Sleuthing Sundays - Nancy Drew 39,

The Clue of the Dancing Puppet (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #39)

"Nancy's not only an ace detective, but a money-maker and a top actress!"  p.176

Nancy is asked to investigate the mysterious appearance of a dancing puppet who has no strings!  The owners of an amateur theater group ask the girl detective to investigate the spooky happenings.  Nancy, along with Bess and George, moved into their home and start their search.  After a confluence of events, Nancy finally solves the mystery and even earns accolades as an actress in the course of her sleuthing.

What's in a Name 4 Challenge - COMPLETE

Beth Fish is hosting the What's in a Name Challenge once again and I enjoyed it so much this year that I'm doing it again.  Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2011.


COMPLETED 7/12/11

Read one book in each of the following categories:

1.A book with a number in the title: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
2.A book with jewelry or a gem in the title:  The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud
3.A book with a size in the title: Hero at Large by Janet Evanovich
4.A book with travel or movement in the title:  Linger by Maggie Steifvater
5.A book with evil in the title: Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich
6.A book with a life stage in the title: Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Thanksgiving Picture Books

First, Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers!  I'm at my in-laws eating like a mad woman and regretting it later.
I am thankful for my wonderful husband and our beautiful and sweet little boy.  I am thankful for the rest of my family for being so fabulous.   And I am thankful for my job, my friends, both in real life and the ones I've made through my blog.  I hope you have a happy and thankful day.

I'm sharing a few of the pictures books we've been reading, getting ready for this holiday.

Peanut-Butter Pilgrims by Judy Delton
(This isn't actually a picture book.  It's a beginner's chapter book but I decided to read one chapter a night to my son.)
As Thanksgiving rolls around, the Pee Wee Scouts get ready to celebrate. They make food baskets for the poor and they visit a turkey farm. At the townhall, they even perform a play. 

Happy Thanksgiving by Margaret McNamara
There's nothing that can put the damper on a class festivities than a fire drill, but Mrs. Connor's class finds a way to turn even that interruption into an opportunity to share the message of Thanksgiving.

T is for Turkey by Tanya Lee Stone
Little ones will love learning about Thanksgiving in Tanya Lee Stone's newest shaped alphabet book. Join in as the elementary school puts on a play that tells the true story of the first Thanksgiving. Rhyming couplets that flow through the alphabet help kids celebrate everything from Harvest to Pilgrims to Turkey.

One is a Feast for Mouse by Judy Cox
Thanksgiving leftovers litter the table. Mouse peeps out of his hidey-hole and spots the perfect feast for one mouse - one green pea, one red cranberry, one scoop of mashed potatoes, and one portion of roasted turkey. But can Mouse get this mountainous meal back to his own small table?

I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
Children will love this hilarious take-off on the popular cumulative poem "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." With its theme of feasting-gone-wild, it's the perfect Thanksgiving treat that will remain fresh all year long.

A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
Turkeys around Squawk Valley just don't jump into pots anymore - they are way too smart for that. So the townspeople hatch a clever plan. They host a turkey-themed arts and crafts fair and lure a vain bird into town by advertising for an artist s model. Peter the Turkey, proud of his well-stuffed form, takes the bait but doesn't fall for the trap. 

Thanksgiving Parade by Jodi Huelin
Extra chunky and extra fun, here is one tempting shaped board book celebrating the most exciting aspects of Thanksgiving for kids!

March along in the Thanksgiving Parade! Follow the giant balloons, marching bands, and parade floats. Kids and adults alike will gladly join in the fun. 

Dora's Thanksgiving by Sarah Wilson
It's Thanksgiving, and Dora and her family and friends are ready to celebrate. What is Dora thankful for? Take a look inside Dora's Thanksgiving and find out!

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

This Eclipse novella shows the other side of the the Eclipse battle between Edward's family and the army of newborn vampires created by Victoria as part of her revenge scheme for the loss of her love at the hands of Edward.

It took me a long time to get around to this novella.  I sort of lost interest in Twilight after Breaking Dawn, a book with which I have a whole lot of issues.  But I figured I might as well read this for the November Novella challenge.  It was a fun, fast read.  Kind of interesting to see how Victoria and Riley created and trained the newborn army and the battle from the other side.  It provides a little more motivation for the Volturi in Breaking Dawn and, of course, we get to meet the vampire that Carlisle tried to save.  Bree is a sweet, some what innocent girl and it is sort of tragic reading about her already knowing her fate.  The "romance" was too short to really make me care and I really only interested in what was going on elsewhere.  The character that I wish we would have had more on was Fred, but he provided an interesting idea to the series.  So all in all, it wasn't bad.

Hogwarts: Defence Against the Dark Arts
November Novella
Library