Transformed, by Bill Slavin, (published by Kids Can Press) is a fun book about exactly what its subtitle says: "How Everyday Things Are Made." This is the kind of book I often pick up at the library with the express purpose of leaving around the house, also known as "strewing." When I strew, I find that in no time the kids and I are having interesting conversations about the things they've discovered. But, this time, we're reading it together to find out where fortune cookies came from (probably from Japanese American Makoto Hagiwara, who baked thank-you notes into cookies), how many marbles a factory can turn out in one day (12 million), and that polyester was first advertised via "a wrinkle-free swimsuit that had been worn for 67 days without being ironed." (Yuck.) 
We're also embarking on a re-read of all the Martha and Charlotte books by Melissa Wiley. Picking these up is like visiting with a dear old friend. We know the stories, we love the characters and we are delighted to be spending time with them again. We've started with Charlotte and Little House by Boston Bay, after much debate among the girls as to whether we had to begin with Martha or not. (I finally settled with a scientific eeny-meeney-miney-mo. It's Charlotte.)
Tags: Books, Children's Literature
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