How can a person go their entire childhood having not read a book like Mr. Popper's Penguins? SIGH...well, I sure did and thanks to the suggestion of a friend, that was the read-a-loud that we just finished.
We started reading Mr. Popper's Penguins and was finished in about a week! Every time I would read a couple chapters and get ready to stop, all of the girls would say, "NO! Keep reading!" It has been hard to find books that all three of them (spanning ages 6-11) are engaged in that much!
Mr. Poppers Penguins has EVERYTHING that I have been looking for in a book:
1) Great story line that keeps all of my kids interested.
2) Not to "fluffy". You know those books, the ones that have very little new vocabulary in them. My girls love to read the "Rainbow Magic Fairy" books. They are fine little books for fun but the books are filled with silly dialogue and no real vocabulary in them for the girls to learn.
3) Wonderfully descriptive sentences. I have one child that does not excel in anything "English" related. She will read for fun but again, the books are usually below her grade level and really "fluffy". She also dislikes writing. Another of mine loves to write but has a hard time getting her story started. I LOVE finding books that use a lot of descriptive words and paragraphs so I can point out to the kids how much better it makes the story.
If you are looking for a great read-a-loud for your family, you really should not miss this one. Plus, if your children are anything like mine, you'll be done reading in about a weeks time!
We are on to Dr. Dolittle now. The girls are enjoying this one just as much!
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