Read Aloud Chapter Books: Mercy Watson

My daughters and I finished reading the Mercy Watson series by Kate DiCamillo. They were the perfect chapter books for their ages. The chapters were short so we could read one in a short amount of time, though we often read the whole book in one sitting.

The pictures are bright and the stories are fun for kids (a pig named Mercy is kept like a pet by Mr. and Mrs. Watson and she has ridiculous adventures). There's repetition for comprehension and the names in the book are often silly. My preschooler liked them best and looked forward to seeing if the library had one we hadn't read yet (there are six in the series). But even my toddler loved turning the pages and looking at the pictures while saying, "Mercy Watson! Mercy Watson!"

Now I just have to find a new chapter book to read aloud to get us back in the habit. What are your favorite chapter books to read aloud to small children?

Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

That's what little boys are made of.

With my first two children, I was terrified of having a boy. With this one, I knew it would be a boy. And it is. So I'm not freaking out.

But I know that there is no way of preparing for how different our lives will be by adding a boy to the mix. Watching the lives of my two sisters who have boys is enough to tell me that nothing will ever be the same.

My oldest girl was a little disappointed because she wanted it to be another girl. Today we're talking about cute baby boys we know and about how her best friend at school is a boy. Yesterday we went to Target and let her pick out the first outfit for baby brother. Just that simple act made me feel completely out of my element. I was looking at the opposite things than what I'm used to. No more skimming over the boy clothes in search of things for baby girls. We're trading in dresses and hair bows for tiny suits and bow ties.