Is there a Doctor in the House? Two by Seuss

Dr. Seuss, The Cat in the Hat, 1957.

Singsong rhyme and controlled vocabulary are great for beginning readers. The story is incredibly imaginative, with the twist that the cat is the “child” who tears up the house and makes a mess, while the children are the “adults.” An early lesson in empathy for ones’ parents, perhaps? St. Nick, Fish, and Pie have all loved this book. And I've loved skipping pages while reading it.





Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham, 1960.

Every parents’ “must have” for the picky eater. “You don’t want to be like Sam! You’ve never even tried it.” The story mimics the child in a way that can make him laugh at himself. It’s silly to see an adult (creature) being so picky! Again, rhyme and almost exclusive use of short, easy words aid beginning readers in decoding the story.

Welcome, Fisher, to this Loony Land!

We have a new family member, as of today. His name is Fisher and he's about 90lbs, three years old, and the sweetest BIG guy ever!!

A little background: eight years ago, before kids, we thought of getting a dog. An Old English Sheepdog would be perfect, we thought. So we found a rescue organization, and who would know, they had a dog needing adoption! We drove across the state to get him. After a three hour drive home, the big fellow needed a walk, so I took that on. Sort of. More like he took me for a walk. Long story short, the guy was still a puppy, just over a year and was already huge. Too much to handle even had he been a good dog. But he wasn't. He growled at us, didn't listen, showed his teeth. We drove another three hours to take him back and discovered he'd bitten the breeder's spouse.

Oh, Deer!

Here's a fellow we met this morning, him and three companions. That stretch of asphalt is our driveway.

Fish and St. Nick hurried to the window, but poor Mud Pie was getting dressed. She did catch a final glimpse, so excited she rushed down in the buff, and then had to hurry upstairs to put some clothes on!

No Holes Here

Holes by Louis Sachar. Random House, 1998.

Most distinctive for its magnificent plotting, Holes is the adventure story of the unlikely hero, Stanley. He’s been falsely convicted of a crime and sent to a work camp for boys in the Texas desert. There he and the other boys dig holes, only he quickly begins to suspect that he’s digging not to rehabilitate himself, but rather to find something. A treasure perhaps.

Woven through the 3rd omniscient narrative are snippets of other stories: Stanley’s no-good-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather for example, who was cursed by a Gypsy woman, and his family’s bad luck ever since, and the history of the now-dry lake where the boys are digging. Every plot thread is tied neatly from the pig-stealer, to the role of the venomous yellow-spotted lizard, and onions. Yet even with tight plotting, the story does not seem forced or contrived. Events unfold and come together naturally and always with suspense and clear, accessible writing.