Mom & Son Book Club #4

The past few weeks have been crazy at our house. Between the Boston wedding, kiddo's drama camp (highly recommended!), vacation bible school, running an all day scrapbook workshop (I'm also a Creative Memories Consultant), and my sister's baby shower, we've had very little time to read together. Summer is getting away from us though, so I'm making a big effort to get to kiddo's summer reading list.

For the 4th meeting of our Mom & Son Book Club kiddo and I read two books: The Great Big Wagon That Rang, and One Green Apple.

Our first book is one I chose based on kiddo's fascination with the Revolutionary War era. It's called The Great Big Wagon That Rang: How the Liberty Bell Was Saved, by Joseph Slate.

Did you like this book? Yes! Kiddo definitely liked it more than I did; I thought the writing was a bit odd. Honestly, I didn't like it all that much.

What was your favorite part? Inside the cover, because there's a map. I agree! The map was quite interesting.

What was your least favorite part? The page with the Indian. Why? Cause he looks creepy, like he might be mean. Oh ... sure ... ok ...

Would you recommend this book to your friends at school? If they like history, they will like this book. Smart kiddo!

(This question was suggested by Bookworm - thanks!) Did you like the pictures? Yes. I mean sort of. I don't like all the lines. Let me explain that. The pictures have lots of "pencil line shading" or at least that's what I'd call it. Personally I wasn't a big fan either.


One Green Apple, by Eve Bunting was on our library's summer reading list. Hubby really wanted me to read this one with kiddo because it's about a child from another country trying to adjust to life in America. Hubby thought it would help kiddo understand how kids can feel out of place or lonely, just like kiddo does sometimes because of his food allergies.

Did you like this book? Yes! This time we both really enjoyed the book.

What was your favorite part? When the boy tried to stop her from dropping her apple in. Again, let me explain. Each child picked a red apple, but our main character picked a GREEN apple. When they began to make cider from the apples hers was the only green one. One of the boys tried to stop her from putting in the green apple, but he wasn't quick enough. I asked kiddo why he liked this part and he said because the boy thought the apple was cool and he wanted to save it. Ok, so that's NOT what the author was getting at, but sure, why not?!

What was your least favorite part? I didn't have a least favorite part. Wow, that's a first!

Would you recommend this book to your friends at school? Maybe. If they like picking apples, then yeah. I love the logic!

Did you like the pictures? Yes. Better than the last book? Yes, much better than the last book.

Thanks for reading along with kiddo and I!