I found it a helpful book. The advice is not new in one way: building good eating habits. But was unique  is her strategies to make those good habits your own, one little step at a time. She has a kick start weekend which if you don’t like leeks would be pretty hard to do. It is written in a narrative where the author tells her personal journey with food.

One reviewer wrote “ French Women Don’t Get Fat is like sharing a tisane (herbal tea) with a friend who loves food, but stays slim. Unlike hard-hitting diet books, the message that author, Mireille Giuliano, imparts is to savor, enjoy, take pleasure in food. And if you are like us, when you are finished reading, you’ll even have a sexy French swing in your walk. Enjoy food, enjoy the body. ”

I think the book is well worth a read.

You can see more of them on their  website .

You can borrow  a copy from the the Auckland Libraries or check out their other cookbooks.

My 10 year loves these books. I read the first one aloud to him when he was about 8. They were one of the first real chapter books that he read to himself. They have lovely illustrations. The type is large for easier reading, the vocabulary is simple and the chapters are short. But the plot is clever and Elmer is a delightful resourceful character who has high appeal for young boys.

This is a 50th anniversary addition: they have stood the test of time. In this addition there are 3 books, My Father’s Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland.

Here is a link for the books at the Auckland Libraries (just select your region along the top to request the books). Unfortunately they do not stock any copies at Manukau. I borrowed them from the National Library. But I have put in a request for Manukau Libraries to buy this new hard back edition.

A wonderful edition to any home library.

My daughter (14) enjoyed all 4 of these books. They were a good story but thought that she would have enjoyed  the first and second book more when she was a little younger (perhaps for 12 years and up). The books do get better as they go along.

Not recommended for those that do not like magic/socerery etc. She also writes about the changes in Allana’s body as she gets older.

Pierce has written another set of books the first one is  Protector of the Small: 1: First Test. This set is about of another girl and her quest to become a knight but  the law has been changed as a result of Allana being knighted so she does not have to masquerade as a boy.

Here is a link for the books at the Auckland Libraries (just select your region along the top to request the books).

This is the audio version for listening on your ipod or in the car. If you find it hard to find the time to read then audio books are great, it makes time in the car so much more productive and enjoyable.

If not the best one volume introduction to economics it certainly is the most enduring. Not just for Mums and Dads. Get your teenagers to listen to this as well. It is well written with everyday examples making it easy to understand. This book is not written like a textbook, ( thank goodness for that!).

You will find  some discussion of the book on Mises (they are reprinting the book). You can read the whole book online. You can hear a sample to see if you are happy with the reader here

“This book is not about buying fresh, organic, sustainable, free-range ingredients. It is not about creating picture-perfect dishes or even super-healthy ones. It is not about wowing guests with slick menus and asymmetric flower arrangements. It’s about the bit that comes afterwards, the bit about eating it all up.”

It is a book about throwing less away, about how to use left overs well. Also how to plan meals l: roast chicken, then the left over chicken stretched for chicken fried rice, then chicken stock made with the bones…

A great family cookbook IMHO and especially for those of us who enjoy being frugal and still eating well. It is a British author, not a NZ one but I didn’t find that a disadvantage.

“The Thrifty Cookbook will reconnect us with our kitchen, leaving us with more time on our hands, more cash in our pockets and more space in our fridges – not to mention a great big environmental brownie point.”

For those super thrifty among us here is the link to the Auckland library.

Have you any fussy eaters in your house?

I am not suggesting you try this at home but Frances’ parents cure her with bread and jam at every meal and snack.  We have enjoyed the Frances stories including Bedtime for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, and Best Friends for Frances. They also made an excellent bridge between beginner readers and chapter books because they are longer than most modern picture books.

Here is a link for the books at the Auckland Libraries (just select your region along the top to request the books).

Click on the picture to purchase the book from Fishpond.

An Extraordinary Egg is one of our favourites. The illustrations are charming , the  story  is humourous, imaginative and memorable.    It is a tale of  three colorful frogs. “One finds a pebble. Another declares it a chicken egg. But what happens when a baby alligator hatches instead?”

“Kids will giggle at the frogs’ repeated references to the friendly newborn as `the chicken.’ They’ll be even more tickled when the frogs chuckle at the `mother chicken’ who, finally reunited with her offspring, greets her `sweet little alligator’…In his 40th book, Lionni is in typically fine form” (Publisher’s Weekly).

Many of his books are available from Auckland Library.

We have also enjoyed Alexander and the wind-up mouse , Frederick , Mr. McMouse, Swimmy and
Theodore and the talking mushroom. (Theodore and the talking mushroom was not understood by  my youngest son (4years)  but appreciated by 6 year old and up because it deals with belonging and wanting others respect you) .

The book is not specifically Christian but it reminded me of Psalm 8: What is man that You are mindful of him?

It is beautifully illustrated in watercolours and makes a lovely picture book to read together (quietly) perhaps before bed.

When I read Beatrix Potter I am surprised by the rich vocabulary. Yet my children love them and the young ones do not find the “difficult” words off putting. We have fun sometimes trying to incorporate them into our speech: “Please exert yourself by tidying your room”.

The version linked on the left is the  complete and unabridged collection, hardback which contains all 23 of Beatrix Potter’s Tales in one  volume with all their original illustrations.  It should last many years.

You can read many of the stories online here. The text would also make lovely copybook.

Many of her books are in the Auckland Library including audio versions.