Australia.

 

Image: Stephen Michael King, Illustrator.

The Red Book

 
                                           The front cover      /      The inside page

Josh had received The Red Book (a 2005 Caldecott Honor book by Barbara Lehman) as a birthday present.  As a mom, I think books make perfect gifts.  Whether to give or to receive.

Do you notice anything about the front cover of this wonderful book?  No words, no title.  Yup.  Well, apart from the inside page which carries the book title, the author’s name and the publishing company, the rest of the pages are WORDLESS, too!  Which is what makes this book so interesting.

What I love about this is that you and your child can interpret the pictures any way you want.  Especially for children as young as Zoë (3yo) or even younger, the book presents a fantastic opportunity to engage your child by asking them questions, getting them to tell you what they think is happening based on what they see.  You’ll just be pleasantly surprised at how eagerly they will take over the reins from you and start to spin their own yarn, using the pictures as guides.  Best of all, there is no wrong interpretation.  For older children like Josh (5yo), this book presents opportunities to talk about faraway lands and what-might-be scenarios.  Just super for letting their imagination run wild.

On the Night You Were Born

On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman is a must-have for your child's library.

It's one of those books that I'd bought and had forgotten about... Josh asked me for a "surprise" book one night when he was 2.5 years old and I dug this out.

We sat down to read and it was such a 'magical' session for both of us. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but suffice it to say that it is a very wonderful book and both you and your child will be touched by the beauty and magic of this book. The smile on Josh's face as we read was priceless. I could tell that reading this book together made him feel very special.

I’d read On the Night You Were Born to Josh so many times when he was younger and each time we’d read it together, it still held the same magic as the first time I’d read it to him.  Last night, when we were choosing books for bedtime, I’d offered to read this book to Zoë.  She had the same quiet wonder on her face that Josh would have whenever we’d read the book.  And I found myself transported again by the magic, by the celebration as I read the book to her.

This book would make a wonderful gift for a new mother (regardless of the number of babies that she has already had before).  It is a most lovely read for parent/child.  Perfect for bedtime reading, as your child sits snugly on your lap with your arms around him/her as you read in awe-filled hushed tones about the night your child was born…

Sharing a Shell

(Get it here)

Written by Julia Donaldson / Illustrated by Lydia Monks..

This was our very first Julia Donaldson book. Not The Gruffalo, not The Spiffiest Giant in Town, not Room on the Broom. Not any of her more popular books. In fact, when I bought this book, I had never heard of Julia Donaldson before. Yes, Josh was almost 3 before I’d even heard of Julia Donaldson. Mommy fail.
I’d picked up the book because of how pretty the illustrations are. There are glitters, my friends. Glitters. I read through the book. I love the rhyming narrative. I knew that I would enjoy reading this aloud to Josh. I knew that he’d enjoy the story and that he’d enjoy looking at the colorful and pretty pictures. The message about sharing was a good one. Sold!

Josh enjoyed turning the pages, lingering a bit and touching some of the pictures with glitters on them. We’d read it so many times that Josh had most parts memorized. He still enjoys reading this book to this day.
Now, Zoë has discovered the book as well. Every night this week, she has been picking this book to read at bedtime. As it was with Josh, she would softly touch the glitters, marvelling at the texture, while we read to her. After we’re done reading, she’d then get the book from us and would insist on “reading” to us. Filling in with her own words how the story unfolds.

Sharing a Shell book is definitely a treat for booklovers young and old and would make a very good book to start for those children who might not be so interested in reading books. The colorful and cute illustrations, the glitter, the story, and Donaldson’s trademark rhyming narrative are all wrapped up nicely in this little gem of a book.

Help-Yourself Book Boxes

For the longest time, the books in the children's room were held together by bookends. But I had to constantly put books back and rearrange them, forever tightening the bookends so that books stay upright. Because the kids could only see the spine of the book, sometimes they would pull down several books before getting to the one that they want. And then I'm left with books strewn all over the place. It's partly my fault, though. I have tried encouraging them to put the books back, but it's not easy for them to insert the books back upright; well, at least not as neatly upright as I'd want them to be and not without somehow mangling the pages (travesty!) when they try to force the books back into place.

When I saw the Help-Yourself Book Boxes in the Lakeshore Learning catalogue, I just had to get them. I'm a Lakeshore Learning fan, if you don't already know. But I'd be an even bigger fan if I can get their products here in Hong Kong without paying the additional shipping cost and having to wait almost two months before the orders arrive.

Back to the book bins...

I ordered a set of six and ordered an additional two. When they finally came, I was a bit surprised to see that they appeared smaller than what I thought they would be. I thought that I would have enough for all the books in the children's room, with a couple to spare for the additional books they have in our room and in the living room. I ended up using all eight bins just for the books in their room. Either I misjudged the number of books they have or I misjudged the size of the book boxes.

After I organized all the books in the book bins, I knew I had to get more. They were so neat, figuratively and literally. What I like about them is that it allows for the tikesters to very easily flip through the books and pick out the ones they want, without having to pull different ones out to get a good look and then discarding them by the side.

Each book box is 14" x 7" x 5" high and is the just right size allowing the kids to be able to put the books back properly and neatly without me worrying about damage to the books. (I'm a bit anal that way.) I say it is "just right" size because when I found out that I didn't order enough book boxes, I went to Ikea and got a few of the Trofast storage boxes in different sizes to see if they would work just as well. For sure, the Ikea storage boxes would be cheaper and I could easily run down and get more without having to wait for two months. They were either too wide, not deep enough, not big enough, too deep, etc. See, if the box is too shallow, the books will not stand up well (or at all); if it's too deep, I'd have the same problem as when I was using bookends where the kids would have to pull out books to find the ones they want. The book boxes from Lakeshore Learning were designed for books, for the little ones to easily "help themselves" to the books they want.

Each of the boxes comes with labels, so if you are so inclined, you can categorize and group books into different bins. It's a pity they only come in blue. It would be nice to have them in other colors, too. Regardless, I LOVE the Help-Yourself Book Boxes.

A set of six costs HK$419 and each extra book box is HK$70.

To place an order --

• Go to the Lakeshore Learning website and look for the item that you want.
• Note down the Item Number (usually 2 letters followed by 3 numbers).
• Call or email (childplay@hutchcity.com) the local distributor and let them know which items you want; you will have to give them the item number.
• They will call you back with a quote and also let you know when you might expect your order.
• Payment is : 30% deposit, 70% by cash before delivery.

~~--~~
Psst. If you know of where I can get something similar here in Hong Kong, please let me know. I could always use a few more and I'd rather not have to wait for two more months. You can contact me at buckeroomama@gmail.com. Thanks!

Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale

Get it here.

I initially bought this book by Mo Willems because I could use it in my workshops to help illustrate how infant sign language could alleviate frustration and enhance communication with pre-verbal children.

Of course, when Josh saw this book lying around, he wanted me to read him the story. It very quickly became one of our favorites. Then when Zoë was old enough to sit through bedtime stories with Josh, she would ask for "Bunny book" whenever we'd sit down and get ready for bedtime reading. She likes Trixie and would tell us when Trixie is "sad" or "happy" or "crying." Now, she's gotten to the point where she completes the sentences as we would read.

The story is short and simple and just right for reading at bedtime. It's long enough to have an interesting story line, but short enough that we can get through a reading without me desperately wanting a glass of water afterward. What's interesting is also the way the author superimposes his illustrations against sepia-tone photos of a Brooklyn neighborhood.

Reading Knuffle Bunny, Chris and I always marvel at how Willems is able to capture so well how kids go to pieces when they are upset. We could both sooo relate to how Trixie's dad felt when she went "boneless." We never knew there's this term out there to accurately describe how the kids go loose-limbed and all when they don't want us to pick them up!

Go get yourselves a copy and enjoy!

Someday

Get it HERE.

What a wonderful, wonderful book.

The mother in this book (by Alison McGhee) walks her child through the milestones in the child's life, from infancy (One day I counted your fingers and kissed each one) to the future when she grows bigger, becomes an adult, has her own child (Someday I will watch you brushing your child's hair), grows old (Someday, a long time from now, your own hair will glow silver in the sun. And when that day comes, love, you will remember me).

<*Tears* Excuse me, while I go grab a tissue.>

I would read this book to Josh and Zoë and with each line I read, the heartfelt emotions and wishes of a mother comes through. Not because I am a particular good reader, but rather because the wishes and feelings of the mother in the book are so universal, that we could easily relate and feel the same way. My voice always, always catch when I get towards the end and without fail, I'd tear up.

(One time, I looked over at Josh and saw that he was a bit teary-eyed, too. I didn't ask him why. I just reached over and gave him a big hug and he hugged me back. Sweet boy.)

The illustrations are simple and clean, very beautiful. This is a book that makes for a very nice gift to mommy friends, especially mommy friends with daughters.

"Sometimes, when you sleep, I watch you dream, and I dream too..."
I LOVE this book.

The Hong Kong Public Library (HKPL)

One of the things I love about Hong Kong is its public libraries.

I can get almost any book I want from there (for myself or for the kids) and what they don't have, I could always fill up a form to recommend that they purchase it. I've suggested a few books that I wanted to get my hands on, but was too cheap lazy to buy myself and the public library has come through for me. How cool is that.

Some public libraries would have a more extensive selection of English titles than others, I think. The Central Library (Note: The one in Causeway Bay, across from Victoria Park) and the libraries in Central (City Hall) and Stanley would probably have a bit more English titles than others.

The librarians are generally very helpful. Once, I lost (!) a library book and went to pay the fine. The librarian on duty suggested that I simply keep on renewing the book until I've used up all five (or six?) renewals that are allowed for each book, in the vain hope that the book might turn up somewhere. When my time was up, I went back to pay and the librarian took pains to explain to me that I need to keep the receipt for the fine, just in case I find the book or somebody finds and returns the book, then they will refund me what I just paid --for as long as I have the receipt. Nice, no?

The whole process of borrowing books is so painless and that's what I love most about the HKPL. This is what I usually do when I need reading materials:

1. Go to amazon.com and browse through favorite authors to see if they have any new titles out or I simply go through the bestsellers lists. Anything that seems interesting, I jot down.

2. Search through HKPL's website to see if they have the title/s I want. You can do this by book title or by author. You can even sort results by descending publication year so that you get the latest books at the top of the results list.

3. If I see what I want from the list, I just click on it and a list will come out telling me which libraries would have the book/s and whether they are currently available, reserved by others, or checked out. If the title/s can only be found at a library that's quite far from where I would normally venture, I'd just click the "Make a Reservation" button. It will then lead me to a page asking me at which library would I want to pick up the reserved book/s. There's a pull-down menu and you simply click the one to where you would want to have the book delivered. It will then ask you to key in your Libary Card number (or your HK ID card number --if you've applied to use your Smart ID to enjoy library services) and your PIN.

4. Wait for the email notifying me that the book/s I'd reserved are ready for pick-up. (You get email notification if you have signed up for it; otherwise, I think you get a call from the library.)

5. Once I get the email, I just hie off to the library, shove my HKID into the thingamajig, pay HK$2.50 for each book that I'd reserved, and voila! I have my books.

6. If you need to renew, you can also renew online --as the book is not overdue yet. Each book gets at least five (maybe six) renewals. Each renewal is for a period of two weeks from when you do the renewal.

You can get a library card for your child once he/she turns 3yo. It's great to start them out young and trips to the library rank as highly as trips to Disneyland, in my book (excuse the pun). They're educational, not to mention cheaper, too!

What Makes a Rainbow?

What Makes a Rainbow? is one beautiful book by Betty Ann Schwartz. Very colorful, beautifully illustrated, cleverly designed, and quite sturdy.

Primarily, kids learn about different colors from the book, but also they learn about different animals. Every page you turn features a color and the whole spread is washed in that particular color, highlighted with a strip of silk ribbon in the same color. (Oh, it's all about colors, did I mention that?) Each succeeding page adds a new color (so you get an additional strip of ribbon with each turn of the page) until you get all the colors of the rainbow. The last page of the book gives you a pop-up of a rainbow.

Initially I was worried that the ribbons might come out from the kids' pulling and tugging. Well, guess what? Our book survived both Josh's and Zoë's mighty tugs and it's still quite intact!

IMHO, a must-have in every child's library. :)

Totally Tape

I am always on the lookout for things that will keep my kids occupied during flights.

I think I've hit pay dirt with Totally Tape, a book from Klutz. I got my copy from Book Buddy in Stanley, but I know that you can also find some Klutz books at the stationery shop on the first (or is it the second?) floor of City Hall, on the way up to Maxim's, if you take the stairs.

The book, as you can see, comes with four rolls of tape (red, green, blue, and yellow). What one has to do is use the rolls of tape to "decorate" or match items in the book. Josh had a blast with the different things that he could do with the paper tape. Even though the tape was kid-friendly (no scissors required), he did need help with tearing off pieces of tape, but that's small bother. He was pretty much occupied with trying to get the pieces of tape lined up properly for each activity. :)

Oh, and if you run out, you can order more from Klutz.com. You probably can ask the shop to order for you from the local distributor, too, I think.

What's good is that this book is, in classic Klutz style, heaps of fun not just for the child, but for the adult as well. It's great to see the tape "creations" come to life and Josh was quite proud to see that (in Zoe's words) "he did it" himself.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!

We had been given this book by our children's godmother and for more than a week, this was all the kids would ask for (both of them!). Sometimes Zoë would just come out with the book at odd times during the day and go, "'geon! Read!"

I think they like the fact that they've been "entrusted" with not letting the pigeon drive the bus and that they'd been given the license to say NO a zillion times throughout the book. What I like is that it turns book-reading into an especially fun interactive activity.