Curious Parents Book Resources

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Curious Parents knows that grandparents and their grandchildren tend to have a unique bond that ties them to each others heart. In September we would like to suggest these books to illustrate those connections and hope that reading these stories together will enhance that relationship further.

And the Good Brown Earth
Kathy Henderson
Gram and Joe are great friends, and they love to spend time together, taking care of the vegetable patch – with a little help from nature, of course. But it takes a lot of patience. There’s digging time, planting time, weeding time, watering time, even thinking time. Meanwhile, the seasons change, and Gram does things her way, while Joe does things his way. Come harvest time, they each will find wondrous surprises, thanks to the benevolence of the good brown earth. Candlewick Press, April 2004.

Love, Ruby Lavender
Deborah Wiles
Ruby Lavender and Miss Eula are a pretty good team, for a couple of chicken thieves. What other granddaughter-grandmother duo could successfully drive the getaway car for chickens rescued from a journey to the slaughterhouse, paint a whole house shocking pink and operate their own personal secret-letter post office? So, when Miss Eula leaves for Hawaii to visit her new grandbaby, Ruby is sure that she will have a lonely, empty, horrible summer in boring old Halleluia, Mississippi. What happens instead? She makes a new friend, saves the school play, writes plenty of letters to her favorite (and only) grandmother...and finally learns to stop blaming herself for her grandfather’s death. Not too bad, for a nine-year-old. Gulliver Books, April 2001.

I Already Know I Love You
Billy Crystal
Beginning with anticipating the new baby’s arrival, this book celebrates all the moments, great and small, that a new grandpa is ready to share. Whether it’s taking a nap together or rooting for the Yankees, this grandpa just can’t wait. HarperCollins, April, 2004.

Mermaid Mary Margaret
Lynn E. Hazen
Mary Margaret is a spunky ten-year-old girl with a tough mission. Her mother has asked her to accompany her recently widowed grandmother on a cruise to the Greek Islands. Mary Margaret wonders if she’ll really be able to help her grandma get the rest, relaxation, and recuperation she needs, or if she’ll just be in the way on this seniors-only cruise. But in time Mary Margaret makes new friends, helps her grandmother say good-bye to Grandpa and finally has a chance to fulfill her dream of being a mermaid. Along the way, she learns a little about the ancient world, a little more about herself, and a lot about delighting some grown-ups who need a red-headed mermaid in their lives. A smart and sensitive story told through the journal entries of a very precocious girl. Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books, June 2004.

In memory of S. Chris Saad, PhD., who passed on July 31, 2004. Please help carry on her love of children, teens, and their literature by visiting Chris’ Corner Books For Kids & Teens at 1940 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA.