Usborne Greek Myths - If you have never looked into an Usborne book, you are missing out on beautiful illustrations that captivate children's eyes! This book is no different. Composed of 17 common Greek myths, this book retells them in a simple style with gorgeous pictures. My kids loved the stories, although I will comment that many of the Greek myths are quite violent. I remember reading them in 4th and 5th grade, so if you don't think your child can handle scenes of war and bloodshed, maybe wait until they are a bit older. I liked explaining that many common sayings and words in our modern language come from the Greeks, like Pandora's box, narcissist, Midas' touch, etc. My verdict: Fun retelling of the most-known Greek myths, but my caveat is that the stories are a bit violent and I had to keep reminding my kids that these gods are nothing like the one, true God!
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary - An enchanting book about Henry, a young boy who thinks life is pretty boring, until he meets a friendly dog, seemingly lost and looking for a home. Henry adopts the dog, names him Ribsy, and then all sorts of exciting adventures begin to follow them everywhere! This book was perfect for the ages of my kids. Elijah loved that it was about a boy, and Alli just giggled the entire way through each chapter. My verdict: Your kids will love this book! Also a great reader for those a bit older (maybe 8-12).
Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore - Little Pear is a young boy who lives in China and is always looking for excitement and adventure! He doesn't have to look far to find himself involved in all sorts of exciting situations, but it is usually because he has disobeyed instructions from his mother and father. The parent in me did not enjoy this aspect of the book, even though Little Pear is reprimanded, it is also implied that his family just shakes their head at his mischievous ways. And after reading the last 2 books, where each chapter was a stand-alone story about a character, I was ready for a book with a character where you see some growth and development.
Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore - Little Pear is a young boy who lives in China and is always looking for excitement and adventure! He doesn't have to look far to find himself involved in all sorts of exciting situations, but it is usually because he has disobeyed instructions from his mother and father. The parent in me did not enjoy this aspect of the book, even though Little Pear is reprimanded, it is also implied that his family just shakes their head at his mischievous ways. And after reading the last 2 books, where each chapter was a stand-alone story about a character, I was ready for a book with a character where you see some growth and development.My verdict: Take it or leave it. While the kids liked the stories, I would only give this book 2.5 stars out of 5.
