Family Reading Crate May 2018 Box Review

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Family Reading Crate is a monthly book box for the whole family from Build Your Library, a secular literature-based homeschool curriculum, that sends out 3-5 books based on the featured theme or topic. In addition to books for different levels of young readers, each box also includes a handpicked book just for parents, pertaining also to the box’s theme. It costs $26.99 per box plus $8 shipping.

FYI: Family Reading Crate is not yet a subscription – you must purchase it each month.

The box is filled with green squiggles!

This month’s theme is Woof Woof! Yeah, Bark Bark!

Family Reading Crate box includes a booklet with discussion questions and ideas about this month’s featured books.

It includes a special web link for you in the booklet that will direct you to a printable.

The booklet also includes additional links to other books and websites that will help you explore the theme of this month’s box.

At the end of your book reading, you should be able to answer all the questions from each and every book.

They also provide book reviews to help parents get a good idea of what the story is about and how to navigate it when reading to their kids.

Everything in the box!

The box includes 3 customized bookmarks.

We also received two finger puppets!

These will surely add more fun to story time!

From Wolf to Woof By Hudson Talbott ($15.33)

How did dog become man’s best friend? Dogs come in such a variety of shapes, sizes, and breeds, that it is hard to believe that they all have a common ancestor–the wolf! Hudson Talbott takes readers on a fascinating journey through history to see how wolves’ relationships with humans sparked their development into the dogs we know and love today.

Striking paintings, from an adorable wolf pup to a wide range of modern-day dog breeds, illustrate this insightful story of teamwork and friendship. Through the eyes of a prehistoric boy and a lone wolf pup, we see how the bond between our ancestors and these wild animals may have developed. Starting as enemies competing for food, the wolf and the boy realize that they’ll eat better and be safer if they team up. Over time, others catch on, and as many of the wolves become more domesticated, the humans breed them for skills like hunting, herding, pulling, and rescuing. And today, there are more breeds of dog than of any other animal, all thanks to this relationship that started so long ago.

Captivating illustrations paired with minimal text make this book a keeper!

Kids will surely pick up a lesson or two about teamwork and friendship from this evolution story.

From enemies to best friends, the relationship between an orphaned human and an orphaned dog in this book is quite interesting.

It’s a good choice if you’re looking for a good historical fiction children’s book!

Maxi’s Secrets By Lynn Plourde ($11.89)

When a BIG, lovable, does-it-her-way dog wiggles her way into the heart of a loudmouth pipsqueak of a boy, wonderful things happen that help him become a bigger, better person. With its diverse cast, authentic narrator, and perfect blend of spot-on middle-grade humor, drama, and wisdom, this powerful debut is relatable, funny, bittersweet, and full of heart.

Timminy knows that moving to a new town just in time to start middle school when you are perfect bully bait is less than ideal. But he gets a great consolation prize in Maxi—a gentle giant of a dog who the family quickly discovers is deaf. Timminy is determined to do all he can to help Maxi—after all, his parents didn’t return him because he was a runt. But when the going gets rough for Timminy, who spends a little too much time getting shoved into lockers at school, Maxi ends up being the one to help him—along with their neighbor, Abby, who doesn’t let her blindness define her and bristles at Timminy’s “poor-me” attitude. It turns out there’s more to everyone than what’s on the surface, whether it comes to Abby, Maxi, or even Timminy himself.

The author is encouraging even those who are not fond of dogs to get a better idea of why they are such adorable creatures. From their cute faces to their wit, dogs are indeed lovable! We sure think so!

It’s another inspiring story about friendship which will melt your heart towards the end.

The characters are lovable and relatable, perfect for middle graders!

Paper Wishes Lois Sepahban ($9.34)

Ten-year-old Manami did not realize how peaceful her family’s life on Bainbridge Island was until the day it all changed. It’s 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and Manami and her family are Japanese American, which means that the government says they must leave their home by the sea and join other Japanese Americans at a prison camp in the desert. Manami is sad to go, but even worse is that they are going to have to give her and her grandfather’s dog, Yujiin, to a neighbor to take care of. Manami decides to sneak Yujiin under her coat and gets as far as the mainland before she is caught and forced to abandon Yujiin. She and her grandfather are devastated, but Manami clings to the hope that somehow Yujiin will find his way to the camp and make her family whole again. It isn’t until she finds a way to let go of her guilt that Manami can reclaim the piece of herself that she left behind and accept all that has happened to her family.

Hooray for Historical Fiction! This story is beautifully detailed and kind of emotional too, as it involves a young girl sent to an internment camp and a dog she left behind.

This book has no illustrations, but the story itself is so engrossing. Actually, this is a heavy topic but the writer made it kid-friendly by weaving hope into the narrative.

Lily And The Octopus By Steven Rowley ($9.11)

A national bestseller combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, “Lily and the Octopus is the dog book you must read this summer” (The Washington Post).

Ted—a gay, single, struggling writer is stuck: unable to open himself up to intimacy except through the steadfast companionship of Lily, his elderly dachshund. When Lily’s health is compromised, Ted vows to save her by any means necessary. By turns hilarious and poignant, an adventure with spins into magic realism and beautifully evoked truths of loss and longing, Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.

Introducing a dazzling and completely original new voice in fiction and an unforgettable hound that will break your heart—and put it back together again. Remember the last book you told someone they had to read? Lily and the Octopus is the next one. “Startlingly imaginative…this love story is sure to assert its place in the canine lit pack…Be prepared for outright laughs and searing or silly moments of canine and human recognition. And grab a tissue: “THERE! WILL! BE! EYE! RAIN!” (New York Newsday).

This is the parent pick in this month’s Family Reading Crate. If you’ve ever had a beloved dog who suffered from a disease, expect this book to be an emotional roller coaster ride.

We enjoyed the conversations that Ted had with his beloved dog Lily. The bond between the dog and the human is so heartwarming and even thought-provoking at some points.

Our family loves dogs, so this month’s theme suits us really well. We enjoyed every single book in the box and we think that the selection is great, not just because of the plot or the writing style but because there’s a lesson or two we can pick up from each of them. Getting a total of 4 books + extras for $26.99 plus shipping is really a good deal! Plus, it really fits our multi-age family perfectly!

What do you think of this month’s box?

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