As of yesterday, we are officially on a homeschooling break until January. To kick things off yesterday morning, we took Pepper on an extra long walk, came home and hurried through our chores and then changed back into our Pjs. We spread a couple of sleeping bags under the Christmas tree and spent the day reading, both together and on our own. Newt plans to do some math, “just for fun” later today.
This vacation is getting off to a great start.

Neither one of us is reading anything new, even with yesterday’s lovely pj read-in. Since I don’t have something new, I thought I’d share with you some of our favorites.

My Favorite Books
I have such a hard time whenever I am asked this question because I have it’s so difficult to narrow it down. Plus, it varies depending on my mood. However, there are a few books that would always be on the top of my list:

Anything by Jane Austin
Wit, romance, dances and whist, not to mention the promise of a wedding at the end… What’s not to love?

J.M. Barrie’s The Little White Bird
I really enjoy the way Barrie writes; if you are only familiar with Peter Pan, you should consider taking a look at some of his other work. Little White Bird is sweet and whimsical while at the same time being filled with sadness and longing. I love it.
It is also notable for being the birth, so to speak, of Peter Pan. His origins and pre-Neverland life are told as a story within a story. Later that section of the book was published as a stand alone novelette, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.

The Harry Potter Series
What can I say? I love them like Hagrid loves Norbert.

Newt’s Favorites
The Spiderwick Chronicles Series
I have been reading to Newt since before she could talk. We share a particular love for fantasy. When she learned to read, she was so excited to dig into a great story on her own. Sadly, neither Jack and Annie or June B. could satisfy that desire. The stories were simple enough to read, but not engaging enough to hold her interest.
When I discovered them, I considered Spiderwick a blessing. The books are short and easy to read, but filled with all kinds of fantastical creatures. She was hooked. Even though she has moved on to longer and more complex books, she still loves these ones and rereads them often.

The Gregor the Overlander Series
This is Newt’s absolute favorite series. When I asked her why, she told me that one thing she loved was that the characters were all so different. They were not all human; they had different cultures and values. She also likes that the problems in the book were not easy for the characters to solve. Even at the end, things were not “all better”. She really appreciated that.

The Little Britches Series
Ooh! Put that one under my list too.
If you have been reading this feature for any length of time, you won’t be surprised to see these books here.

A Christmas Carol
We are rereading this one together for the third or fourth time. This time around, Newt mentioned that she now knows the story so well, it is easy to understand. It’s sweet, touching, hilarious, and delightfully creepy. Long live Scrooge!

What are your all time favorites?

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