November 2020 Reading Wrap Up

 Goodbye November!

This month has flown by despite that we seemed to be sitting in limbo concerning the election. I'm definitely not ready for the holidays but thank goodness that this year is almost over!

We filled our month with lots of home learning, hikes, and gardening, as usual. We've been a little obsessed with mushrooms thanks to a rainy autumn and a little extra time for morning hikes.

 I also finally branched out from my bookstagram @lazydaylit by starting @lazydaykidlit to share more of the picture books and other kidlit that I read with my five-year-old. I love blogging but an insta post is the way to go when pressed for time and that seems to be the case quite often, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up on what we're up to!

I didn't make a TBR for this month because I have quite a few books I've started and haven't gotten around to finishing yet and I wanted to catch up. Here's what I did get to, plus my pitiful challenge progress for the month!


Books I Read in November

Started But Haven't Finished

Books Read to my Daughter

Challenge Progress


ABC Challenge
17/26
Oct: +1
Nov: x

Beat the Backlist / Tackle My TBR
Oct: +4
Nov: x

New Release Challenge
Oct: +3
Nov: x

PopSugar Challenge
Sept: +0
Oct: 

Read Harder Challenge
Sept: +
Oct:

1001 Children's Books to Read Before You Grow Up

Oct: 171/1001 +7
Nov: 173/1001 +2

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow

Thanks so much for reading all of that! You rock!
Have a fantastic end of the year, readers!
Happy Holidays! 

Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyllis Alsdurf (Children's Picture Book Review)

 

Thanksgiving in the Woods
Written by Phyllis Alsdurf
Illustrated by Jenny Lovelie
Published by Sparkhouse Family
on October 17, 2017
Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Holiday
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 4 - 8 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
Thanksgiving in the Woods is based on the true story of a family in Upstate New York who has hosted an outdoor Thanksgiving feast in the woods on their farm for over twenty years.

My Thoughts:

Thanksgiving in the Woods is a beautifully illustrated picture book about a real family in upstate New York that hosts a big outdoor dinner in the woods for family, friends, and locals every year. 

Told from a child's point-of-view, we see what goes into the setup and execution of 'Thanksgiving in the Woods' for this family, from stacking hay bales for chairs and wooden planks for tables, to bonfires, and even fun forts. There are marshmallows and music, food and fun, and a sense of unity and community.

Thanksgiving can look different for so many people and I tend to see a focus on turkeys and Pilgrims in picture books so it was refreshing to find one more focused on family and togetherness. Bonus points for being set in nature! 

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The Scary Book by Thierry Dedeiu (Children's Board Book Review)

 We received a copy of this board book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Scary Book
by Thierry Dedieu
Published by Prestel Junior
on September 15, 2020
Genre: Children's, Board Books
Length: 20 pages
Ages: 3 - 6 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
A perfect blend of silly and scary, this oversized lift-the-flap board book shows children what's hiding inside some creepy creatures!


Our Thoughts:

The Scary Book is perfect for kids that like scary, gross, and disturbing things! 

This is a fun and unique 'lift-the-flap' style board book that is full of spooky little surprises, such as the slimy innards of a frog or the dead victims of a hungry spider, and much more!

The bold colors and big text make this a great board book for little listeners and the extra big format and double-folded flaps make it all the more fun.

It's definitely an unconventional book but my little 'monster' loved how creepy it is and was full of questions about the critters and their lift-the-flap surprises.

There's also a few Halloween-themed surprises, such as a ghost, a skeleton, and a jack-o-lantern which makes this a great addition to any spooky-story shelves! 

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The Monster In My Basement by Dave Preston (Children's Picture Book Review)

 I received an ecopy of this book from the author/publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

The Monster In My Basement
Written by Dave Preston
Illustrated by Heather Lynn Harris
Published by CrissCross AppleSauce
on September 1, 2020
Genre: Children's, Picture Books
Length: 40 pages
Ages: 5 - 7 years

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Synopsis:
There's a monster in Dave's basement! His name is Howard and he's very hungry. Howard invites Dave to dinner. But will Dave eat dinner or BE dinner? The thought makes Dave shake a little bit, shake a little bit, shake, shake, shake, shake, shake.
Has Dave made a big mistake?


My Thoughts:

   A little boy named Dave finds a monster in his basement! When the monster invites Dave along for dinner, he isn't quite sure what to do! When he ends up in the monster's cave, he wonders if he's made a BIG mistake!

This is a fun picture book about hungry monsters that can be read by itself...

but

this book is also a song!

The song and the story behind The Monster In My Basement can be found on howardthemonster.com!

While this picture book can be read easily without listening to the song, it really does make it a lot more fun and interactive!
The repeating chorus bit is a lot of fun and the story has colorful and descriptive text to go along with the illustrations! 
 

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