Joyfully Weary

A few readers have asked me about the books we are reading for our folk and fairy tale unit so I thought I'd share some of our favorites. I feel like I should note that I live in a town with an amazing library. They have a very large collection of books (and other materials) and I am allowed to check out 50 items at time! They also have a very user-friendly, online catalog that allows me to reserve materials from the comfort of my couch and then pick up them at their drive-thru window. With it being that easy, we go through a lot books, which is great since Big Buddy seems to have an insatiable appetite. When I am planning any unit, my favorite place to start looking for books is this list of Caldecott Medal and Honor Books .  There are several folk and fairy tales on the list. Here are ones that we have picked up:  Saint George And The Dragon  This book is a retelling of a part fom  Spenser's The Faerie Queene.   The illustrations are beautiful...

Our theme for the month of February is folk and fairy tales. I figured it would be an easy theme to combine with Valentines since so many of these tales are about love. I'm also excited to spend a month reading fairy tales. Husbandie and I are huge fans of fantasy, what I consider to be a longer-length cousin of fairy tales. Many of our early dates involved discussing J. R. R. Tolkien,  George MacDonald, & J. K. Rowling and we hope to someday share our love for these authors with our children. We will actually will be reading a little of Rowling ( The Tales of Beedle the Bard ) and MacDonald this month.   Additionally, we will be reading the classic Grimm and Anderson tales as well as tales from African and Asian cultures. WRITING CENTER ADDITIONS - these items are added to the markers, crayons, and paper that is always available dry erase monster handwriting practice cards, cutting paint strips,  stamps,  glue, and jewels skills practiced: f...