The Baby T-Rex's Best Children's Books

Hi everybody!!  It's the WEEKEND!!  Woot!  So, the Baby T-Rex wanted to share his favorite children's books.  I think we all have books that we remember from our childhood - or even that we remember reading our kids.  I think some of my favorite kids books are the ones I read my kids.  (In fact, as we were compiling our list, BTR and I were re-reading our most favorite kids books - it was THE best time!  You know I'm a big old nerd, right?)  We tried to limit it to five books, but we got carried away and I think we ended up with, like, eight.  So read below and see if you recognize any of these!!

Number EIGHT:

'Green Eggs and Ham' by Dr. Seuss.  It was a toss up between this one and 'Cat in the Hat'.  We decided this was the better of the two. The reason this is number eight and not number one, as many people would think... is because of the fact that it is so over-populated, and once you've read it, it's nice, but you probably won't want to read for a while...




Number SEVEN:

Have yall read any of Mercer Mayer's children's books?  I got these from my aunt originally, but loved them ALL so much.  (And actually, I put this one on the list...Momma T-Rex's choice this time!)






Number SIX:

Classic. This shows that everyone has one of those days, but Alexander's is a little bit worse, probably.









Number FIVE:

This children's book is more of the unknown type, but this doesn't mean it isn't one of the best. This shows a few days in the life of a worm, living like a human, but still adding a few aspects of worm in there. ('Diary of a Worm' is very near and dear to the BTR's heart.)






Number FOUR:

A great read where Grover tries to hide himself inside the pages of the book.  No Peeking!             HILARIOUS.









Number THREE:

This book is a classic.  If you haven't read it, you definitely should.  I don't even want to tell you about it.  It is SUCH a heart wrencher, too.  (sniff)  Love it.  Would even be perfect as a Christmas gift for a grown-up.  (I'm stuck on Christmas ever since the Hallmark ornaments came out)




Number TWO:

 Another CLASSIC Grover.  Read it.  That is all.










And the NUMBER ONE BABY T-REX PICK:

'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus'! If you haven't seen, heard, tasted, touched, or read this book, my friend, do it. Right now. This earns the number 1 title because it's sooooooooo funny! READ IT. This book has a few sequels, but about different subjects. This one shows a pigeon who wants to drive a bus while the bus driver is away, but he puts you in charge to make sure he doesn't. No matter how much pleading he may do, or bribing, don't let the pigeon drive the bus!

Hope you enjoy and maybe re-read a few of these? Many thanks to our guest blogger and co-author, the BTR!

My Favorite Things

Hi everyone!!  I was reading another blog earlier today and saw a blog that listed the author's favorite things.  I thought that was kind of fun, so I wanted to share my all time favorite books with you!  Actually, I was going to list the top FIVE books, but yall know me...I can never limit myself to just FIVE.  I was able to narrow it down to SIX.

Number SIX:

Are you surprised??  Guys, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Nora Roberts.  I mean I love everything she writes, but this one is one of my absolute favorites.  It takes place in Ireland, with an American writer as one of the main characters.  It is part of a trilogy (What IS it with all of the trilogies lately?  Have you noticed that they are everywhere??  WHEW.) and all of the books in the trilogy are worth the read but this is an excellent read.  NR is an intelligent writer and, well, she just makes you feel good.

Number FIVE:

Is there anything to say about this book?  I love it.  I re-read it every year.  Do yall remember reading this in high school?  I don't think I really appreciated it then...but after we watched the movie (note to self:  another movie that was probably as good as the book) I really got into the plot and read it.  Very very good read.  You know, sometimes classics are hard to read (like Jane Austen's 'Emma'.  Great book, a little hard to read, though. Imho anyway.)

Number FOUR:

Another great classic here.  Frances Hodgson Burnett co-authored another great classic entitled 'The Secret Garden', which is a good one.  Even if you have boys, I think they would enjoy 'The Secret Garden'.  'A Little Princess' is a wonderful story about a very rich little girl, whose father dies and she is left orphaned.  The world is very cruel to her, she is hungry and has to leave school to work...but things turn around in the end and the story leaves you almost glowing.  If you haven't read this book in awhile (or, heaven forbid, ever..) you should give it a whirl.

Number THREE:

Honestly, I didn't think I'd like this one.  It is about a family from Georgia that goes to Africa on a Christian mission (father is a preacher) and so much happens there to change their lives.  Barbara Kingsolver is a wonderful writer and each chapter is written in a different character's voice.  You also learn a lot about Africa and its political history.  Now, let me be honest...I DO NOT like historical or political novels...but this book does it in a kind of sneaky way, so you end up being a lot more knowledgable about Africa than you were when you started.

Number TWO:

 



I've probably said enough about this book.  Read it.  That is all.

Number ONE:

Best book ever.  A little confusing.  And, for those of you that saw the movie, it definitely does not do the book justice.  (I know, I know...I'm biased against the movies when I've read the book first.  Sorry!)

Okay.  That's it.  Let me know what YOUR favorite books are!  I'm trying to get a guest blogger on, my BFF, because she likes a whole DIFFERENT type of book than I do.  Let me hear ya HOLLA!!  Holla for the guest blogga!!  (heh.  I'm sincerely sorry. I apologize for that.)

One last thing.  My top FIVE foods:

Number FIVE:

Anything cherry.

Number FOUR:

Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes.  Beats the pants off of Oatmeal Creme Pies.  Limitation:  Only available after Thanksgiving.  :/

Number THREE:

Olive Garden Salad.  You know you agree.

Number TWO:

Shotgun Dan's pizza.  Totally worth the trip to Sherwood, Arkansas for it.

Number ONE:

Chick-fil-A sauce on waffle fries.  Nirvana.



Peculiar Children

Have you seen this book in the bookstores?  I've been wanting to get it, but just haven't done it.  I really think I'm going to swing by and get it this afternoon.  Doesn't the cover look just AMAZING?  When I first noticed this book, I kind of automatically assumed it was a kind of horror story, but I don't think it really is.  According to Amazon.com's book review, the main character, Jacob is very close to his grandfather, who tells him stories and shows him old photographs about a place he used to live.  Apparently, the grandfather tells these INCREDIBLE stories about levitating girls and invisible boys and Jacob is entranced.  Well, the grandfather dies and Jacob takes a journey to this place and finds the children in the photographs are alive and well!! (gasp) And best of all, there are old-timey photographs interspersed in the book.  Take a look at this one below:

YERK!!  Creepy, huh?  But the reviews I've read don't make it sound like a horror story, more of a fantasy/adventure/kind of eccentric type book.  I'll let you know.

 I've just recently finished 'What We Keep' by Elizabeth Berg.  I really love her writing style, which is pervasive throughout all of her writing.  In this book, Marian (mother) leaves her husband and ends up alienating her two daughters, Ginny and Sharla. Ginny is the main character, sweet and steady, and we are following her on a trip to see her mother after a 35 year absence. The thing is, is that Marian is not really likable, and honestly, she is kind of weird, but the funny thing is...at the end of the book, you figure out that the way that Ginny saw her mother and her mother's situation as a young girl was not exactly how it was.  It is really very surprising.  You find out that her mom WASN'T a flake like you thought.  It kind of takes your breath away, really...thinking of all the time that Ginny and Sharla wasted, being angry with their mother.  Anyway, good read.  But Elizabeth Berg almost always is.  Another favorite of mine that EB wrote is entitled 'Open House'.  

I truly love this book.  The heroine (gads, does anyone say heroine anymore??), rather, the protagonist, Samantha is completely likable and her friend, King is, too.  You need to read this.  I saw that they made a TV movie out of it.  Anybody see it?  I couldn't.  I like the book too much and if it wasn't good, I'd probably have to get in the bathtub (you know, the only place moms can go to be alone) and CRY.

So.  There's that.  I also just finished 'Mixed Blessings' by Danielle Steel.  I wanted to give her ONE more try.  Actually it is not bad...and my DS friend said that I should really read 'Kaleidoscope', that it is MUCH better.  But of course, that was NOT one of my choices at the Thrift Store the other day.  So.  This particular DS book was about 3 couples with infertility issues.  Let me summarize:  It all works out by page 150.  That is all.  Don't do it folks.  If anything, try one of her older books or maybe even 'Kaleidoscope'.  If you do, let me know how it is!  

Also, for those of you that live in a town with a Hastings (they do books, videos, and music), you need to check them out.  They are THE bomb.  They sell new AND used books, so it is a great place to find a bargain.  ALSO, though, they let you bring books back and they give you store credit.  So, if you have books that you don't want to keep, you can take them back and buy others!! (It just doesn't get much better than that, folks.)  They do have some restrictions as to what they'll take back, so make sure you check out their website, or call your local store (our people here in Auburn were great to explain things to me) before you go in.

Okay yall, I have more to say (heh, don't I always?), but I'd better go for now.  Have a good day and as always, please feel free to leave a comment - I LOVE getting them!! 

Zoya and New Books on my List

Good morning everyone!!  I don't know about you, but we are having a nice fallish day today. This morning, taking the teenage T-Rex to school, it was about 60 degrees.  Of course, the nice weather will only last probably about a day or so and then we'll be back to summer.  heh.  

 I finished Zoya by Danielle Steel this weekend.  It wasn't putrid, but it WAS predictable.  Let me give you the plot summary:

-Young Zoya is living in Russia, family is kin to the Tsar, very rich
-Tsar is overthrown, Zoya now poor
-Zoya meets a man, now very rich
-Man dies, stock market crashes, Zoya now poor
-Zoya meets new man, rich again
-Man dies, but we are close to the end of the book, so Zoya remains rich

And that's the jist of the book.   Not horrendous, but definitely not a book that you can sink your teeth into.  Good for something light - easily put down and picked up again.  

Now.  I've been browsing Amazon.com (trouble) and have a few NEW books I want to share with you.  

'Never Knowing' by Chevy Stevens.  It sounds SO good.  The main character, Sara, decides to find her biological parents. 
Her mother rejects her, but Sara finds out that her father is a killer who hunts, rapes and kills women. Sara's mother is the only victim to survive and Sara is the product of that attack. 
And now what will happen if Sara's father finds her, or worse yet, what if she is like her father?  What if murder is in the blood?  

YEEP!  I actually shivered when I wrote that last sentence.  
Doesn't it sound SO good?  I'm definitely putting this on my 'to read' list.  

I have read on of Chevy Stevens's books before - her first novel, I believe, entitled 'Still Missing'.

  This was a good one, too.  A female realtor at an open house is abducted by a man who showed up, posing as a potential buyer.  Chillingly, we find out that he has been stalking her and planning this for months.  He takes her to a remote cabin in the woods and holds her there, where she must be completely submissive.  Annie is made to dress a certain way, follow certain rules, and she is never, EVER let out.  The good news is, after a period of time (a long period of time, maybe a year?  I can't remember), Annie escapes.  The thing is, after she escapes, she struggles with trying to deal with the trauma and take back her life.  Can you imagine?  It reminds me of that man who took the young girl hostage many years ago and made her live in an underground, closed off set of rooms.  Terrifying.

 Also on my list is 'Crossed' by Allie Conde.  It is the second book in the 'Matched' trilogy.  It is a teen book, but definitely worth the read.  Don't be fooled by these teen books, yall, they have very refreshing plots and are for sure worth the read.

 

'The Death Cure' by James Dashner.  Number three in the 'Maze Runner' trilogy

 And last but not least, 'The Litigators' by John Grisham.  Sound SO good!  I love JG.  Okay, gotta run.  Happy reading!! 

Generics - What's the Deal?

Okay, what's the story?  You all know I'm a pharmacist and that I completely, 100% believe in generic drugs.  All of my family's prescriptions are filled generically when possible, and I feel good about it.  BUT, what about generic food and cleaning products?  I'd like to get some opinions from those of you out there that are reading this (uhm, that would be my mom, Helen and...well...basically, just a couple others. heh.  Thanks, guys, I appreciate your support!! One day we'll all be FAMOUS!  I guess I should stop eating those oatmeal creme pies soon if we're going to be hounded by the paparazzi...I know, I'm delusional.  It's a problem.) We heard from my friend Lil K, about extreme couponing, and we all know how popular it is right now, especially in this economy.  But what about generic food?

What started my thinking about this topic was WalMart this weekend.  Yall know I live in a college town and I have to plan my grocery shopping as strategically as an Army General.  You want to miss the crowd (Friday night = bad because they drop off BUSLOADS of students to shop) BUT still hit it when there are products on the shelf.  Saturday afternoon = equally bad because our local WalMart looks like a herd of locusts hit it.  Try to find Velveeta Shells n Cheese, Rotel, or hot dogs on Saturday afternoon, I dare you. I haven't been able to get these products for at least a month.  But I digress.  When I went to the store this weekend, they were all out of Cascade gel. I mean, there was not ONE container on the shelf in ANY size. None. Zero. Zip. Nada.  I was so mad.  I really did not want to come back...and there WERE generic bottles on the shelf, at a significant price reduction.  SO.  I picked one up.

And it seems to be working just fine.  So let me ask you this.  What are the acceptable, tasty generic foods?  I use generic noodles, the WalMart brand milk, cheese (but only the block cheese, never the cheese slices)...but I have never used generic cleaning products or canned goods or juice.  I just don't know.  Admittedly, I am somewhat of a food snob.  My Dad was in the Army, so we always shopped at the Commissary (where things are incredibly cheap.  Helen still shops there rather than WalMart because it is so much cheaper than even WalMart).  My indoctrination into the real world of food prices began in college where I found out that things are very expensive in the civilian world.  Goodness.

Helen was, and is, very particular about her food.  Food and books.  Looking for quality there.  Growing up, we didn't stray much.  Once we found a brand, we stuck with it. 

Now, feeding a family of five, which includes 2 teenage boys and the hub (and well, keeping me in creme pies...) it is EXPENSIVE.  So let me know what you think, I'm very interested in your opinions.  Generic chips?  Ok or no?  Canned vegetables?  Yes or no?  Juice, cheese slices, ketchup?  What say you, moms, cooks and couponers??  Let me know!

Yall take care and have a great Labor Day!!  It's gonna rain here, I think.  Tropical Storm Lee.  But that's okay, is there anything better than a book on a rainy day??

Teen Books and Oatmeal Creme Pies - My Hidden Indulgences

My obsession (is that the right word?  Maybe not.  It's like Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies.  They're yummy, but you know you really shouldn't be eating them once you turn 40.  So you hide in the laundry room and eat them anyway, because if nobody sees you with one?  The calories don't count.) with teen fiction started with 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins.  It was given to me as a gift by one of my besties, ITGirl (can you believe I ALMOST spelled that ITGurl?  Yikes.  May be time to give up the teen books for realz.  heh.  Little joke there.) 'Hunger Games' was WAY different, from the very start of the book, but in a really, really good way.  It is a trilogy, with 'Catching Fire' and 'Mockingbird' following soon after.  This is an AMAZING series, and I urge you to give it a try, even though it is a teen fiction series.  I found it riveting and inventive and could NOT put it down.

I'm going to admit something that I probably shouldn't.  My interest in teen fiction ACTUALLY started with the book shown below.  (I know)

In my defense, I saw the book EVERYWHERE and just decided to read it. This was before the movie, before the hype. I found the first book to be very simplistic, but it hooked me anyway.  My favorite of the four?  Definitely 'Breaking Dawn'. 

Oh, and I'm 100% 'Team Jacob'.  Always have been.

So, after my initial foray into teen fiction, I tried out these...

Both are trilogies, I believe, and VERY worthwhile reads.  If you want to try something a little different, give this genre a try.  DEFINITELY a guilty pleasure.

Have a good day, yall and this one's for you!!  ;)

I'll Take Manhattan

I'm still on my 80s kick.  Just finished 'I'll Take Manhattan' by Judith Krantz.  I love this story!!  The main character is Maxi, who just should not be likeable as she is rich, beautiful and spoiled (totally unrelatable to me...I just bought a pair of gray capri leggings today and they are as wide as they are tall!!  eep.).  But you can't help but like Maxi.  She makes the wrong choices in men (and who among us haven't?), money (ditto) and careers.  But she's spunky, loyal and a fighter and you just have to like her.  After her father dies, her mother marries his brother and the brother proceeds to try to destroy Maxi's father's publishing empire - but Maxi fights back and comes through in the end...finding her true love and having a WONDERFUL daughter along the way.  Not deep, but definitely an entertaining beach read.

So.  What next?  I can't lie.  I'm currently reading a book of short stories by Jennifer Weiner called 'The Guy Not Taken'.  These are pretty good - I'll talk about them next time (there's a story in there that CRACKS me up, about a woman who is getting married and has been on the cabbage soup diet for 2 weeks and all she can do is fart - I can so RELATE.) Are you familiar with any of Jennifer Weiner's books?  'Good in Bed' or maybe 'Then Came You'?  Another good author - great beach read!

So what next?

I need to read 'Cataloochee' for my book club.

I also want to read one of my new Danielle Steel books that I picked up at the thrift store.  I got 'Zoya' and I really want to start that.

We'll see!  I'll let you know.  In the meantime, keep on reading and shopping yall!!