Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann

This is just one in my hidden-away-for-Christmas stash.

I loved Struwwelpeter when I was small. I don't know why, its not for the fainthearted and I would certainly have been classified as fainthearted. I was a thumb-sucking wimp and yet my absolute favourite story in the book was about little Suck-a-thumb!

For anyone who has not heard of it Struwelpeter is a collection of cautionary tales written in Germany in 1845. Anyone who is tired of reading about Horrid Henry and the lack of consequences for his actions - try this book. Look what happens to Harriet when she plays with matches!

Anyway, I CANNOT wait to read this one at bedtime.

For ages three to adult.

Books for a seven year old girl

My friend Laura asked me for reccommendations for a seven year old girl, and I was a bit stumped. I really don't know girls - no sisters, no daughters, and what I enjoyed in the 1970's might not be still in print. That's if I can remember what I read when I was seven. I keep thinking of the Noel Streatfield Shoe Books, but maybe they are more for ages nine and up? Definitely worth checking out though. What I have in the house that might work are..

The Amelia graphic novels - cartoony stuff about Amelia the tomboy - just right for age seven or eight.

The Worst Witch series (written before Harry Potter and definitely for a younger age group.) Fine for age seven.

This is the font size.

And a bit easier are the A to Z Mysteries..

These are great value, which is just as well and they are flown through.

We love Henry Huggins, but his pal Beezus is even more popular. Although you probably already have her.

If not, this is the font size.

I gave this to my eight year old last Christmas - he loved it.

This is what it looks like.

Also, I couldn't find our copy of All of a Kind Family, but that is PERFECT for a seven year old girl. And, now that I think of if the Little House on the Prairie books and of course Pippi Longstocking. 

I Am David by Anne Holm

We are in the middle of the first series of The Sopranos on boxset at the moment, so I'm itching to get down onto the couch in the evenings and as a result am not spending ages on nighttime stories. However, last night I got delayed, as my eleven year old was listening to this in bed.

Oh my goodness, its brilliant. I read it thirty odd years ago and with this reminder, would happily read it again. This audio version is very, very well read. Totally gripping.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce

This was on our kitchen table this morning, ready to be brought back to the school library. It only came home on Friday, so suffice to say, it was enjoyed. We're now on the look out for the next one by Cottrell Boyce and have already got the first, by Ian Fleming. (When you think about it, he always thought of "unusual" names for his female characters, from the sublime Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the ridiculous Pussy Galore in Goldfinger!)

For ages nine and up.

P.s. I've just had a look on Book Depository and Cottrell Boyce has written a third in the series too!

Cookbooks!

This came in the post today.

Its the first cookbook I've bought in about ten years! Up until now our family has survived mainly on these four. They really have served me well; from one child to four, from tiny kitchen to big one, from Birkenstocks to Havianas to Fitflops and back to Birkenstocks again. Anyway, read on if you want to see the best and now dirtiest pages in each one.

Ok, first I'll look at Jamies Dinners. The pages with the most stains in this used-a-thousand-times book are

Tagliatelle with spinach, mascarpone and parmesan.

and Rigatoni with sweet tomatoes, aubergine and mozzarella.

And my favourite pages in the Avoca Cafe Cookbook are

Shepherds pie and 

Nicki's Chicken Curry. (this one works well in food flasks for school.)

I think the next one was Jamies first book. The Naked Chef.

So young!

Nearly every Saturday we use the pizza dough recipe in this one.

Hmmnnn..not a very inspiring picture - I'm just including it as the stains prove how often it was used. Very, very delicious pizza.

Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, I inherited from my Mum. It's still in print but now jauntily titled Delia's Complete Cookery Course. No need anymore for the surname. Here's the cover of my edition. Its  not actually yellow but my Mum, a teacher, was accustomed to covering books to make them last and Delia was purchased in the year of the yellow sellophane.

Its one of those books where everything works out. My Mum adored her. And now that I think of it, we ate her scones this morning,.Here's the FANTASTIC and easy chocolate icing recipe. 

Chocolate and soured cream filling.

Now that I read through the recipe again, I realise that over the years it has evolved into this:

Melt Cadburys milk chocolate and then quickly add sour cream.

(ingredients; 150g Chocolate and 150ml sour cream - I use about two dessertspoons and a large bar a and a few more squares.) This give you fabulous, glossy chocolatey icing - perfect for any birthday cake. Having said that, you can rest assured that Delia's way would be even better.

National Geographic Kids - Planets and Arthur's Halloween

I got Planets because I knew my boys would like it, and also because I suddenly realised that if I were at a table quiz and faced with questions about our solar system, I might not know the answers. The National Geographic Kid series are great. (This is the hardcover version of my one - the softback ones are between four and five euros! And reliably good. Like this one and this one.)

And there's Arthur's Halloween. I may have blogged about him before, if so treat this as a reminder that Arthur is great. We were reading this last night and none of us could remember what animal Arthur was. I have read so many American kids books that we are by now familiar with Opossums and chipmunks and bears, but for the life of me I couldn't remember if he was an anteater or an aardvark. Anyway, I just checked. He's an aardvark.

The Legend of Spud Murphy and The Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth by Eoin Colfer

About six years ago I borrowed the audio version of The Legend of Spud Murphy from our local library. It was read by Ardal O'Hanlon. (only available second hand through this link. Or try the library).

For the next year or two, we borrowed it regularly and now, due to use by us and others, it is no longer on the shelf.  It either wore out or someone kept it. I wish it were me. Not only is it just a great story (about two brothers who are sent to the library by their mother to do something other than squabble), Ardal O'Hanlon manages to make it even better. If you have a five year old with younger siblings, just buy it now and leave it in the car. You will never get sick of listening to it over the next few years.

Next we got The Legend of Captain Crow's teeth, (about the same brothers, this time on a seaside holiday) which was nearly as good and will get your kids talking about phosphorescence for days. 

Both area for ages seven and up - or when they are pretty comfortable reading themselves. (There is also The Legend of the Worst Boy in the World which is good, but we didn't love quite as much as the other two.)