a bookI loved on holidays even though it was falling apart. Euphoria by Lily King

Theres a fifteenth century building (at least part of it is fifteenth century) on the campsite we stay at, and it houses an old television and a few bookshelves where, back in the day, people would leave books they had finished with. My kids used it as a place to escape the heat while they charged up phones and I used it to leave my books for anyone who might not have a kindle with them. Which was no one as far as I could see. In fact, by the end of the holiday I was wishing I had one myself. Running out of stuff to read is a disaster. Especially if all I could find on the shelves were Ken Follett in Dutch and books I had left there last year!
Anyways, when I started Euphoria, I had a week to go, so I had to make it last. The minute I started I know I would love it so forced myself to put it aside for a few days. Sadly, I put it aside outside, just before a thunderstorm and it got SOAKED. I spent a few hours peeling the pages apart before giving up and leaving it in the sun to dry, hoping for the best. It recovered and I spent my last few days really enjoying it.

The Happy Lion by Louise Fatio, illustrated by Roger Duvoisin

I saw a copy of this in the library after I ordered it and was kicking myself. It used to be hard to get American published books in our local branch, but all of a sudden, theres loads of them! Anyway, now that I've seen it, I'm very glad we have our own one - its a read-over-and-over-again-book. About a Lion who lives in a Zoo, in a little village in France (beautiful illustrations of beautiful buildings), who wanders out of his cage one day. Worth getting in hard-cover actually, as a special present. For ages four to adult.

Pippi Moves In by Astrid Lindgren, illustrated by Ingrid Vang-Nyman

Presents for my five year old. (He's a bit young for Sushi Go, but he'll get it, and yes, those sweets are called Very Bad Kids - very good name, right?) Pippi Moves In is over sixty pages of little comicy stories about Pippi. Its very easy to read aloud and on top of that, is a really cool, beautiful looking book. Its his little pals birthday party today and I wish I had a copy for her. Its the perfect, special present for a five to seven year old.

Books my kids fought over on holidays

We are just back from a few weeks camping in France. Actual camping with a tent, air mattresses, wind-up torches and no xbox. There was a wifi area on the campsite but not at our tent, and we had no electricity so my kids had to find an outlet in an old communal t.v room and sit there watching French cartoons to charge up any devices they wanted to use. They didn't mind this but it did mean that there was a little effort involved in getting online, which was really great. It just kept them off screens as much as humanly possible. So when I say they were fighting over books it is not because they are saintly geniuses, it is because their options were limited and of course, because I picked great books.

Weird but True! is ideal for any journey with kids of seven up (or when they can read quite well). Its just a daft fact per page with nice pictures and was what my kids looked through while their Dad put up the tent and I found the stuff we needed for the pool. 

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library is about a library that is FULL of the latest, coveted computery, touch-screen gizmo's. It reminded me of when my kids used to say "What should I dream about?" and I would say, "Imagine going to a house by a beach with a massive home cinema that was also an xbox and a computer, where everything is touchscreen." I didn't approve at first but its a very clever book and they LOVED it. It's perfect for reluctant readers. Really perfect. For ages eight and up.

We gave The Tapper Twins Go To War (with each other) to my ten year old for his birthday (along with the card game Dutch Blitz(really great) and lots of other less photogenic stuff.) Everyone was dying to get their hands on it, including me. Here he is reading it without letting anyone look over his shoulder.

And here is his brother(on the left) reading it after paying ten peach loops...

These Plants Vs Zombies graphic novels were high on his birthday list,

and so, so coveted by his brothers. Again they were rented out for half hour loans and are in his bedside drawer as I type, only to be perused by the owner. Again, great for screeny kids. They're only available in hardcover so far and not cheap,(around ten euros each) but they are nicely produced and I know will be read many,  many times.

Thats not all we read, it really is just what they bickered over. I'll post on the rest later in the week.