5 Second Rule

Today's board game is 5 Second Rule. This is a really quick, simple (I won't say easy!) game you can play with the whole family. The recommended age is 10 and up, and I believe that's because some of the categories can be kind of tough (like famous sports figures or historical events, etc.). I would not be surprised if there is a children's version floating around out there.

The Point:
Score the most points by giving three answers before the balls twist down to the bottom of the timer.

Gameplay:

Place the card box with the cards on the table where everyone can reach it, as well as the timer. Determine how many rounds you are going to play. Two or three rounds will be plenty for larger groups, whereas a smaller group may get through four to six rounds.

The first person who goes will draw a card and read it aloud. You can see there are different categories on the yellow side and red side. I don't really think it matters which side you read from. You can choose to read either, or decide to only play one color for the duration of the game.

Read the category aloud and immediately flip the timer. The player TO YOUR LEFT is in the "Hot Seat" and they will begin answering. The timer will run for five seconds and the person in the Hot Seat has to say 3 answers before that timer runs out. If they are successful, they get to keep the card. That's one point. Play then moves to the right.

Here is a video of the timer in action:

Okay, let's say you answer one or two things but not all three. The player in the Hot Seat gets no points, and the player to their right automatically has the timer flipped for them and must begin naming three things in that category. The tricky part is they cannot say anything that has already been named by the previous person!

Play will continue until someone names three in five seconds and wins the point.

If you get back to the original player without anyone naming 3 in 5 seconds, that player gets one point by default.

The person to the right of the original player then becomes the new player in the Hot Seat, so the person to their left picks a new card and reads it aloud. And so on and so forth.

For example: if we played with the card above - preschool songs - I might spit out, "Mary Had a Little Lamb", "Twinkle, Twinkle", and "Itsy Bitsy Spider". If I do that in five seconds, I've won a point.

Let's pretend now that I get stuck. I yell out, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and "Twinkle, Twinkle" but I choke under pressure and can't think of a third. The timer flips over for the player on my right and he begins guessing. If he says either of my guesses, it does not count as one of his three.

This gets tricky if multiple people only get one or two answers correct as you can't use any of them for your three answers!

How to Win:
At the end of all the rounds, count up your points. Whoever has the most points is the winner!

If there is a tie, play one more round between those players as a tiebreaker.

If you aren't sure the answer given is correct, feel free to Google!

Verdict:
I like this game even though it makes me so nervous! I am definitely not good under pressure! This game can definitely bring a lot of laughs though.

Great for Learning:
Quick thinking, Vocabulary (cards have categories such as "perennial flowers" and "prepositions".

Coronavirus Update

I feel like if I don't blog about the coronavirus now, I'm going to wonder why not in about 20 years. This is definitely a turn of events in our nation's history that has never happened before and may not ever happen again. I don't really have the time right now to articulate exactly what's happening in the country (there is a lot of turmoil) but I figured I will jot down some notes before I forget.

• Our life hasn't changed TOO drastically. We still do school every day. The difference is there are no extracurriculars except for karate. Jujitsu, gymnastics, Scouts, church, co-op, our STEAM classes and food labs at the library, baseball, have all been canceled.
• I'm doing more puzzles than ever.
• I'm still teaching online and taking a nap during the day, I just have time for two short naps now instead of one typically, so I'm sleeping closer to 6-7 hours in a 24-hour period. Wahoo!!
• I bought a label maker when I first realized we were going to be headed toward a quarantine, so my house is about to be labelfied! (Yes, I invented that word).
• Brianna's gym where she takes gymnastics is offering daily classes online for the kids. So far they have offered live classes on Irish dancing, better jumps for cheerleaders, and a shoulder workout. More to come!
• Karate is taking every precaution against the virus. Kids must have their temperature taken before going into class. Their belt test next week will be done completely online in an unprecendented move.
• Zoos, schools, museums, libraries, and tons of other facilities are offering live shows and free resources during this time. 
• The pollen is here so we can't even play outside for hours at a time. It makes 3/4 of our family feel as though our head is going to explode.
• We have plenty of food but the main thing people seem to be hoarding is toilet paper. We also have plenty of that because I did my monthly grocery trip right before this all started.
• Our church will be livestreaming services for the first time ever. 

So, like I said, not a TON of disruption here. We're obviously home a lot more (A LOT MORE) than usual but I am welcoming it! I'm so happy to be forced into this! And honestly we haven't had a second to be bored yet. We have so many projects to work on and school and chores and games, we are busy from the time we wake up until bedtime. Of course the kids do get to watch TV during their lunch hour and then they get a little electronic time right around dinner time. They aren't totally deprived!

Angry Birds Knock on Wood

Today's board game is Angry Birds: Knock on Wood. This is another one of our favorites that we particularly like because you can choose the length of the game. You can even play by yourself!

The Point:
Knock down as many towers as possible and earn the most points.

Gameplay:

There are five different card piles. The purple cards, with eggs and a star icon, are rewards. More about those later. The green "1" cards mean that the tower will be a bit easier to knock down and is worth 100 points. The orange "2" cards are a little bit tougher towers and are worth 200 points when knocked down. The blue "3" cards are the most difficult and are worth 300 points when knocked down. The red cards are the favorites of my kids. They are "freestyle" cards which means you are told which blocks to use for your tower, but you create any tower out of those blocks.

In this game, I was building for Brianna. She wanted a 300-point tower, so this is the card she chose. I had to build the tower exactly as shown on the card. If she knocked over all four of the green guys (the pigs), she wins the card and essentially 300 points. If she also was able to knock over the yellow star, she picks up a purple star card worth 100 points!

Hunter built this tower for me worth 200 points. The same rules apply - if I knock over all the pigs, I get the 200 points, and if I can also knock off the yellow egg, I get the purple bonus card!

Like I said, the kids really like the freestyle towers. This is an example of one. You pick the card and all it tells you is which materials to use for building:

I made those materials into this tower for Bri:

Hunter created this freestyle tower for me:

And Bri built this freestyle tower for Hunter:

Verdict:
Thumbs up! We like to pull this game out when we don't have a lot of free time - maybe while lunch is cooking or if we have 20 minutes to kill before our next extracurricular activity. It's also great for all ages, because younger ones can just knock the towers over with their hands or feet - haha!

Great for Learning:
Dexterity, Fine Motor Skills, Creative Play, Geometry (finding the perfect geometric arc can be tough!)

Apples to Apples/Sour Apples to Apples

Today's board game is Apples to Apples. This is a really popular game. You have probably heard of it and you may even own it already. It still is worthy of the blog. It is one of our favorites. There are TONS of games out there like this now (both kid-friendly and adult-only) but this is one my kids always return to. 

The Point:

Collect enough green apple cards to win the game. 

Gameplay:

Each player is dealt seven red apple cards, face down. Look at your cards. 

One person is deemed the "judge". The judge picks a green apple card from the top of the stack, reads the word aloud, and places it face up on the table.

All players except the judge quickly choose the red apple card from their hand that they feel best goes with the green apple card played by the judge. Players place these red apple cards face down on the table.

The judge mixes the red apple cards so no one knows who played which card. The judge turns over each red apple card, reads it aloud, and then selects the one he thinks is best described the word on the green apple card. The player of the selected red apple card is awarded the green apple card played by the judge.

To keep score, players keep the green apple cards they have won on the table until the end of the game. 

Once the judge has completed her turn, the role of judge passes to the player on the left. Everyone should make sure they have seven cards in their hand, and the new judge lays out the new green apple card. Play continues from there!

Winning the Game:
If 4 players: 8 green apple cards are needed to win
If 5 players: 7 green apple cards are needed to win
If 6 players: 6 green apple cards are needed to win
If 7 players: 5 green apple cards are needed to win
If 8+ players: 4 green apple cards are needed to win

Things to Note:

• Your red apple card doesn't have to be a perfect fit. It might be the most creative or hilarious that gets chosen!
• You can agree before the game to allow "lobbying" for your card. If you play this way, players can try to convince the judge which card should be picked!
• You should definitely play to the judge! If I know the judge has a favorite actor, I may play that particular card knowing the judge will pick it no matter what!
• When playing with younger kids, you may want to discard celebrities or other cards they aren't aware of. We always discard certain celebrities like "Jack Nicholson" and cards like "Communism" or "Wall Street" because they aren't old enough to really understand how those specific things fit with a card, or know the actor.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! This is one of our favorite games, and because there are hundreds of cards there are so many combinations. You can play all the time and constantly come up with new combinations of cards!

Great for Learning:

Vocabulary words, synonyms, debate (if you play with the "lobbying" rules!), creative logic, reasoning

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This is another version of Apples to Apples, called Sour Apples to Apples. It is played almost exactly like the original version except there are consequences!

The cards look a little different but the gameplay is the same. Instead of stacks of red and green cards, they are combined! The green side is the "category" and the red side are the answers that can go with the category.

The Twist:
The player whose Red Apple card is selected as being LEAST like the word on the Green Apple card must spin the Sour Apple to see their fate! (The winner is selected first, and then this card is selected next).

Push down on the Sour Apple spinner to spin it. Whatever symbol stops in the window determines your fate:

Can't Talk Next Turn

This is self-explanatory. It's especially difficult if everyone is allowed to "lobby" for the judge to pick their card!

 Play Red Before Green:

The next time BEFORE the judge plays the Green Apple card you need to go ahead and lay down your Red Apple card! This is a really funny one!

 Pass the Sour Apple:

Lucky you! You get to pass the Sour Apple spinner to any other player EXCEPT the person who just won that round, and they have to spin it!

Double Play:

The next time you play a Red Apple card, you get to play two Red Apple cards instead of one, doubling your chances of winning that round!

Lose a Card:

You must immediately discard one card from your hand and for the rest of the game, play with only four cards. If you spin this symbol multiple times in the game, it has no effect after the first time.

Enjoy!

Stratego

Today's board game is Stratego. This is an older game, first created in the 1940s. I have to thank my dad for introducing us to this game. It quickly became one of our favorites.

Beware - in case you didn't figure it out based on the name, this game involves a lot of strategy. It's the type of game you really need to play multiple times to figure out what strategy is going to work best in your favor!

The Point:
Find your opponent's flag.

Gameplay:
Place the game in between players and choose a side and a color. Each player gets an army of 40 pieces. This consists of the following pieces:

(Number on the piece / Title of the piece / Quantity of piece):

1/Marshal/1
2/General/1
3/Colonels/2
4/Majors/3
5/Captains/4
6/Lieutenants/4
7/Sergeants/4
8/Miners/5
9/Scouts/8
S/Spy/1

There are also 6 bombs and 1 flag which cannot be moved after the game begins.

The Marshal (#1) is the highest rank. The lowest rank is the Spy (S), although he has a special move (see "Rules for Striking").

Fill your side of the board with 10 pieces, 4 rows deep. Make sure the pictures are facing you so your opponent has no idea where your pieces are located.

In this game, players alternate turns. You may move one piece to one square on each turn (the exception is the "Scout"), and may move forward, backward, or sideways (NOT DIAGONALLY).

You may not move onto the lakes in the middle of the board.

You may not move onto a space that has a piece on it or jump a piece (this ain't Checkers, y'all).

You may NOT move the "flag" or "bomb" pieces.

The "Scout" (#9) may move any number of spaces in a straight line (as long as the squares are open), but beware - this clues in your opponent that this piece is a Scout, and he may come after you! The Scout can be very valuable for scoping out the other side of the board, so you may just want to move it one square at a time. (But don't take my word for it - try a different strategy every time you play!)

Pieces may not be moved back and forth between the same two squares in 3 consecutive turns. Come on, buddy, make up your mind and take a risk!

You MUST move or "strike" in your turn.

Rules for "Striking":

When your piece is in an adjoining square to your opponent's piece, you may strike (back to back, side to side, or face to face - not diagonal). You do not HAVE to strike just because you are adjoining an opponent's piece.

You may move on your turn or strike on your turn. You may not do both.

To "strike" (attack), the player whose turn it is picks up his piece and lightly taps the opponent's piece and says out loud the piece's rank (the number on the piece). The opponent answers by naming the rank of the tapped piece. The piece with the lower rank is removed from the board. If the attacked piece is higher, it stays in place. If the attacker's piece is higher, it moves into the now empty spot of the opponent's piece.

If you strike and both pieces are the same rank, both pieces are removed from the board.

A Marshal (#1) beats a #2-9, a General (#2) beats a #3-9, a Colonel (#3) beats a #4-9, and so on down to the Spy, which is the lowest ranking piece.

The Spy is special because it is the only piece that can remove the Marshal (#1) - IF he strikes first! If the Marshal finds the Spy first, the Spy must be removed from the playing board. The Spy loses to every other piece, no matter who attacks first.

When any piece (except a #8) strikes a bomb, that piece is removed from the board. The bomb does not move. When a Miner (#8) strikes a bomb, the bomb is removed from the board and the #8 piece moves into that position.

Remember that the bombs and flag cannot be moved.

As soon as a player "strikes" his opponent's flag the game is over and he is the winner.

If it's your turn and you realize you've boxed yourself in and can't make a move (been there, done that!) you forfeit the game.

Verdict:
This is such a great game, because you can try a different strategy every time. Then again... so is your opponent! It's a really quiet, thought-provoking game for two people, which I really enjoy. I like seeing my mistakes in strategy so I can improve the next time I play!

Great for Learning:
Strategizing, Critical Thinking, Resource Management

Kings in the Corner

I'd like to try to blog every so often about some of our favorite board games. Perhaps you will find one of our favorites at a thrift store or yard sale, and decide to buy it for yourself!

Today's board game is Kings in the Corner. This is actually a game I myself have passed over once or twice at thrift stores. It really isn't eye-catching or impressive. Stephen's grandmother was getting rid of some games and I took it just to try. It turns out to be a game we really enjoy!

Please note: The box says you can play with two people. We quickly found that this is not much fun. I would say three is the minimum you would want for this game.

The Point: 
Get rid of all the cards in your hand. The winner receives a "pot" of chips which are added to throughout the game. First person to 100 wins.

Gameplay:
Each player is dealt seven cards, and all the chips are divided equally between players. Place one card in each tabbed stall on the game board.

Everyone puts one chip into the "pot" (in the middle) before the game starts. The first player will play any cards available to them and will play until they have no more moves to make. Cards are played onto the cards in those tabbed stalls. A player can only play a card lower in sequence AND it must be the opposite color. For example, you could play a red six on a black seven or a black jack on a red queen.

If you have a King in your hand or you draw one, immediately place it in one of the four empty slots around the board.

Cards can be added from stall to stall, or from one's hand to a stall. You may NEVER move cards from a King's stall.

If you empty a stall, you may fill it with any card of your choice from your hand.

When your turn is over, you must draw a card.

If it is your turn and you cannot make a move at all, you must pay a chip to the pot and draw a card.

A hand is over when one person uses all of the cards in their hand. They receive all the chips which equal points. Usually a game goes to 100 but you can make your own rules about that.

If you can't find this board game, you can also play with a regular deck of cards. Just don't use the chips. You can set up the stalls in a star formation. You could keep score by the number of cards left in one's hand (this would mean the lower number is the winner) or by face value of the cards.

Verdict:
We enjoyed it! Like I said, I think it needs three or more players but I've heard of people playing alone, like solitaire. It's very simple, so you could teach a really young child how to play. As long as they get the whole red/black concept and how to stack cards backwards, they can play. There is really no strategy because you just get lucky with what cards you get.

Great for Learning:
Numbers in reverse order!

Store Nights and Holidays

I said I was determined to blog more, and then about four hours after making that proclamation I was the proud recipient of a stomach bug, and you know what they say about "best laid plans"...

Wednesday night the kids had store night at AWANA. AWANA is a program at our church that I never knew existed until a few years ago. I love it. It rewards the kids for learning scripture. (They also have recreation time and a small group counsel time). They earn "AWANA bucks" (think Monopoly money) and can spend it at store night which takes place about once every 6 weeks or so. One room in the church is set up like a store and they can spend their money on anything they want. It didn't take long for our kids to realize they could spend that money to buy us gifts, and it surprises me every single time they bring something home for me. It makes me thoroughly excited to find out what they decided I needed most!!

Hunter has been known to buy me jewelry that says "BFF" and makeup brushes. Brianna likes to buy me body spray and nail polish. They both frequently give me hand lotion, and I think their favorite thing is when they find funky socks they can buy for me! This past Wednesday they were both jumping up and down to give them their surprises. Brianna bought me a package of Valentine's Tootsie Rolls (one of my favorite candies!) and a very cool new pair of Valentine's socks! Then Hunter started laughing and handed over his gifts for me - more candy and another (different) pair of Valentine's socks! They know me so well!

Sometimes they will grab a jump rope for a friend at church who isn't in AWANA, or some coloring books or crayons for one of their friends in the toddler class. I can count on Hunter to come home with some type of Lego or Transformer toy, and Bri will always come home with some self-care item. This week it was a cooling eye-mask you can keep in the refrigerator. I'm pretty sure it's supposed to alleviate the bags under your eyes, but I love that she loves it.

They fill our stockings at Christmas with these items. They're so excited for us to open the stockings on Christmas morning and see what surprises they were able to get us. It's such a simple thing but it makes me so happy to see them so happy. I remember the thrill I got when I was a little kid and I could find some way to surprise my parents. My mom's best friend, Gail, started taking me shopping when I was probably 11 or 12 years old. I didn't think it was fair for mom and dad to have empty stockings on Christmas morning, so we'd go out together and get things to put in their stockings. I don't even remember the type of items I'd get, but if I had to guess it would look a lot like hand lotion... candy... funny socks... trinkets. It's so funny how you can see yourself in your kids sometimes.

It makes me smile when I know it IS possible for them to look outside of themselves every so often. These are the little things I don't want to forget about my kiddos. Sometimes the "big" stuff can take over - the athletic tournaments, the big test at the end of the school year, the major vacations - but this is the stuff that makes my heart happy just on an average day.

Fleeting Thoughts After Midnight

I miss the days when I used to blog regularly. My memory isn't that great, so when I can look back at stories, pictures, and videos on my blog, it really helps me remember what I was feeling during certain phases of my life. I think this is a great time to try to blog again, because I want to remember this phase. I want to remember that I can do hard things!

About nine months ago I took a teaching gig, teaching English to kids in China. I was excited about it, even though it meant waking up to teach at 6:40 a.m. (Mornings have NEVER been a friend of mine!) When the time changed back in the fall, I remember telling Stephen I couldn't possibly get up to teach the new 5:30 a.m. classes! But I was determined, and once I started, it actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It's funny now, looking back on that, because...

Now we are in the middle of a health crisis in China. The Coronavirus has struck tens of thousands of people. Families are quarantined in their homes. Schools are not in session. Today we saw that over 1000 people have died from the virus. It's a very serious situation. Due to the children not being allowed to go to school, our company added on extra classes for these kids. And because I am very highly motivated by money and helping out in their time of need, I am GOING FOR IT! Now that I look back and think about how hard it was to get used to teaching at 6:40 a.m., I laugh to myself! I thought I would share here what a typical day looks like for me in this season.

I start teaching at 6:50 p.m. when I can. Wednesday nights and Sunday nights I don't do this because of church commitments. I usually stop teaching around 8:00pm so I can fix dinner as everyone is getting home from afternoon activities. I try not to teach again until 8:50 or 9:30 p.m. so I can at least hang out with everyone a little bit (particularly Stephen since I've been with the kids all day anyway!) And sometimes I can't start until these later times anyway, because I'm responsible for getting a kid to or from their activity.

I have a break at 11:30 p.m. No classes are scheduled from this time until 12:30 a.m. so this is when I take a shower, brush teeth, etc. Basically I do my entire routine to get ready for bed so I'm ready to sleep when I'm done teaching. I usually finish this by midnight so I have time to sit down and read, or just watch some short videos or something to relax. Nothing too stimulating for my brain during this time period - I just want to relax!

At 12:30 a.m. classes start back up. I teach until 3:40 a.m. At this time there are no other classes scheduled until 4:50 a.m., so I try to sleep. I usually get in 45 minutes or so before my alarm goes off. I'm pretty hyped up after doing so many classes in a row, so it can be hard to wind down! Once I start teaching at 4:50 a.m. I'm not done until 8:00 a.m. At this time I'm completely done until the evening, so I can SLEEP!

Most days I am able to sleep until 9:30 a.m. We do have a soup kitchen we work at, we have play dates that are scheduled, geography classes at the library, co-op, etc. If I can sleep until 9:30 I can make it through our scheduled activities without any issues. After lunch is done the kids know I may play a handful of games with them or read a book with them, but then I'm going to have to take a nap. I usually try to sleep from about 1:30 to 3:30. If at all possible, I prefer to take a nap later in the day. For example, tonight I was able to nap from 5:30pm to 7:00pm and that should serve me well in these midnight hours!

I've definitely gotten in a routine. This routine isn't forever. The kids are supposed to be quarantined for about another 2-3 weeks and then life will return to normal. So I'm embracing this right now. What exactly does that mean? I'm not helping my kids with schoolwork as much. They are on their own - they know I will check their work and they save things for me if they have questions, but I am not sitting down to do it all with them right now. It means I have to say no to some stuff. We're spending more time at home in February so I can do this schedule and get some sleep so I'm safe while driving the kids around.

Now, the job is flexible. So I can cancel classes in order to cook dinner, go to a hockey game with friends, or meet up with friends who are in town from Florida. I love that flexibility. I also like that I can work 35-40 hours a week if I want to and not feel guilty about it. I'm still getting in plenty of quality time with my kiddos, and they're also learning those valuable skills called "independence" and "entertain yourselves QUIETLY FOR PETE'S SAKE"!

I'm wearing other hats and this doesn't get in the way at all. I don't schedule 12:30 - 3:30am classes on Wednesdays, only the 4:50-8:00 am classes. I want to be fresh for teaching preschoolers at co-op. I am able to work on that lesson in between classes. I can work on my Sunday school lesson, AWANA lesson, and Children in Action lesson for church in between classes. I can work on Rodan + Fields and place orders. I can do laundry and dishes and organize parts of the house that won't wake anyone up.

I've always kind of been a night owl, so it doesn't surprise me that I've acclimated to this schedule fairly quickly. I do know that it's also because my family is INCREDIBLY supportive. My kids are old enough to take care of themselves and I don't have to worry about what they are doing while I'm sleeping.

What was really tough was when Brianna got sick not once, but twice, while Stephen was TDY and I was working these hours. Fortunately, I was able to cancel classes to take care of her, but I was a major walking zombie the first 12 hours she was sick because I hadn't slept at all and then I was up with her. But hey, that's part of life.

I feel really blessed to have a part-time job like this. The kids I teach are phenomenal and they are so funny. They are smart and want to learn. The pay is great and the hours work with my schedule. Sometimes Brianna comes into my office and lays on the floor, curled up with her pillow and blanket, and listens in on my classes, and then afterwards we laugh about the kid named "Dudu" or how Billy demanded that I call him "Spiderman" or we "ooh" and "ahh" over the art the kids show me.

When I first started working nights it was really hard on Bri. She is a big snuggler and she didn't appreciate the fact that I would be working during her prime time for snuggling! I promised her this is just a season, and I have found ways to get in that snuggle time with her in between classes, or during the day, or if a class of mine gets canceled at the last minute. I've told her and Hunter this, and I hope they realize it - I do this for them. I want them to see that I work hard. I want them to see that you can do all the things that you are passionate about. God will work those things out for you. God gives you these awesome desires in your heart and then He brings them to fruition in ways you never would have imagined.

So while you may notice my dark circles more in February, or I may repeat things in conversations we have, it's all worth it to me. I feel so happy and so blessed to do what I do, and not give up homeschooling, or church activities, or miss out on things with my family. Life is pretty darn good right now.

100 Books of 2019

In 2009, I pledged to read 100 books over the course of 2010. Here's my list of 107 books in case you're interested.

I did it again in 2011 (why not?). Here's my list of 109 books.

The tradition continued in 2012 where I read a whopping 144 books! Here is my list from that year.

In 2013 I kept on chugging along, reading 104 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2014 I hit my best record yet, reading 152 books. Here is my list from that year.

In 2015 I beat my record, reading 187 books. Here is my list from that year. 

In 2016, I read 166 books, focusing on books I owned but had never read.Here is my list from that year.

In 2017, I read 123 books. Here is my list from last year.

In 2018, I read only 54 books. I spent most of my year driving the kids around, haha! Here is my list from last year.

This year I read 150 books. My goal, about halfway through the year, was to read through some of the chapter books we own that are either young adult or geared towards children. I decided to start reading these and weed out some of the books that I really didn't think were necessary to our household. I'm way pickier about books now than I was a few years ago. I was pretty successful at finding some amazing books, new authors that I'm obsessed with, and definitely weeding out some books that were just taking up shelf space. So if you like juvenile fiction, you may find some great reads from this year's list!

• "Otis Dooda: Strange but True" by Ellen Potter (150)
• "Blitz" by Hetty Burlingame Beatty (149)
• "No Beasts! No Children!" by Beverly Keller (148)
• "Magic Elizabeth" by Norma Kassirer (147)
• "Beetles, Lightly Toasted" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (146)
• "Sink or Swim" by Betty Miles (145)
• "Bluegrass" by William Van Meter (144)
• "Riding Camp" by Bonnie Bryant (143)
• "Stacy says Good-bye" by Patricia Reilly Giff (142)
• "The Noonday Friends" by Mary Stolz (141)
• "The Mingling of Souls" by Matt Chandler (140)
• "Dude Ranch" by Bonnie Bryant (139)
• "Hey Kid, Want to Buy a Bridge?" by Jon Scieszka (138)
• "Below the Belt" by Stuart Woods (137)
• "The House With a Clock in Its Walls" by John Bellairs (136)
• "Boys Against Girls" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (135)
• "The Terrible Churnadryne" by Eleanor Cameron (134)
• "The Secret of the Golden Cowrie" by Gloria Repp (133)
• "Rite of Passage Parenting" by Walker Moore (132)
• "Jenny Lind and her Listening Cat" by Frances Cavanah (131)
• "Paddington Helps Out" by Michael Bond (130)
• "Horse Power" by Bonnie Bryant (129)
• "The Thomas Berryman Number" by James Patterson (128)
• Poverty, Riches & Wealth" by Kris Vallotton (127)
• "Tucker's Countryside" by George Selden (126)
• "Caleb's Story" by Patricia MacLachlan (125)
• "Cross My Heart" by James Patterson (124)
• "NYPD Red" by James Patterson (123)
• "Second Honeymoon" by James Patterson (122)
• "Young, Restless, Reformed" by Collin Hansen (121)
• "The Boyfriend List" by E. Lockhart (120)
• "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis (119)
• "Target Alex Cross" by James Patterson (118)
• "Bunnicula" by James Howe (117)
• "Super-Secret Valentine" by Abby Klein (116)
• "The Tough Winter" by Robert Lawson (115)
• "The Mysterious Bender Bones" by Susan Meyers (114)
• "The Adventure of the Backyard Sleep-out" by Nancy McArthur (113)
• "Saddle Club: Beach Ride" by Bonnie Bryant (112)
• "The Pink Lemonade Charade" by Cynthia Blair (111)
• "Colder Than Ice" by David Patneaude (110)
• "The Case of the Missing Mummy" Mary-Kate and Ashley (109)
• "Sweet Valley Twins: The New Girl" by Francine Pascal (108)
• "Battle Bugs: The Spider Siege" by Jack Patton (107)
• "The Notebook of Doom: Attack of the Shadow Smashers" by Troy Cummings (106)
• "The Secret at the Polk Street School" by Patricia Reilly Giff (105)
• "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen (104)
• "The Mysterious Cases of Mr. Pin" by Mary Elise Monsell (103)
• "The Dog's Secret" by Ellen Miles (102)
• "The Carnivorous Carnival" by Lemony Snicket (101)
• "The Attic Mice" by Ethel Pochocki (101)
• "Hero Over Here" by Kathleen V. Kudlinsky (100)
• "Grumpy Pumpkins" by Judy Delton (99)
• "The Pooped Troop" by Judy Delton (98)
• "The Girl with the Silver Eyes" by Willo Davis Roberts (97)
• "Song Lee and the Leech Man" by Suzy Kline (96)
• "Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica" by Bryna Stevens (95)
• "In the Dinosaur's Paw" by Patricia Reilly Giff (94)
• "Clues in the Woods" by Peggy Parish (93)
• "Second Glance" by Jodi Picoult (92)
• "Lone Wolf" by Jodi Picoult (91)
• "The Lottery Winner" by Mary Higgins Clark (90)
• "Journey Home" by Yoshiko Uchida (89)
• "The 52-Story Treehouse" by Andy Griffiths (88)
• "So Not Happening" by Jenny Jones (87)
• "Now You See Her" by James Patterson (86)
• "Cousins" by Virginia Hamilton (85)
• "The Great Mom Swap" by Betsy Haynes (84)
• "Shore Thing" Mary-Kate & Ashley (83)
• "Closer Than Ever" Mary Kate & Ashley (82)
• "April Fool!" by Francine Pascal (81)
• "The Sleepover Secret" Mary-Kate & Ashley (80)
• "Surprise! Surprise!" by Francine Pascal (79)
• "Pets Are for Keeps" by Virginia Vail (78)
• "The Case of the Creepy Castle" Mary-Kate & Ashley (77)
• "Two's a Crowd" Mary-Kate & Ashley (76)
• "House Rules" by Jodi Picoult (76)
• "The Case of Clue's Circus Caper" Mary-Kate & Ashley (75)
• "The Case of the Mall Mystery" Mary-Kate & Ashley (74)
• "One Twin Too Many" Mary-Kate & Ashley (73)
• "The Case of the Thorn Mansion" Mary-Kate & Ashley (72)
• "The Case of the Golden Slipper" Mary-Kate & Ashley (71)
• "The Case of the Rock & Roll Mystery" Mary-Kate and Ashley (70)
• "The Case of the Flapper 'Napper" Mary-Kate and Ashley (69)
• "Patti Gets Even" by Susan Saunders (68)
• "The Case of the Surfing Secret" Mary-Kate & Ashley (67)
• "Maybe I'll Move to the Lost and Found" by Susan Haven (66)
• "The War with Grandpa" by Robert Kimmel Smith (65)
• "Wellspring of Magic" by Jan Fields (64)
• "The Case of the Wild Wolf River" Mary-Kate & Ashley (63)
• "The Celery Stalks at Midnight" by James Howe (64)
• "Dead Letter" by Betsy Byars (63)
• "The Case of the U.S. Navy Adventure" Mary-Kate & Ashley (62)
• "The House in the Snow" by M.J. Engh (61)
• "The Friendship Pact" by Susan Beth Pfeffer (60)
• "Oliver's High-Flying Adventure" by Michael McBrier (59)
• "The Rocking Horse Secret" by Rumer Godden (58)
• "The Golden Glove" by Fred Bowen (57)
• "Day of the Blizzard" by Marietta Moskin (56)
• "The Computer Caper" by Milton and Gloria Dank (55)
• "A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck (54)
• "Twenty Ways to Lose Your Best Friend" by Marilyn Singer (53)
• "Cave of the Inca Re" by Jeanette Windle (52)
• "Never Hit a Ghost with a Baseball Bat" by Eth Clifford (51)
• "Nighty-Nightmare" by James Howe (50)
• "Patti's New Look" by Susan Saunders (49)
• "Zack Attack" (48)
• "Kate's Crush" by Susan Saunders (47)
• "The Trouble with Valentines" by Elaine Moore (46)
• "Ginnie and the New Girl" by Catherine Woolley (45)
• "Kid Power" by Susan Beth Pfeffer (44)
• "My Life as a Screaming Skydiver" by Bill Myers (43)
• "The Rise and Fall of the Kate Empire" Lizzie McGuire (42)
• "Lauren's Sleepover Exchange" by Susan Saunders (41)
• "The Disappearing Bike Shop" by Elvira Woodruff (40)
• "Whisper: Journey to Julie's Heart" by Christopher Brown (39)
• "No Fair!" by Donna Jo Napoli (38)
• "The Mystery of the Spy's Diary" by Charles and Regina Higgins (37)
• "Amanda Joins the Circus" by Avi (36)
• "The Case of the Cool-Itch Kid" by Patricia Reilly Giff (35)
• "Fish Face" by Patricia Reilly Giff (34)
• "The Girl With 500 Middle Names" by Margaret Peterson Haddix (33)
• "Kate's Surprise" by Susan Saunders (32)
• "The Good Day Mice" by Carol Beach York (31)
• "The Glass Mermaid" by Susan Clymer (30)
• "The Strong-Willed Child" by James Dobson (29)
• "My Brother the Creep" by Janet Adele Bloss (28)
• "Gus and Buster Work Things Out" by Andrew Bronin (27)
• "Make a Wish, Molly" by Barbara Cohen (26)
• "The Beast in Ms. Rooney's Room" by Patricia Reilly Giff (25)
• "The Codebreaker Kids" by George Edward Stanley (24)
• "Space Brat" by Bruce Coville (23)
• "Maggie in the Middle" by Mary Francis Shura (22)
• "Third Grade Pet" by Judy Cox (21)
• "The Lucky Stone" by Lucille Clifton (20)
• "The World's Worst Fairy Godmother" by Bruce Coville (19)
• "Devil's Bridge" by Cynthia DeFelice (18)
• "From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg (17)
• "More than Meets the Eye" by Karen Witemeyer (16)
• "The Tao of Pooh" by Benjamin Hoff (15)
• "Hidden Bodies" by Caroline Kepnes (14)
• "You" by Caroline Kepnes (13)
• "You Will Know Me" by Megan Abbott (12)
• "Blood Memory" by Greg Iles (11)
• "Really Bad Girls of the Bible" by Liz Curtis Higgs (10)
• "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty (9)
• "The Chalk Man" by C.J. Tudor (8)
• "Final Epidemic" by Earl Merkel (7)
• "Heart-Shaped Box" by Joe Hill (6)
• "What She Knew" by Gilly MacMillan (5)
• "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant (4)
• "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning (3)
• "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell (2)
• "In Places Hidden" by Tracie Peterson (1)

Adult books that made me gush: "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell, "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, "What Alice Forgot" by Liane Moriarty, "You" and "Hidden Bodies" by Caroline Kepnes, "Young, Restless, Reformed" by Collin Hansen, "Rite of Passage Parenting" by Walker Moore

Children's fiction that made me gush: "A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck, "Day of the Blizzard" by Marietta Moskin, "Hero Over Here" by Kathleen V. Kudlinsky, "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen, "The Tough Winter" by Robert Lawson, "The Terrible Churnadryne" by Eleanor Cameron, "Sink or Swim" by Betty Miles, "Beetles, Lightly Toasted" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, "Blitz" by Hetty Burlingame Beatty

Chapter books I read with the kids:

• "Miss Brown is Upside Down!" by Dan Gutman (9)
• "Miss Mary is Scary" by Dan Gutman (8)
• "Mr. Klutz is Nuts!" by Dan Gutman (7)
• "The Carnivorous Carnival" by Lemony Snicket (6)
• "The Hostile Hospital" by Lemony Snicket (5)
• "The Vile Village" by Lemony Snicket (4)
• "The Ersatz Elevator" by Lemony Snicket (3)
• "The Austere Academy" (2)
• "The Miserable Mill" by Lemony Snicket (1)

Any good reads of YOURS this year? I'd love to look them up and add them to my library wishlist!