I created an Amazon list with most of the books that my first grader loved to read during the 2018/2019 school year. You can access that list by clicking this link to Tamara Ruth Storefront: Books for First Grade Readers. That is an Amazon Associate link.

Below is the list of what my kid thought were the best books she read while a first grader. You're going to notice the same author(s) popping up a lot.... All links are Amazon Associate links.

I'm on day 12 of the worst sinus infection turned into bronchitis ever. It's worse because I've got kids running through the house and can't sleep through it the way I would prefer! It's not the kids' fault. It's just life.

So, knowing that, you can probably imagine why I skipped Week 5 of the challenge entirely and, unfortunately, I've read exactly ONE of the Week 6 tales. Oh, illness, you have completely wrecked my routine!

But that ONE story is...

Point #3 -- there is no fairy godmother. Is it odd that I'm the most disappointed about that fact? Instead of a fairy godmother we see a magical tree that grants Cinderella's wishes and, when the mean step-sisters try to take her spot as bride, sing out the truth.

Point #4 -- there is a SINGING TREE!!!!!! Okay, technically the birds that live in the tree do the singing, but still.... I'm in love with this idea for a retelling.

Point #5 -- what happens to the step-sisters, both what they do to themselves to fit into the shoe and what occurs at the wedding, are gruesome. Grimm's version of Cinderella is more about righting injustice than anything else. Cinderella may get a happily ever after with the prince, but that's not what the step-sisters get.

Despite all of these differences, I love BOTH versions of Cinderella. My favorite is the live-action Disney Cinderella because it's so funny and opulent (and because I got to sit in a replica of the carriage at Disney World), but, truthfully, I thoroughly enjoy the story and its many versions. 

If you are a Cinderella fan and want to read/watch some great versions of it, I've put some options below for you to enjoy. The button below is a link to where you can read Grimm's Cinderella for FREE on the University of Pittsburg's site. Below the black button are a series of links to various movies and books available at Amazon (or your local library) -- these links are affiliate links. I have read or watched all of these and definitely recommend them wholeheartedly!

I hope you get hours of enjoyment out of those books and movies. All are kid appropriate. I've watched or read them with my kids -- well, except The Real Cinderella which was simply too long of a read.

Links to previous posts about the #GRIMMread2019 Challenge here:
#GRIMMread2019 Week 1
#GRIMMread2019 Week 2
#GRIMMread2019 Week 3
#GRIMMread2019 Week 4
#GRIMMread2019 Week 5 -- Does not exist

Please consider checking out the details at these other blogs participating in the #GRIMMread2019 Challenge.

January has been the month of "recovering from Christmas!" What a month. I'd love to say that we're back in our normal routine BUT between illnesses and snow days that cancel school, it hasn't happened yet. Thank goodness we're a flexible group!

This month, instead of listing every book we read, I'm going to highlight several and leave it at that.

I wasn't wrong.

I finished the entire story, minus a few chapters in the middle because I was in a hurry more than anything else. I knew way too early in the story what was going to happen. Maybe not all of the exact details of how it would happen, but the what was not a mystery to me.

That part bummed me out.

I love it when a story holds me in its thrall all the way through -- thrall meaning that it keeps me curious to the very end. I finished more because the story was well done than that I was in thrall over it.

I haven't picked up the next books in the series. I do plan to read them, I'm simply not in a hurry.

My seven year old brings home a new Mo Willems book every week as her AR book. We read the book -- typically she reads it to me or her father, sometimes if the book is harder or longer, we will read it to her again. The next day she takes an AR test on it.

Mo Willems books can be long -- like up to 60 pages. But there isn't a lot of text to read on any one page. This makes the books fairly ideal for a beginning reader, like my first grader. Still, I was getting sick of them. I mentioned my growing distaste to the teacher. That kind, loving woman took my hand and said, "But she loves them."

I got it. Better for my child to love the books she is reading than for me to enjoy them (especially on the second or third time through). Most Mo Willems books are great to read. My aversion is typically because I'm also making dinner and dealing with a hunger induced meltdown by the 3-year old.  I've found reading the book after we eat dinner makes it vastly more enjoyable.

Above are the 3 Mo Willems that we read this month, including the one sitting on my dining room table as I type. That's I Love My New Toy!, if you're interested.

Below is a link to Mo Willems' Amazon Author page. If you click that link, or any other link in this post, I earn a small amount from Amazon for recommending it to you.

That's the short list for January. I hope your January was amazing. Let me know what your favorite book to read in January was in the comments section. Thanks.