Wordsmith Wednesday

I know I am in good company here when I say that I am always on the hunt for a good, high quality, book that will capture the attention of my 7 year old (and preferably my 4 year old at the same time...a girl can wish).  I was thrilled to see an exciting announcement for a regular book review over at Ink Stains...and so I thought rather than just take, take, I would throw my hat into the ring as well and offer up some suggestions from our book baskets.

Today's feature from our homestead bookshelf is The Moomin Series by Tove Jansson.

The series was originally written by Swedish-Finn author...... in Swedish and published in Finland.  Thankfully, the books were translated to English in the 70's and are now sold in the States. 

The series followes the adventures of a family of lovable hippo-like trolls and their sidekicks and family friends as they experience life in Moomin Valley and beyond!  It probes the imagination and uses intelligent syntax but still isn't so overly complex that it loses a young reader.  We are reading the series aloud.   And when I read aloud I really need a book grabs my attention (and holds it) as well.  The characters are fabulously interesting and whimsical and there are several, so it is fun to keep track of them and their quirky ways. 

Excellent read-aloud or read alone for a fluent reader. 

Also, if you are looking for high-quality books for holiday gifts, check out the books published/distributed by Barefoot Books(link in our sidebar).  I have bought their books at our local bookstore in the past and they are always beautiful, high-quality and contain excellent messages and information.  City Sister is now hooked up with them and offering online purchasing through her online store.  Stay tuned for possible giveaways---I guess I will have to recuse myself from any of those due to the family relationship to the giver...drat!