Read any good children's books?

School Library Journal has created a list of what are considered by their readership to be the Top 100 Children's Novels.

One of my favorite Children's Lit blogs, written by two teachers, typed up the list and asked what books we've read. What a great idea (and thanks for doing the typing for me, my friends!)

I'm going to put the titles in PURPLE if I've read them! I've read a lot of really great books . . . is it any wonder it's hard to keep stuff in my head?

100. The Egypt Game – Snyder (1967)
99. The Indian in the Cupboard – Banks (1980)
98. Children of Green Knowe – Boston (1954)
97. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – DiCamillo (2006)
96. The Witches – Dahl (1983)
95. Pippi Longstocking – Lindgren (1950)
94. Swallows and Amazons – Ransome (1930)
93. Caddie Woodlawn – Brink (1935)
92. Ella Enchanted – Levine (1997)
91. Sideways Stories from Wayside School – Sachar (1978)
90. Sarah, Plain and Tall – MacLachlan (1985)
89. Ramona and Her Father – Cleary (1977)
88. The High King – Alexander (1968)
87. The View from Saturday – Konigsburg (1996)
86. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling (1999)
85. On the Banks of Plum Creek – Wilder (1937)
84. The Little White Horse – Goudge (1946)
83. The Thief – Turner (1997)
82. The Book of Three – Alexander (1964)
81. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Lin (2009)
80. The Graveyard Book – Gaiman (2008)
79. All-of-a-Kind-Family – Taylor (1951)
78. Johnny Tremain – Forbes (1943)
77. The City of Ember – DuPrau (2003)
76. Out of the Dust – Hesse (1997)
75. Love That Dog – Creech (2001)
74. The Borrowers – Norton (1953)
73. My Side of the Mountain – George (1959)
72. My Father’s Dragon – Gannett (1948)
71. The Bad Beginning – Snicket (1999)
70. Betsy-Tacy – Lovelae (1940)
69. The Mysterious Benedict Society – Stewart ( 2007)
68. Walk Two Moons – Creech (1994)
67. Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher – Coville (1991)
66. Henry Huggins – Cleary (1950)
65. Ballet Shoes – Stratfeild (1936)
64. A Long Way from Chicago – Peck (1998)
63. Gone-Away Lake – Enright (1957)
62. The Secret of the Old Clock – Keene (1959)
61. Stargirl – Spinelli (2000)
60. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle – Avi (1990)
59. Inkheart – Funke (2003)
58. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Aiken (1962)
57. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 – Cleary (1981)
56. Number the Stars – Lowry (1989)
55. The Great Gilly Hopkins – Paterson (1978)
54. The BFG – Dahl (1982)
53. Wind in the Willows – Grahame (1908)
52. The Invention of Hugo Cabret -- Selznik (2007)
51. The Saturdays – Enright (1941)
50. Island of the Blue Dolphins – O’Dell (1960)
49. Frindle – Clements (1996)
48. The Penderwicks – Birdsall (2005)
47. Bud, Not Buddy – Curtis (1999)
46. Where the Red Fern Grows – Rawls (1961)
45. The Golden Compass – Pullman (1995)
44. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing – Blume (1972)
43. Ramona the Pest – Cleary (1968)
42. Little House on the Prairie – Wilder (1935)
41. The Witch of Blackbird Pond – Speare (1958)
40. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – Baum (1900)
39. When You Reach Me – Stead (2009)
38. HP and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling (2003)
37. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Taylor (1976)
36. Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Blume (1970)
35. HP and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling (2000)
34. The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – Curtis (1995)
33. James and the Giant Peach – Dahl (1961)
32. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – O’Brian (1971)
31. Half Magic – Eager (1954)
30. Winnie-the-Pooh – Milne (1926)
29. The Dark Is Rising – Cooper (1973)
28. A Little Princess – Burnett (1905)
27. Alice I and II – Carroll (1865/72)
26. Hatchet – Paulsen (1989)
25. Little Women – Alcott (1868/9)
24. HP and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling (2007)
23. Little House in the Big Woods – Wilder (1932)
22. The Tale of Despereaux – DiCamillo (2003)
21. The Lightening Thief – Riordan (2005)
20. Tuck Everlasting – Babbitt (1975)
19. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Dahl (1964)
18. Matilda – Dahl (1988)
17. Maniac Magee – Spinelli (1990)
16. Harriet the Spy – Fitzhugh (1964)
15. Because of Winn-Dixie – DiCamillo (2000)
14. HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling (1999)
13. Bridge to Terabithia – Paterson (1977)
12. The Hobbit – Tolkien (1938)
11. The Westing Game – Raskin (1978)
10. The Phantom Tollbooth – Juster (1961)
9. Anne of Green Gables – Montgomery (1908)
8. The Secret Garden – Burnett (1911)
7. The Giver -Lowry (1993)
6. Holes – Sachar (1998)
5. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler – Koningsburg (1967)
4. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – Lewis (1950)
3. Harry Potter #1 – Rowling (1997)
2. A Wrinkle in Time – L’Engle (1962)
1. Charlotte’s Web – White (1952)

Zoooooooooooooooo!

We can mark the progression of Simon's life through visits to the Zoo. We have had a membership there for as long as we've been married. I remember . . .

• Going to the zoo while pregnant to get to know another couple better. Husband was a co-worker, and they were new in town, and his wife was preggers, too.
• Taking babies to the zoo on "play dates", and seeing all the other children sound asleep in their strollers at the end of the day while my own kid was totally pumped up and ready to do it all again!
• Simon's first complete spoken sentence was "I like animals."
  
• Countless pictures of Si climbing on the animal statues, with time being determined by how large and then small the statues started to look compared to his body.
• Going to Saturday morning programs for parents and preschoolers.
• Taking my newly-potty-trained kid to Saturday classes at the zoo - without me!
• Taking my growing boy to summer camp for day-long experiences at the zoo, only to pick him up after 5 full days and have him say "can we stay and look around some more?"

We have been so excited about all the improvements; reading about them in the newsletter, watching the construction. We watched the manatee building being built, the cool new play area where kids can act like bugs and animals (we particularly like the dung beetle ball-pushing), and each new big habitat area as they've opened. Our zoo has come so far over the years, and I feel like it's a part of our family, in a way, because we've grown along with it.

Last year when my parents were visiting around this time of year, we went to the zoo and took my wheel chair so I could be pushed around, knowing I didn't have the strength to walk far.

Today we walked through about a third of the zoo grounds. It was totally packed, being Spring Break for all schools and an absolutely glorious day. Simon is so knowledgable that as he was telling me about animals, their habit, quirks and habitats, other families would listen. It's like visiting Gettysburg with my husband - I have my own tour guide!

This is the koalas - I've circled where the 2 koalas are hiding!

Funny quotes from Si today:

• as we entered the zoo: Ahhh - I think I feel my life force returning!
• walking: Mmm, the familiar scent of over-buttered popcorn and primate excrement!
• remember when I practically lived here? I need to do that again.
• to the Komodo Dragon: Hello, buddy, you've been growing, haven't you?

Decisions

I've been pondering decisions for a few weeks/months/years. Should I go for that next new job? Should I seek a promotion? These questions always lead me to re-evaluate where I am, what I'm doing with my life. I'm firmly middle-aged now (at the very least) and I have had a lot of health issues over the past several years. What is my purpose in this life? Why am I here? It's all tied in together, you see? How can a person make decisions about what to do in their career without considering what their purpose on this earth is, what their other goals are (family, health, finances) and what their priorities are and/or should be?

Weighty stuff, eh? You bet!

So lately I've specifically chosen not to pursue job advancement. This may seem surprising to some of you who know me because I've been frustrated with situations in the past where I've sought promotions and haven't gotten them. True, I was frustrated, and perhaps there is still some of that in my (the frustration), but this decision is different. I was moved to a new branch last June, and I really like it here. My staff is great, the challenges are interesting, and the potential at this location for what we can do in the community . .. well . . . the potential is amazing. I've put down some roots and I've started my vision gears cranking. I can't move now! In other words, as much as it pains me to admit it (love you, Boss!), my boss put me in the right spot. LOL

So what does that say about all those other heady questions? Well, it says what I've said here on my blog before. I'm here to try to make a difference in the world. I can't say it as well as this song can, so I'll ask you to follow the link. Happy Spring!