Book Review 2014

Last January, I found a great book list from  Chasing Super Mom.  She suggests 100 books that you should read with your children.  I love reading aloud to the boys and I thought this would be a great challenge to take. A year later, it is about the only challenge that I have actually followed through with.  We made it though 28 books on the book list, although we have read at least 10 additional chapter books together this year.

We have read so many great books this year.  Books about silly animals, runaway children, delinquent children, funny nannies, survivals and so many more that I would love to tell you about. The boys and I chose our favorites, so here are our top 5 favorite books from this past year:

Matilda by Roald Dahl



How could you not love Matilda?  She is a super sweet and very intelligent little girl who just doesn't fit in with her family.  She is picked on by the headmaster at her her school and the only bright spots in her life are her books and her school teacher, Miss Honey. My boys could not wait to hear all of the predicaments that Matilda got in to (and out of).  This is a classic must read story with some very important life lessons from the brilliant Roald Dahl.

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett



I had never heard of this book before seeing it on this book list and how I had overlooked it stills makes me wonder.  This book is three short books put together together about a little boy who is hearing about how his father met a dragon.  It is such a sweet story about the friendship this little boy makes with the dragon and the adventures he goes on.  This is a great book for all ages.  My boys were 4, 6, & 8 when I read this to them.

The Last of the Very Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards



This was another book I had never heard of but after reading it, I highly recommend it.  This is a lovely story about a curious professor and three believing children.  The children travel to Whangdoodleland to find the last Whangdoodle in existence.  I LOVED this book.  The lessons about "paying attention to others instead of always walking with your eyes to the ground" were so relevant for today due to every person constantly checking their phone.  The book was full of life lessons. It's sweet book about what humans are doing to our planet and what could be accomplished if you always believe in the unknown.  Julie Andrews (yes, THE Julie Andrews) wrote a magnificent story.

The Borrowers by Mary Norton



The boys could not get enough of this story.  We loved reading about Arietty and how her small family survived in the old home by borrowing the "human beans" possessions.   It made us wonder if we might have a few Borrowers living in our house.

The BFG by Roald Dahl



Our 5th book is another by the great Roald Dahl.  The BFG had the boys laughing the whole time. You could not help but fall in love with the BFG and his desire to save the world.  We cannot wait until the movie is made about this book, but will we like it as much?  If you have kids that laugh over bodily noises and super silly talking, they will love this book.

I can't wait to add even more to our book list in 2015!